You love your cat, and you want to ensure that they live a long, healthy life with you. Today, our Jackson vets explain how often you should take your cat to the vet for routine checkups and preventive care.
How often do you take a cat to the vet?
The best way to make sure your kitty has a long and healthy life is to prevent serious illnesses or catch them early when they are more easily treated.
Bringing your cat to the vet regularly gives your veterinarian the opportunity to monitor your kitty's overall wellbeing and physical health, watch for the earliest signs of disease, and offer recommendations for the preventive care products that would suit your feline friend best.
We understand that the cost of routine checkups and preventive care can be prohibitively expensive, especially if your feline companion appears to be in good health. Taking a proactive, preventive approach to your cat or kitten's health, on the other hand, may save you money on more costly treatments later on.
What is a cat checkup?
Taking your cat to the vet for routine wellness exams is like bringing them to the doctor for a physical checkup. As with people, how often your cat should have a physical examination depends on their age, lifestyle, and overall health.
We usually recommend annual wellness exams for healthy adult cats, but kittens, senior cats, and kitties with underlying health issues should see their vet more frequently.
How often do kittens need to go to the vet?
Recommended vet visits for kittens, if your kitty is less than a year old, is once monthly starting when they are approximately 8 weeks old.
Throughout their first year, kittens require multiple rounds of vaccinations to protect them from common infectious diseases. Kittens should get the Feline Leukemia vaccine as well as the FVRCP vaccine, which protects your cat from three highly contagious and potentially fatal feline diseases: Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis (FHV-1), Feline Calicivirus (FCV), and Feline Panleukopenia (FPL).
Your kitten will be provided with these vaccines over the course of approximately 16 weeks, which will go a long way in helping to keep them healthy their whole life.
The exact timing of your kitten's vaccinations will vary depending on your location and the overall health of your furry friend.
Our vets recommend having your kitten spayed or neutered when they are between 5 - 6 months in order to prevent a host of diseases and undesirable behaviors as well as unwanted litters of kittens.
How often do middle-aged cats need to go to the vet?
If you have a healthy adult cat between the ages of one and ten, we recommend bringing them in for an exam once a year. These exams are yearly physicals that should be completed even if your cat appears to be in perfect health.
Throughout your adult cat's routine exam your vet will implement a head-to-tail examination to look for early signs of diseases or other issues, such as parasites, joint pain, or tooth decay.
Your veterinarian will also administer any necessary vaccines or booster shots, talk with you about your cat's diet and nutritional needs, and recommend parasite protection products.
If your vet detects any signs of a health issue, they will explain their findings to you and recommend the next steps.
When to Take a Senior Cat to the Vet
Cats are typically considered to be senior when they reach 11 years of age.
Because many feline diseases and injuries are more common in senior cats, we recommend visiting the vet every six months. All of the above-mentioned checks and advice will be included in your geriatric cat's twice-yearly wellness check-ups, along with a few additional diagnostic tests to gain further insight into your furry friend's overall health.
Some diagnostic tests we recommend for our senior patients include blood tests and urinalysis to check for early signs of problems such as kidney disease or diabetes.
Geriatric care for cats also includes a more proactive approach to keeping your feline companion comfortable as age-related issues such as joint pain become more common. If you have a senior cat, ask your vet how often you should bring your pet in for a routine exam.
Note: The advice provided in this post is intended for informational purposes and does not constitute medical advice regarding pets. For an accurate diagnosis of your pet's condition, please make an appointment with your vet.