Do you take your cat for routine appointments? Or do things at home?

[BrainInAJar]

Hello,

Do you take your cat for things like: routine check-ups, blood/urine tests, vaccinations, flea/worm prevention, claw-trimming, checking their heartbeat/blood pressure etc? Or do you do any of these things at home?

Does it depend on the age of your cat? Eg becomes more worthwhile (despite the stress of the vet trip) as they are older?

Thanks

Always taken ours for jabs and yearly check ups.

I do flea and worm treatments at home.

He’s always had a check-up once a year when his vaccinations are due, once he hit eight and became a ‘senior’ cat the vet recommended annual blood tests too to check for kidney and thyroid function in particular. We get flea and worm spot-on treatment from the vet once a quarter and apply it at home.

Annual appointment for boosters and check up
Once that's done I can just order and pick up flea/wormer treatment each month/when required

Vaccination/check-up annually, plus a worming tablet while we're there. I buy flea stuff via an online vet pharmacy. Nothing else necessary.

Flea and worm treatments, and claw clipping are done at home. Vaccinations etc are done annually

The first few years we took our cats for their jabs and to be weighed for their flea and tick treatments etc. They would get really stressed out and we decided it wasn't worth the stress on them and they haven't been to the vets for years. They have flea and tick and worm treatments and that's it. They're 10 now and are happy and healthy. Obviously if they appeared ill etc we'd take them to the vets but so far we've luckily not had to.

Thanks everyone.

@Roserunner That's been my thought process too. I've only taken her when there was an issue - she had a couple of lumps checked out over the years. And only towards the end of last year did I think she seemed actually unwell. She has hyperthyroidism and kidney disease, it turns out. Now I'm wondering if I should have been taking her annually or 6 monthly but it was just weighing up the stress to her, esp if taking a blood sample.

Mine only go once a year for their annual vaccination and check up. Under their monthly plan they are entitled to two check ups a year but I don't take them unless there's an issue, they get stressed out going in the car. I do flea and worm treatment at home and I've never clipped their claws.

Never take mine to the vet unless she absolutely needs to go. She finds it incredibly stressful

I order flea and worming treatments online and treat her monthly.

She is chipped and had all her kitten injections but that's it. In my opinion, dogs need regular visits but an average moggy just doesn't

Ours go a lot - every 3 / 4 months for worming - it’s frankly less stress getting the nurse to do it than doing it myself . Every 6 months with the vet for their anti flea injection and yearly with the vet for annual vacs . Ours don't mind going , they like a trip in the car and love their vet ( she is lovely ) .

I have a home vet visit annually to give vaccinations and check my cat over. It's more expensive, but MUCH less stressful than trying to wrestle her into her carrier and take her to the vet by bus or taxi (I don't have a car).

We haven't vaccinated ours as adults, we just did their kitten jabs and boosters. We get flea and worm treatment online.

One of mine is really anxious and hates the vet to the point that he urinates in his carrier and it's just not worth it unless it's absolutely necessary.

Our senior boy now has arthritis so he has to go every six months for a check up and blood tests, but his medication is on prescription so I just ring and collect it from the surgery when I'm passing.

Our kitten has had his jabs and has been a couple of times for minor issues (sickness and an ear infection) but otherwise I don't see the need to take him to the vets on a regular basis.

The only thing to bear in mind is that if they get ill from something they could be vaccinated against, your insurance company won't pay out.

Thanks all, good point about the insurance.

My cat was 9 years old and a rescue and I decided just to self-insure. It's only now at the age of 17-18 that she is starting to rack up a few costs.

In my experience, insurance for really elderly cats often isn't worth it unless you're already claiming for ongoing conditions as you end up having to pay a significant proportion of the costs anyway.

Our senior boy now has arthritis so he has to go every six months for a check up and blood tests, but his medication is on prescription so I just ring and collect it from the surgery when I'm passing

@margotrose our senior boy also has arthritis and gets Solensia injections (paid for by the insurance) and honestly - it's a game-changer. He's a much happier cat altogether.

Another thing to bear in mind is that most insurance companies won't pay out at all unless a cat is fully vaccinated every year.

And here he is:

20% with Animal Friends. So if you get a bill for £500 the insurance will pay £400.

I do think it's worth it, especially if they have to have surgery unexpectedly.

Thanks @TheShellBeach we've discussed Solensia. He's currently doing really well on daily Metacam - he has his next blood test in May and we'll review things with our vet then :)

Re. insurance - lots of people don't want to put elderly cats through invasive procedures or surgery anyway and would rather PTS than put them through anything too stressful.

My 2 cats have only had 1 lot of vaccines. Get flead at home.

I don't disagree with you there.

We had a cat called Buster who had arthritis and he had Metacam but it was a nightmare giving it to him. Really difficult. Solensia for cats had just been approved at the time, and he had one injection of it - then he died, sadly.

But I take your point about invasive procedures in old cats.

Bless him @TheShellBeach .

Luckily our boy is very compliant and I can just give him his Metacam direct in the mouth. He's very good and knows he gets it after his breakfast - to the point that he sits and waits for it lol. I also have another on three tablets a day and he sits and waits for those too

They are oddly compliant though as my other two would never let me anywhere near them with medication - that always involved two adults, oven gloves and a giant dose of luck!

Due to me having a sight condition, i take my cats to the vet’s every month for them to cut their claws for me. I do however administer their flea& worming medication myself.