How Often Do You Take A Cat To The Vet? Every Information Is Here
Benign pet parents are more responsibility than you think. It is way more than just clicking cute photos of them, feeding them, and playing with them. When they get sick or need to be checked out by the vet is important for them.
If you are a cat parent, you should know exactly when to take them to the vet and get them checked out, or they might get ill and have serious consequences later.
So if you are a new cat parent, then there are certain important things that you should, like how often do you take a cat to the vet. Now without wasting any more time, let’s get into it.
Key Points: • Till your cat is about 4 months old, the kitty needs to see a vet every three or four weeks. • Regular adult cats should go to the vet at least once a year for a checkup. • Senior or elder cats should visit the vet every six months.
Why It’s Important To Take Your Cat To The Vet?
If you are a cat parent, then you are pretty much responsible for the well-being and health of that animal. That means taking them to regular vet checkups and eating a healthy diet for them as well.
With this care and attention given to them, like vaccination, neutering, and other necessary surgeries, indoor cats tend to live about 10 years longer than any outdoor cats. But all these medical necessities are only possible with a vet appointment and checkup.
How Often Should Cats Go To The Vet?
Sylvalyn Hammond, the spokeswoman for Zesty Paws and DVM, said, “the answer depends on the cat’s age. Kittens will need to see the veterinarian every three to four weeks until they reach about four months of age. Adult cats require one wellness exam a year and may need occasional veterinary visits in addition to that to address illnesses or issues. Senior cats (those aged 12 or older) should see the veterinarian every six months, or more frequently if they have a known medical condition.”
She continued, “Growing kittens need monthly visits to ensure their growth and development are on track, deworm them to rid their gastrointestinal tract of any parasites passed through their mother’s milk, and for their kitten vaccination series.”
In case you have a healthy adult cat, then you can relax as they don’t require as many vet visits and medical attention. Although an annual visit is something that is important to keep upto date on vaccines.
Now that you know how often do you take a cat to the vet, what are the signs that should make you feel concerned to cat your cat to the vet?
Kittens
If you are a new cat parent, you are automatically bound by an agreement that you need to take you kitten to the vet, as soon as you adopt it. this kick-starts your relationship with a vet. This visit would clarify a lot of your doubts, as the vet would do a full body checkup to determine what the kitten needs. For kittens, the vet visits would mostly include vaccination shots. Something that would be discussed extensively, later on.
Even if you did not adopt your kitten from a breeder or a shelter, it is still recommended that you take your rescued kitten to a vet as soon as possible. If you have rescued a kitten, then it is seminal that you take the kitten for a deworming session. It is very common for kittens to get intestinal worms from their mother. Moreover, if you have rescued a stray kitten, then there is a high possibility that your cat might have ticks or fleas. therefore, a vet visit would take care of those issues. A vet would also suggest some classes that your cat can take part in, in order to bring actual change to its behaviors.
Adult Cats
Unlike kittens, you can go a bit easy with your adult cats. a cat is usually considered an adult at around six to eight years of age. If your cat is not suffering with something that is chronic, you should ideally take your adult cat for a vet visit, once a year.
These visits would mostly be regular checkups. The vet would ask you some general questions about the kind of lifestyle your cat has and other things like diet or exercise requirements. In some cases, your vet might even ask you to do some tests. This is nothing to be scared about as it is just regular protocol.
Senior Cats
Just like human beings, when your cat becomes a senior cat, who is around eight to 10 years of age, you will find yourself visiting the vets more frequently. Most probably, vets would advise you to make visits after every six weeks. Hopefully by now, your cat will be used to these visits and will go willingly.
Some of the major concerns for senior cats and their health are diabetes, renal issues, bone problems, etc. Therefore, do not miss the vet’s appointment, as all these conditions are debilitating. In other words, the last few years of your cat needs the most attention, and you should give it. Again, if your cat does not show any chronic issues, then the visits would mostly go breezy.
Signs You Should Take A Cat To The Vet
As per the Town & Country Veterinarians when your cat is showing the following signs and symptoms, then it’s time that you should take them to the vet. These following symptoms are as follows.
- Constant Vomiting
- Fatiguing Exceptionally
- Eye Or Nose Discharge
- Dragging Their Back Legs
- Abnormal Changes In Their Litter Box Behavior
- Showing Distress Like Crying, Hiding, And Howling
- Change In Appetite
- Unusual Growths Or Lumps
- Trauma After Fighting With Another Cat
- Breathing And Coughing Changes
How Often Do Cats Get Shots?
Like you already know by now, at every stage of a cat’s life, the vet checkup and medical attention are different. So, in that case, the vaccination requirement for kittens is much more than for your regular cats to strengthen their immunity.
At about 6 to about 8 weeks old, the kitties get their first vaccine, which is the FVRCP vaccine (Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis Calicivirus Panleukopenia). After the last round of the vaccine is given, then the kitty is good for a year.
Between about 13 to 16 weeks, kittens are given their first rabies shot as well. If your kitten is known to roam around outside, then they should also be given the feline leukemia vaccine. This feline leukemia tends to spread from one cat to another through bodily fluids.
Once all the shots are given to your kitten, at the age of 6 months, your kitty should be neutered or spayed. To test for intestinal parasites, fleas, parasites, and ticks, the cat’s fecal matter should be tested. After all the tests and shots are done, you can reduce the vet visits to an annual checkup.
When your cat reaches adulthood, at the age of about 3 years old, then too for the annual checkups, your cat should receive regular wellness checkups, even for underlying medical issues. Also an annual blood test should also be done to ensure proper health
If your cat hits the age of 7 years old, the vet checkups should be increased to every 6 months. Like elderly humans, elderly cats need extra care and medical attention at the same time. At these visits, routine blood work, wellness checkups, and tests for organ functions and metabolic issues are also checked.
Tips For Bringing Your Cat To The Vet
For first-time pet parents, it can be quite difficult to carry your cat to the vet, they can be frightened and hyper while going to the vet, so here are a few helpful tricks to help you with that.
1. Make Sure Your Cat Has A Comfortable Carrier
You need to make sure that the cat carrier that you are carrying your cat inside should be very comfortable and safe at the same time.
The car ride shouldn’t also be bumpy or vulnerable while riding. To make your cat feel more comfortable, you can give them their favorite toys to them for the car ride.
2. Consider Medicating Your Cat Ahead Of Time
If your cat is very scared of going to the vet, then your cat may not corporate with the vet. Then after consulting with your vet, you should think of giving your cat medications to calm them down. This way, you won’t have to be worried about your cat’s anxiety.
3. Make An Appointment For A Quiet Time Of Day
If your cat suffers from anxiety, then you should consider booking a vet appointment during a quiet time of the day. That way, your cat won’t have to feel anxious seeing other animals there as well.
Wrapping Up!
Now that you have an idea of how often do you take a cat to the vet, then you can consult with your vet to book the appointments with your vet for your cat.
So if you found the information given here important, then you should definitely give us a like and comment down below.
Read Also:
Share
Leave A Comment