Why should you take your cat regularly to the vet?
A nightly check-up may not seem like a priority, it is when you’re winding down after a busy day, but a few minutes to assess your cat’s condition could mean the difference between spending years, and being a loving companion. While cats are expert hiders, catching even subtle symptoms, and can prevent many problems from developing in the first place. Regular veterinary care is essential to your cat’s health. Here’s why that’s true and how often do you take a cat to the vet.
Many pet parents wonder about how often their cat should visit the vet, but there is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. Lifestyle and age will typically impact your cat’s need for vet care. For instance, kittens and senior cats might need regular visits. Generally, the American Animal Hospital Association recommends an annual checkup at the minimum. However, you should talk with your veterinarian to determine what schedule is right for your feline friend.
Why Is Taking Your Cat to the Vet So Important?
Making sure your cat stays healthy through every stage of life is important. Your vet can help you do this. Every checkup will include a physical exam, in which your vet looks for signs of skin conditions, dental disease, and even tumors. Your vet may be the first to notice changes in your cat’s behavior. That could mean a health issue needs attention, from kidney disease to arthritis. If you bring your cat for an annual bloodwork checkup, your veterinarian may be able to spot early signs of disease before it becomes a more serious concern. All these things are important because they keep your cat as healthy as possible throughout every stage of its life.
Keeping your cat up-to-date on their vaccines and annual wellness testing is the best way to ensure a long and healthy life. For example, routine diagnostic tests will help catch abnormalities early, when treatments are more likely to be successful. And monthly parasite preventives are essential for protecting your cat from heartworm and other dangerous diseases.
How Often Do Cats Need Vaccinations?
A kitten often needs to get vaccinated. She should take the first vaccine when she is 6-8 weeks old. You can call it the feline distemper vaccine. She needs to take another booster at 3-4 weeks, and another see at 3-4 weeks still. In total, she needs to take 3 vaccines. Once the cat did it, she won’t have to do it again for a year. Kittens can also get the rabies vaccine at 13-16 weeks of age.
Cats that spend any amount of time outdoors are at risk for exposure to many diseases. The feline rabies vaccine is required by law in the United States and prevents a deadly disease transmissible to humans. If your kitten is going to spend a lot of time out, the veterinarians recommend getting vaccinated for feline leukemia. For example, this disease is transmissible between cats, but not humans.
Your cat is getting older, and the best way to ensure a long, active life is by regular veterinary check-ups. As our feline friends age, their bodies change and are more susceptible to major medical problems, making annual wellness exams imperative. Routine bloodwork shoud be taken annually in order to screen for metabolic issues and overall organ function.
Taking Your Cat to the Vet: A Few Points to Consider
Your cat is more likely to enjoy its next vet appointment. It needs a comfortable carrier, with enough room for them to sit, and to lay down comfortably. It is helpful to leave the carrier out at home for a few weeks before the appointment so that your cat becomes familiar with it. If your cat seems anxious or afraid, try to put some of their favorite things inside the carrier (such as a toy or one of your old t-shirts). You can put even a little bit of catnip. Also, you can prop up the bottom of the crate on the car seat. and a towel to level out the crate and prevent it from tilting. Finally, to know more about cats’ health or pets’ health in general there is a quiz that tackles all this, you can just try it.
