How often should my cat be taken to the vet?

[Cocorico]

I am the owner of a 5-year-old cat that my family adopted when she was a kitten...The one and only time she's been to a vet was when we found her, where my mother has told me she had all the necessary procedures done.

Since she's started to gravitate towards me over the years, and I'm considering taking her with me when I move out...I thought I should seek an outside opinion on whether she should be taken to a vet for any checkups or not.

There's nothing in her behavior that has me especially concerned -- she shakes her head a lot and paws or scratches at her ears sometimes, and recently I noticed her scooting around on her rump a couple times, but I don't know how normal any of that is. She also has some slight separation anxiety (or so I suspect), has only travelled a couple times before, and doesn't like being in cars.

My mom tells me I'm free to take her in to the vet if I want to, but she keeps saying that it isn't necessary and that the staff will be confused about why I'm bringing her in when there isn't anything overtly wrong with her. Like I said, I just thought it might be good to seek a second opinion to see if maybe she's right about that.

 

[molly92]

Your mother is wrong here. Vets would like all cat owners to bring their cats in for yearly checkups. The biggest reason is to check their teeth. Dental issues are very difficult for owners to notice, and they can be very serious. It's much better (for your cat and your wallet) to catch dental issues before they get bad.

Another important reason for regular check-ups is that cats are masters at hiding symptoms. If you wait until you notice something is very wrong, it could be too late, or they could have been suffering for a while without you knowing.

Even for something basic like a minor ear infection, which it sounds like your cat might have, it's still good to get a vet to look at it. Chances are there's a simple medication available that will resolve your cat's issues and, at the very least, make her more comfortable.

It's unlikely that much is seriously wrong with a 5 year old cat, but now is a good time to start bringing her in annually to get on top of the issues that typically start to appear around middle age. It's also worth it just to get peace of mind, in my opinion.

Depending on the laws in your area, she may also be overdue for a rabies shot.

 

[Caspers Human]

She needs to be up to date on her immunizations for rabies, distemper (Panleukopenia), Feline Leukemia and a couple of others.
Rabies needs to be vaccinated against every year or every three years, depending on the vaccine. The others need to be vaccinated at least every three years.

If your cat goes outside or socializes with other cats that go outside, vaccination is a MUST!

This isn't just to keep YOUR cat from getting sick. It is also to keep your cat from potentially giving a disease to other cats. It's called "herd immunity."

If your cat goes outside you should also get her chipped. If she ever gets lost, every vet and every animal shelter is required to scan every animal in case it has been chipped. If your cat gets picked up by an animal shelter, they can send her back to you. If she's not chipped, they'll try to adopt her out but, if they can't rehome her, she could end up in a gas chamber.

A micro chip only costs about $50.00 and it takes five minutes to insert. It's no worse than getting her shots.
Even if your cat never goes out of the house, it's STILL good insurance, in case she accidentally escapes.
If, heaven forbid, your cat ever gets stolen, a microchip is proof that she's YOUR cat.

Apart from all that, it's still a good idea to take your cat to the vet for a checkup once a year. Get her weighed. Have her looked over. Maybe get a stool sample to check for worms, etc. If you have any nagging questions about your cat's health, the vet will answer them if they can.

No. A vet won't be confused if you bring her in. Just tell them that you're bringing your cat in for her yearly checkup and her booster shots.

 

[klunick]

Take it at least once a year for check up and shots. I made the mistake of not doing that with my prior two. Now I am left with guilt that certain illnesses could have been detected at an earlier stage and treated better.

 

[moxiewild]

Yep, as everyone else said, once a year for an annual appointment and wellness check.

However,once she hits senior age (~8-10 years old), it is recommended to bring them twice a year, just so you're aware.

After 10, there a lot of common illnesses that creep up in cats and the signs can be easy to miss until it is already progressed quite a bit. These illnesses include Chronic Kidney Disease, Hyperthyrdoism, Diabetes, hypertension, cancer, and heart issues (a silent killer in cats just as it is in us), primarily. So it's best for seniors to receive bloodwork and ideally urinalysis as well twice a year.

