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Last Updated on June 16, 2023 by Alaina
As a cat parent, you’d certainly want to stay on top of your cat’s health at all times. Unfortunately, there’s no definite answer to how many times you should take your cat to the vet. But by taking into account certain factors, you can determine how often you should visit your vet. This article covers each of those factors in detail.
Age
The age of your cat can play a big role in determining how often you need to take your cat to the vet. The older your cat gets, the less it needs to be taken to the vet unless it has a health issue. In its early stages, your cat will have to be taken quite often.
Kittens
For kittens under one year, it’s necessary to take them to the vet every 3-4 weeks. During this time, they’d also have to be vaccinated. Some cats can even feel scared of vets, so this time also includes visits where your vet spends time with your cat to reduce or remove any anxiety related to checkups and vets.
During this time, you should also talk to your vet about choosing different supplements such as a natural cat thyroid supplement, joint supplement, or vitamins for the immune system to keep your cat healthy and happy. Sometimes, finding the best prescribed vitamins or supplements takes lots of time and effort.
Thankfully, brands such as VetriScience, Nutri Vet, and Scruffy Paws Nutrition offer a large variety of all kinds of high-quality and nutritious products that keep your kitten healthy and saves lots of time on research for you at the same time.
Adult cats
Cats aged between 1-10 years will have to visit the vet a lot less, with 1-2 visits per year being sufficient. These checkups will include similar procedures as before, with stool sample checks, weight, and related physical body examinations. However, should your cat act differently than usual or show signs of discomfort, you should take them to the vet without a delay.
Older cats
Finally, cats aged over ten years will require more attention and care as they are at the highest risk of developing medical conditions. 2-4 scheduled checks every year will be just as rigorous, with the increase in frequency reducing the risk of letting any condition go beyond a treatable limit. Due to their age, you will also need to be more attentive in checking any signs or symptoms of any illness.
Indoor and outdoor cats
Many cats prefer to spend their time inside the house, in contrast to dogs, who love to go out. Although there are some cats who like to stroll outside as well. Those who stay at home are less likely to get infected or carry back any germs with them. If you do take your cat out of the house, it’s important that you give them a good warm bath and clean them completely.
Cats require extra care as they spend most of their time indoors and are thus at greater risk while going out due to an immunity built solely through vaccinations. If your cat seems unwell or less active than usual, you should take your cat to the vet.
Weight of your cat
Cats can even develop problems with eating, depending on how particular you are with their meals. Most often, cats overeat, which can cause serious health problems in the long term. When you take your cat to the vet, it’s important to ask them the optimal weight for your cat. After that, you should try to balance their food to avoid overfeeding them. Check their weight regularly and also their energy levels.
On the other hand, if your cat develops a distaste for food and under-eats, you should also take them to the vet to check for any abnormalities. You might even want to ask your vet to suggest a different food source that might help in improving your cat’s appetite. Quite often, cats lose their interest in food if it doesn’t taste good. So, it might be a good idea to switch up the cat food you purchase.
A Change in Lifestyle
Cats are not so good with change. If you happen to move to another house or make any other changes in your cat’s lifestyle, they could have a difficult time adjusting to it. Having a constant such as your vet can provide your cat with extra support to make the change as easy as possible.
You might notice changes in your cat’s appetite and energy levels during such changes as well. If you do, you may want to take your cat to the vet for a checkup. Your vet will conduct some ‘happy sessions’ where they simply spend time with the cat to reduce any changing anxiety they may have.
Final Thoughts on How Often You Should Take Your Cat to the Vet
Keeping all these factors in mind, you should be able to determine how many times you need to take your cat to the vet. The least number of visits stays constant, depending on the age of your cat. Other visits are entirely dependent on their outdoor activity, weight, environmental changes, and any factors that may affect them negatively. As a responsible pet owner, continue to give your cat enough care and attention while regularly observing their behaviors, eating habits, and stool to avoid letting any problems become too big to handle.