How Often Do You Take A Cat To The Vet?
The new cat owners are usually actually bound by an agreement. They are usually in agreement with the breeder, or even the shelter to make their cat go see a vet soon after adoption.
This would kick off your relationship with the veterinarian you choose and also enable the vet to track the kitten’s health from a very early point in life.
Keep reading till the end to find out more information about how often do you take a cat to the vet!
Early Vet Visits
Vaccines would begin for the cats as soon as they become six to eight weeks old. It would also depend heavily on factors like – family history, lifestyle, and even common diseases in the region where you reside. The first vaccine round is for panleukopenia, rhinotracheitis, and calicivirus.
After about 3-4 weeks later, the kitten would need to get their second round of vaccines, every 3/4 weeks as an estimate, until and when the kitten becomes four months old.
After the cat crosses the 3-month mark, the rabies vaccines would start. There would be boosters given after every three years or whatever the vet recommends. There are also another type of treatment that gets given to the Vets – like deworming treatments. They are given so because most kittens are prone to getting intestinal worms from their mothers.
A trip to the vet might also entail physical exams and a discussion about tick and flea prevention measures. After your pet crosses the six-month mark, it will become eligible to be neutered or spayed.
Keep reading till the end to learn more about how often do you take a cat to the vet!
Adult Cats
Check-ups are recommended for adult cats about once a year up until the age of 6-8 years old. Even though cats at any age can experience health concerns. One might need to closely track the health of their cat and take them to the vet often as a precautionary measure for preventing the cat from getting diseases.
As the kitten moves out of their “kitten stage” and becomes a cat, they would continuously be needed to get vaccine boosters.
Outdoor cats are more prone to get diseases. This is why, when you take your cat to the vet, they will first ask you some questions regarding your cat and if they are more of an indoor/outdoor kind of cat.
Some of the diseases that outdoor cats get are FIP (Feline Infectious Peritonitis) and Feline Leukemia. This vaccine would also be offered to the cat as a recur and a kitten throughout the cat’s life. Vaccines for rabies would also be given to them every three years or so.
Senior Cats
There are many factors on which it depends how often do you take a cat to the vet. If it is a senior cat, you are very likely to start going to the vet several times a year after your cat is eight to ten years old. The majority of the vets start advising visits every six months after a cat approaches their “senior years.”
You would definitely want to report any behavior changes to your vet, no matter what the age of your cat is. The discussion and matter become much more important as a cat reaches their senior years just.
Small atypical behaviors – like a cat drinking more water than usual could also indicate a bigger problem. Maybe the cat could be suffering from diabetes or even be facing kidney issues.
Is Your Cat Due For A Visit To The Vet?
If your cat has not been to the vet in the whole of the past year, then it would probably be for the best that you make an appointment at the vet real soon.
In order to make the appointments, even more, easier, you need to try and remember to write them down on a planner. You could even try noting it down on the calendar app of your phone.
If your cat is known to have severe anxiety attacks before visits to the vet and tends to hide or even run away, then you would first need to make sure that you calm their anxiety down. Or you could even try making a vet appointment at your home so that the cat feels more relaxed in a known environment.
Signs Of Anxiety Attack In Cats
Here are a few signs, which if you notice in your cats, then just know that they are getting anxiety attacks. These can be triggered by a certain change in environment – in this case, if you take your cat to the vet, they can showcase these signs.
- shaking or even trembling (in a fearful manner)
- Taking quick breaths
- keeping the eyes closed
- flicking their tail or even holding it close to their body (as a form of self-pacifying behavior)
- having dilated pupils
- running away and hiding
- pursuing people inside the house
- tilting back
- raising the fur on their skin
- continuous hissing, snarling, and making noises
- licking their nose frequently
- pacing around the house while meowing frequently
- movement aggression towards family members or other persons or animals
- destructive habits, such as scratching furniture
Tip: Did you get your answer on how often do you take a cat to the vet? I have answered the same in the previous sections of the article.
To Wrap It Up!
Getting a pet means a lot of responsibilities. I would really suggest people not get pets if they cannot take their pets to the vet as this is a necessary means to ensure their health?s safety.
That was all for information regarding how often should a pet cat be taken to the vet. Thank you for reading up till here. I hope you found the information useful. Let me know in the comments your thoughts on the same.
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