Other than that, vet visits are only required if something is "off" and it would be helpful to familiarize yourself with the signs of pain, nausea, etc in cats. Behavioral changes, appetite changes, and changes in bathroom habits are also things to always pay attention to.

Don't underestimate any changes. We recently had a skinny cat with kidney disease start eating twice as much as normal, which seemed like a godsend, especially because there were no other symptoms to be concerned about. After two months though, he had gained quite a bit of weight, and while that seemed to make sense, we decided to take him into the vet just to be sure.

I thought we were overreacting (we've been guilty of bringing in a cat in before when we thought we felt something on his belly, and his diagnosis was just "he's a little pudgy" ) and I regarded taking him as acting out of an abundance of caution. To us, it made sense that he was gaining weight since he was eating twice as much, and nothing else had changed, so we figured not much would come out of the appointment.

Turned out he has cancer.

So always pay attention! Get pet insurance, apply for CareCredit, or start a savings account for future vet visits - routine wellness checks, sick visits, and emergencies.

 

[jessica smith]

She needs to be up to date on her immunizations for rabies, distemper (Panleukopenia), Feline Leukemia and a couple of others. Rabies needs to be vaccinated against every year or every three years, depending on the vaccine. The others need to be vaccinated at least every three years.

Since my cats are indoor only, my prior vet was frank with me when it was brought up and said that the immunization renewals being out of date really wasn't that big a deal, except that it needed to be done before they could do a teeth cleaning as was their policy.

My one cat is 10 years old now and has literally never been sick (unlike her sibling) and so has only been to the vet three times in her life. I think they are more likely to catch something at the vet, where there are such a huge amount of sick animal traffic, than at home, and my cats let me check their teefies and gums taking glances here and there when I'm petting them for a while and they are in a trance. Ditto on checking with a flashlight in their ears and what not, and since I'm always petting and squishing on them over the years I have a pretty good idea of what their "normal" is.

Personally, vet trips tend to be expensive and stressful for me and the cat, and I don't see a reason to go if the cat is healthy and there is nothing you are suspicious of that has changed in appearance or behavior, provided the cat is 100% indoor only.

 

[jessica smith]

If your cat goes outside you should also get her chipped. If she ever gets lost, every vet and every animal shelter is required to scan every animal in case it has been chipped. If your cat gets picked up by an animal shelter, they can send her back to you. If she's not chipped, they'll try to adopt her out but, if they can't rehome her, she could end up in a gas chamber.

Amen, both of ours were chipped as kittens. Another benefit that wasn't mentioned is that those chips can help control access with some of the cool new products out there. For example, one of the cats I wanted to be able to eat whenever he wants, whereas the female is if anything slightly on the chonky side with a bit more fat over the ribs than is ideal.

So we got a "surefeed microchip pet feeder" dropped into an existing cat house we had (so she doesn't try to squeeze in and eat while his chip opens the flap), and it works great just opening up whenever he sticks his head in.

 

[molly92]

She needs to be up to date on her immunizations for rabies, distemper (Panleukopenia), Feline Leukemia and a couple of others.
Rabies needs to be vaccinated against every year or every three years, depending on the vaccine. The others need to be vaccinated at least every three years.

If she had her last distemper vaccine after the age of 4 months, she should have lifelong immunity (a titer test can confirm that). Rabies vaccinations also last longer than the 1 or 3 years in studies, so I would not be overly worried about this one either except to comply with local laws. And many vets do not recommend the FeLV vaccine because it is not very contagious unless cats are regularly grooming each other or are sharing bowls.

A lot of vets do like to do these vaccinations yearly anyway, because it keeps pet owners on a yearly schedule for bringing them in for check-ups! Otherwise many people wait too long between visits if they don't see that a vaccination is "due."

