Your kitty means the world to you. You know that regular veterinary care plays a key role in keeping your feline friend happy and healthy. But, exactly how often should you take a cat to the vet? Read on to find out.
Keeping Your Cat Healthy for Life
Our Berkeley veterinarians believe that the best way to help your kitty live a long and healthy life is to prevent illnesses from developing in the first place, or when prevention isn't possible, to detect developing conditions in the earliest stages when they are most easily treated.
Routine exams for your cat provide your veterinarian with an opportunity to monitor your kitty's overall well-being and physical health. By seeing your cat regularly your vet can more easily spot when something is different or unusual about your kitty. This allows us to spot the earliest signs of developing conditions so treatment can begin right away before the problem becomes more severe.
These regularly scheduled appointments also give your vet a chance to provide vital preventive care products tailored to meet your cat's specific needs.
At Berkeley Dog & Cat Hospital, our team understands that the potential cost of routine checkups and preventive care can be a concern, especially if your feline friend seems to be in perfect health. However, taking a proactive, preventive approach to your cat or kitten's health could save you the cost of more expensive treatments later in your cat's life.
When to Take a Cat to the Vet
You know that taking your cat in for regular checkups will help keep them healthy, but exactly how often should you take a cat to the vet? The answer to that question depends on your cat's age, lifestyle and overall health. The following are routine vet care guidelines recommended by many veterinary professionals.
Regularly Scheduled Checkups for Cats
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 typically recommend annual wellness exams for healthy adult cats, but kittens, senior cats, and kitties with underlying health conditions should see their vet more frequently for an examination.
Recommended Vet Visits for Kittens
If your feline friend is less than a year old, we suggest bringing them in for kitten examinations and vaccinations about once a month starting when they are approximately 8 weeks old. Your veterinarian will let you know exactly when to book your kitten's next exam.
Throughout their first year, kittens need multiple rounds of vaccinations to help protect them from common infectious diseases. Kittens should get the Feline Leukemia vaccine and the FVRCP vaccine which help protect your feline friend from 3 highly contagious and life-threatening feline diseases, Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis (FHV-1) Feline Calicivirus (FCV), and Feline Panleukopenia (FPL).
Your kitten will be provided with these vaccines over 16 weeks. These vaccines will go a long way towards safeguarding their health throughout their lifetime.
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 to prevent a host of diseases, undesirable behaviors, and unwanted litters of kittens.
Annual Pet Checkups for Most Middle-Aged Cats
If you have a healthy adult cat between the ages of 1 - 10 years, we recommend annual visits to see the vet. These wellness exams are yearly physical checkups that should be completed even when your cat seems to be perfectly healthy.
Throughout your adult cat's routine exam, your vet will conduct a nose-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 provide your kitty with vaccines or booster shots they are due for, chat with you about your cat's diet and nutritional requirements, and recommend appropriate parasite protection products.
If your vet detects any signs of a health issue, they will explain their findings and recommend the next steps.
Proactive Care To Keep Senior Cats Healthy & Comfortable
Cats are typically considered senior when they reach 11 years of age.
Since many cat diseases and conditions are more common in older pets we recommend bringing your senior companion in for an examination every 6 months. Twice-yearly wellness check-ups for your elderly cat will include all the checks and advice listed above, but with a few additional diagnostic tests to obtain extra insights 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.