How Often Should I Take My Cat To The Vet?

Taking care of your feline friend’s health and wellness is the most important aspect of being a cat parent. And, while ensuring that they have a healthy diet, exercise and activity are all a part of well-rounded lifestyle, you can’t forget about taking them for wellness checkups.

As a cat parent you may be wondering: How Often Should I Take My Cat To The Vet?

In this article, we’ll cover how often you should bring your cat for veterinary visits depending on their age and health status.

Let’s dig in!

How Often Should You Take Your Cat to the Vet?

The standard answer for how often you should bring your cat to the vet is once per year. Just like you attend your annual checkup, once per year is a great place to start to ensure that your cat is staying healthy.

During the routine wellness exam, your veterinarian will perform a physical checkup on your cat and the tests they run will be dependent on their age, lifestyle and well as any pre-existing medical conditions.

Routine wellness checkups by your veterinarian can ensure that your cat is of good health and catch any potential diseases early. Preventative care is always your best option as a pet parent.

But, veterinary appointments do fluctuate based on the age of your cat and therefore, it will be different for kittens, middle age and senior cats.

How Often Should You Take a Kitten to the Vet?

When your first bring your kitten home, you should bring them to the veterinarian at about 8 weeks for their first checkup. You’ll want to continue bringing them every month or so until they reach the age of 1.

Kitten appointment are incredibly important as they will need to receive the required vaccinations to protect them from certain diseases. Kittens will receive the Feline Leukemia vaccine as well as the FVRCP vaccine.

Additionally, if you’re looking to have your kitten spayed or neutered, this usually occurs at about 5-6 months.

Upon your initial visit, your veterinarian will give you the best guidelines for taking care of your kitten and the frequency of checkups they will need in their first year.

How Often Should You Take a Middle Age Cat to the Vet?

For middle age cats, veterinarian visits will be less frequent unless they have a pressing medical condition.

If your cat is in good health, then you can bring them in once per year for their routine checkup. This is crucial because even if there is nothing wrong with your cat, these visits can detect potential issues early.

During these visits, you can expect a full physical exam and potentially an update on any vaccines or boosters your cat may need.

Veterinarians will check for warning signs of diseases as well as address specific issues such as dental problems.

How Often Should You Take a Senior Cat to the Vet?

Once your cat is considered a senior, which is past the age of 10, you will need to be more diligent about their veterinary visits.

Most veterinarians suggest a visit every 6 months to keep up with their health as they age. During this time, your vet will perform more extensive tests such as blood tests and urine samples.

Senior cats are often checked for diseases and conditions that are common and need more extensive treatment such as kidney failure.

If your cat is in good health, again, it’s still vital to take them in for a checkup when the veterinarian suggests it. While, we often think our pets are doing well, the onset of potential issues can happen fast and you’ll want to catch them early to begin treatment.

You Should Take Your Cat To The Vet At Least Once Per Year

As you can see, the golden standard for veterinary care for your feline friend is an annual health and wellness checkup. As your pet grows and ages, the frequency and purpose of vet visits will change, but the overall goal is to keep your pet healthy to live a long and happy life.

Bringing your cat to the veterinarian is not only important for their health, but gives you peace of mind as a pet parent to know that you are taking care of them in the best way possible.