The reason I'm not a huge proponent of vaccinating as much as possible is because the distemper vaccine especially is grown in feline kidney cell culture, and has been theorized to inadvertently teach the immune system to attack kidney cells. There are definitely cases of nephritis related to distemper shots, and it is possible that a life-long regimen of these shots might have something to do with how common kidney disease is in older cats. Also, the risk of an injection site sarcoma increases with frequency of vaccination.

Although it's slightly less convenient, it might be safer to check titer levels for immunity every so often rather than continuously re-vaccinating regardless. There are some limitations for titer testing and they are not reliable for all viruses, but it is considered very reliable for distemper.

That said, I still think cats should be taken to the vet every year for a checkup. Better safe than sorry.

 

[Burts]

Smokey my last cat lived to almost 16 and only went to the vet prob less then 6 times, he lived in hawaii though so no vaccines or anything as we have no rabies here

 

[klunick]

Smokey my last cat lived to almost 16 and only went to the vet prob less then 6 times, he lived in hawaii though so no vaccines or anything as we have no rabies here

My prior two lived 16 years and only went to the vet for their initial vaccines and when they were sick. I am somewhat sceptical about all the vaccines especially for indoor cats but I plan on taking the current kittens in yearly for basic check ups.

 

[fionasmom]

I agree that the cat needs to see a vet for a check up. Given that I have dealt with a lot of ferals, some of whom were going to be trapped only once( because of their extreme trap wariness) when they were TNRed, I have seen health issues arise which could have been addressed in a pet cat who could have gone to a regular appointment.

 

[Tagrendy]

In this case he does need to go to vet, to first check if he has earmites ( sounds like it ) and also to vaccinate. Other than that a general checkup would be good too.

After this you just need to monitor the cat, once you start living with the cat for a while you'll get a sense of his normal behavior. Whenever he starts displaying declined behavior - eating less than usual, moving less than usual - that's when you would need to take the cat to the vet.

Vaccinations are done yearly, so this is something to keep in mind, but if the cat will only be indoor maybe the vaccinations can be done less frequently.

Overall, since you are going to be a cat parent, it's a good idea to start reading up on general cat care over the next few weeks.

 

[BlackCatOp]

I’m not big on re-vaccinating my indoor only cats but kitten vaccines are super important.

My kitties all have annual or semi-annual bloodwork done. It provides a great baseline so your vet can track trends and also can detect underlying diseases that may not be showing clinical signs yet. Having your kitty examined once a year is very important- remember cats age much faster than people. Humans are expected to see a doctor once every year and if your kitty only sees the vet yearly that’s equivalent to a human only going to the doctor once every 5-7 years!

 

[klunick]

How are vets in general about not vaccinating yearly? Do most give you grief or do they give you the lecture about how important boosters are and then move on? I agree check ups are important but I also don't think indoor only cats need boosters each year for certain diseases.

 

[Tagrendy]

How are vets in general about not vaccinating yearly? Do most give you grief or do they give you the lecture about how important boosters are and then move on? I agree check ups are important but I also don't think indoor only cats need boosters each year for certain diseases.

Differs from vet to vet, I've had a vet tell me that most viruses transmit through 3rd party ( which I honestly don't know if that's true ). Like say if I went outside, petted an infected cat, came home then I could be transmitting the virus through my clothes to the cat. Same works with insects like flies. However some vets don't say anything, because they think it's rude since the person might not have had money for it, but that can be a regional / cultural thing ( here most people struggle with finances ).

 

[molly92]

How are vets in general about not vaccinating yearly? Do most give you grief or do they give you the lecture about how important boosters are and then move on? I agree check ups are important but I also don't think indoor only cats need boosters each year for certain diseases.

I don't know about the average vet. I get automatic notices from my vet's office that my cats are due for their boosters, but it really just means it's time for their check up, because when we do go my vet will tell me she thinks it's best that we skip them before I even bring it up. My cats are indoors and they have various health issues, so my vet thinks it's better to avoid the risks.

