Advocate Users .....

[ProfYaffle]

..... how often does your vet want to see your cat? Our vets used to insist on seeing the cat once a year but has recently gone to 6 monthly. It doesn't cost anything but it's a pain the rear wrestling a huge feisty tom into a carrier.

I'm just wondering if this is now standard to all vets or are ours being over fussy?

[fenneltea]

I think the legislation changed and all animals now have to be seen at six monthly intervals. It is a pain when you've got awkward patients though!

[ProfYaffle]

Really? Oh Gawd, what a pain. I thought it was our vet, although I don't have to pay it seems to be seen as an opportunity to 'up sell' other services iyswim.

[ObsidianEagle]

Ours go once a month to get nails clipped, but we get that as part of their cat 'service' that you pay a yearly fee for, means they get used to going and its not so scary, and means all the worming and flea treatment is done by them.

[PinkSparklyPussyCat]

Oh no, what a pain! I really don't want the hassle of unnecessary visits to the vets, especially if they charge for them.

Surely this could be counter-productive and stop some pet owners treating their pets, especially those who have problems getting them to the vet?

[ObsidianEagle]

well, i assume that those people wouldn't pay for the service, lol.

I don't mind the fee as it meant i got a discount on getting her spayed and chipped and i haven't had to think about buying/timing her flea and worm stuff, and the claw clipping is handy because she's an indoor kitty atm.

it also allows the vet to check her growth/weight and they do a 3 monthly health check too, she's quite little, and still only about 4kg and got some serious lactose intolerance issues, so its been useful being able to talk to the vet nurses every month while we got to the bottom of the problem.

I dont know if i'll renew it once the year is up, but its been useful during the first year of having her.

[BlackNoSugar]

What? No! ours get seen once a year, they haven't said anything about a six-monthly check-up.

Yet...

[ProfYaffle]

Our vet's relocating soon so I was thinking of changing anyway because they'll be about 4 miles away and I'll have to drive past a couple of surgeries to get there. I may ring round and ask the others if they have the same policy.

The cat disgraced himself in the waiting room yesterday, managed to attack a Labrador without leaving his basket .....

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

Ours haven't said anything about switching to 6 monthly but it's coming up to 6 months since they were seen and I need to order flea and worm stuff this week. Hope not, I find it very hard work lifting them in their carriers in and out of the car across the car park etc.

[Qwebec]

If you cat is feisty with the carrier, maybe you could desensitize it? My cat is really calm about it (trained by the breeder), but I saw a program on tv (psycho kitty) where the behaviorist seuggested to let the carrier out door removed and a towel at the bottom to make it cosy, when the cat is used to it's presence you could perhaps put treats in it and progressively add the door back giving her favorite treat when you close it.

My vet wants to see her every year. Before we only went when there seemed to be an issue. If it's free I'd go twice a year, but not if it was a real struggle to get her there.

[ProfYaffle]

The cat's not afraid of the carrier (he's not afraid of anything!) It's a soft one that's out all the time and he uses it as his bed. He's just canny at recognising when it's vet time and making himself scarce. The labrador thing was the dog owner's fault, they didn't stop it coming over and hassling our cat so he was just defending himself. I was secretly proud

Trouble is if I refuse to go every 6 months they won't give me advocate. I'm reluctant to use any other flea control as this one was been reliably effective.