Staff at a pet store in Dongmen Market, Boai North Road, Haikou City: (Reporter: Can I sign a contract to buy this?) No, just buy it if it suits you. We didn’t sign anything (Reporter: What if I take it back and get sick?) Then you take it for a checkup.

Staff at Leland Pet Supermarket, Dongmen Market, Boai North Road, Haikou City: I have no invoice or contract here, and the animals are sold alive.

The reporter learned that because pets such as cats and dogs are living commodities, they do not have clear and standardized quality standards like other consumer products, making it difficult for consumers to defend their rights after encountering disputes when purchasing pets. In this regard, the Haikou Municipal Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau also reminded consumers to pay attention to these matters when buying kittens.

Nie Changlong, chief clerk of the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department of Haikou Municipal Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau: You must pay attention to whether the animal you buy has its provenance and whether it has a health certificate issued by the clinic (institution). There should be a contract with our service provider. If you do this, if there is a dispute between the two parties, you can use it as evidence to solve the problem.

How to choose a healthy cat?

Doctor’s Tips

When buying a cat, in addition to checking the cat’s source information and the relevant health certificate issued by the animal vaccination agency. In what other ways can we observe whether the cat we want to buy is healthy? Next, let’s listen to the introduction from the pet doctor.

1. Look at the ears

Cao Zhenyu, a doctor at an animal diagnosis and treatment center in Haikou: You can open the inside of the ears to see if they are clean. If some cats have dirty things in their ears, and there are quite a lot of black dirty things, it means there may be an infection in the ears.

If there are black objects attached to the cat's ears, or unknown fluid leaks out, the cat is likely to have ear mites. If you buy such a cat back, it will take a long time to be treated.

2. Look at the hair

Cao Zhenyu, a doctor at an animal diagnosis and treatment center in Haikou: You can touch it with your hands to see if there are scabs or regional hair loss on its body. For example, if a small area of ​​hair falls off on its body, there may be disease in this area of ​​skin.

The color of a cat's coat is very important. Only cats with thick and smooth hair are healthy. Cats with physical illnesses generally have difficulty absorbing nutrients, so the coat color will be much duller. You should also check whether there are any obvious clumping or shedding on the surface of the hair to prevent cats from suffering from skin diseases such as tinea felis.

3. Look at the eyes and nose

Cao Zhenyu, a doctor at an animal diagnosis and treatment center in Haikou: Some cats have secretions from their noses and eyes, especially kittens. Cats may have nasal branches, sneezing, runny nose, and obvious secretions in the eyes and corners of the eyes. This may also cause problems.

If the cat is in good health, its eyes will be clear and lively; on the contrary, if the cat is uncomfortable, its spirit will be sluggish, and its eyes will be dull. Healthy kittens have white teeth, smooth tongues, and no obvious oral taste, while unhealthy cats have more tongue coating and a peculiar smell in their mouths.

4. Look at the walking pattern

Cao Zhenyu, a doctor at an animal diagnosis and treatment center in Haikou: You can let the cat go for a walk. Check whether the overall walking pattern is normal, whether the limbs are occasionally raised, or lame. If this is the case, it may be a muscle or bone problem.

Of course, it is best for everyone to go to the pet hospital for a physical examination in time on the day of purchase, so as to ensure that you are buying a healthy cat. When taking a cat home to raise, you should also pay attention to observation.

Cao Zhenyu, a doctor at an animal diagnosis and treatment center in Haikou: Diet (aspects) Cats can eat raw meat, but try not to eat bones. When eating raw meat, they must be dewormed regularly. During the daily feeding process, the main thing is to observe its urination and defecation, including whether it has other symptoms, such as sneezing and runny nose. If possible, bring it to the hospital in time for us to deal with it.