Overvaccination is slowly becoming more understood in veterinary medicine. Official recommendations have changed from boosters every year to every 3 years MAX. But because many vets practiced under the once a year recommendation for a long time, I think some still stick to the old schedule, but I'm not sure how many.

 

[molly92]

I've had a vet tell me that most viruses transmit through 3rd party

It absolutely depends on the virus. Distemper can be transmitted like that, which is why it's such an important vaccine. FIV can only be transmitted through a deep bite wound, so an infected cat can easily live with other cats and never pass it on. FeLV requires ingestion of saliva. The herpes and calciviruses spread like colds, from saliva/sneezes/coughs to mucous membranes. Essentially how we think covid19 spreads. (Except these are much less serious.)

There are a lot of non-viral parasites that can be transmitted through dirt or insects. Wash your hands after gardening and don't let your cat lick your shoes to prevent transmission. Most of these just cause diarrhea. However heartworm, while rare, can be transmitted by mosquitoes and is very serious, which is why I prefer to use Revolution flea medicine monthly, which protects against it.

 

[klunick]

Differs from vet to vet, I've had a vet tell me that most viruses transmit through 3rd party ( which I honestly don't know if that's true ). Like say if I went outside, petted an infected cat, came home then I could be transmitting the virus through my clothes to the cat. Same works with insects like flies. However some vets don't say anything, because they think it's rude since the person might not have had money for it, but that can be a regional / cultural thing ( here most people struggle with finances ).

We get the notices too in the mail saying our cats are due for boosters. I don't mind taking them in for check ups and have no problem saying "no" to the boosters. But saying no doesn't stop the constant "reminder mailings" from coming in. I think I might take the kittens to the place that did their spay for boosters anyway. They might hassle me as much as a vet would. I might have more leeway in what to agree to or not.

 

[moxiewild]

Personally, vet trips tend to be expensive and stressful for me and the cat, and I don't see a reason to go if the cat is healthy and there is nothing you are suspicious of that has changed in appearance or behavior, provided the cat is 100% indoor only.

The problem with this approach is that cats are notoriously adept at hiding illness and pain.

By the time you can observe symptoms, it has progressed to a level of great discomfort beyond their capability to conceal.

Like I mentioned earlier, this is much more of an issue after about age 10, but it can happen at any age, of course.

Having annual or biannual lab work and vitals also provides a reliable baseline for your cat.

If the vet is stressful for your cat, you can google to see whether a mobile vet is available in your area. We do this with several of ours. Most mobile vets are not any more expensive than a regular appointment, although the ones I’ve seen that are, are only just barely more expensive. Some regular vets will also make house calls for cats like these, too.

When you get a pet, these are costs that should be factored in. It’s less than $200/year just for an annual check up.

If that’s still beyond your budget, another option is searching for low cost clinics.

To help kitty with stress from the trip, look up tips online to help them become accustomed to a carrier. There are also OTC calming aids, and the vet can even prescribe you an inexpensive, single dose of gabapentin for you to give your cat prior before going to the vet to make things easier for him/her.

 

[cataholic07]

For those who have cats who are stressed on car rides you can get gabapentin or you can use at home vets. I do think it's very important to do yearly exams. I know it's not cheap, but it is worth it just for peace of mind. Sometimes the littlest things could actually be pretty big. My first cat didnt really go to the vet often unless sick. She did have FORL and had all her back teeth removed. She had a small mammary tumor removed. Then she started to have 3 hairballs a month, and vomited often. The one vet said it was just pancreatitis, but after meds didnt work we went to a different vet who told us to see a specialist. After an ultrasound and biopsy she was diagnosed with GI lymphoma. Cats are really good at hiding illnesses. Sometimes something as simple as a few hairballs can literally be life or death. To me peace of mind is worth the cost. I dont do yearly vaccines, only every 3 years or so. But a yearly vet check up, yep I do. I go to a force free vet clinic who are very good with cats. So its less stress on them.