Would you bother with a ‘wellness plan’ for an indoor cat?

[IWantToHibernate]

I’m currently paying £16 a month to the vet for the ‘wellness plan’ for my 4 year old cat. He is an indoor cat, apart from warm summer days when he will have a laze about in the garden. He never goes beyond the small garden even then.

The wellness plan includes annual vaccination, flea treatment, 6 month health check, nail clip and blood pressure check.

He hates going to the vet and gets very stressed, he won’t let them get near his claws or shave him for a blood pressure check. He even hates having the spot on treatment for fleas. As he is indoors the likelihood of him getting fleas is minimal. He never goes to a cattery (where I know vaccinations are a requirement) either.

Would it be bad if I cancel the wellness plan in these circumstances? I feel the only benefit is the reassurance he’s healthy and well during the vet appointments, but I could just pay to have a vet health check annually if need be.

I haven’t bothered with my Vets wellness plan for any of mine. My one cat Loki is 5 years old and we recently got two ragdoll kittens the wellness pack cost £19.50 per cat and when I sat down and worked out how much I would be paying out over how much it cost for annual boosters and health check it was a lot more plus I have Pet insurance for all of them so really like you said it works out cheaper to pay the money yourself if they ever need a check up.
Also all of mine are indoor cats.

In my view the Veterinary plans are just another cynical cash making exercise for corporate mercenary vet groups to fleece pet owners by providing treatments that aren't needed.
My cats go outside but haven't had any fleas since 2019. I use flea treatment as a cure NOT as a pointless preventative. Haven't needed to buy any for 6 years.
Cats don't need a fucking 6 month check up, an annual MOT is absolutely fine.
I don't think in 40 odd years of cat ownership I've ever had a cat's blood pressure taken...
Cats don't nomally need their claws clipped. The only one of mine who did was 19 and no longer managed them himself - so I clipped them myself.
I'm completely sick of vets selling out to greedy corporate bastards and thus screwing over pet owners.

I do but because I want the regular health checks- mine are both FIV so it’s helpful. Ours does always mean we get a free consultation every 6 months and 10% off appointment fees which was helpful for the one that cost us £5k in vet bills for massively complex urinary problems last summer….

Also, our vets are fabulous and absolutely very reasonably priced. They’ve seen our boys at the drop of a hat, out of hours emergency, in patient stays. you name it, so I don’t begrudge paying it.

I have never bothered with 'healthy pet clubs' for any of my cats and they all go outside. It is pure money making in my opinion. I have never had a cats blood pressure checked ot nails clipped.

If I see signs of fleas or worms I treat (this is very rare). I take them annually for a check up and boosters. I have pet insurance.

We dont medicate healthy kids 'just in case' so why do it to our pets?

We absolutely do medicate healthy kids and sometimes we vaccinate them (eg flu) to protect others (eg the elderly and vulnerable) rather than to benefit themselves.

I vaccinate my cats and get their booster every year, as I said in my post, but I wont medicate them monthly for minor ailments that can easily be treated. Can't imagine that STOMP guidelines would allow it for kids.

We do annual jabs - which include a checkup - and monthly flea/three monthly worming treatments with our vet. We just PAYG @though, and have a separate insurance policy. Our cat does go out but tends not to roam very far and is always kept in overnight.

I usually advise clients in your situation not to bother with this. As the cat gets older it might become worth the money to avail of the dental work discount, or the discounts on consults, meds or special food if your practice plan offers those, but most of these plans you can sign up to again at any point, it's not like insurance with pre existing conditions.

I agree with not routinely flea treating cats that are effectively indoor only.

"Cats don't need a fucking 6 month check up, an annual MOT is absolutely fine."
Young cats- usually yes unless they have a tendency towards dental disease or something like that. "

"I don't think in 40 odd years of cat ownership I've ever had a cat's blood pressure taken.."
Again, young cats are usually fine but hypertension is surprisingly common in older cats and it's nice to find it before they blow their retinas. Usually responds really well to once daily blood pressure meds. Agree there is no point in persisting with a really stressy cat as the reading will be high anyway.

"Cats don't nomally need their claws clipped. The only one of mine who did was 19 and no longer managed them himself - so I clipped them myself." True and I am always happy to show clients how to clip nails. If I get long thick nails in an older cat that sparks the elbow arthritis conversation, it's often the first obvious sign.

My indoor girl has one. But as I rarely de flea or worm her I’m not sure it’s worth it. When I had two cats, one had a savings account. And the other had the plan. They shared flea and wormer.

Depends what's included and your circumstances. My cats have it because we also have a dog and keeping all of them regularly defleed and dewormed is important. We also have peace of mind with vaccinations and all of them can stay in kennels/cat hotels when we go away with no issues. One of the cats has always had various urinary issues, she is sensitive and regular check ups help. It is overall cheaper in total than not being on a plan.

We’ve had six cats (and a dog) over the years and have never bothered with any of those so called health plans. They’re all jabbed and neutered and go outside. Never had fleas, worms or any other issues.

Oh our boy is obviously also chipped and neutered!

Our previous girl cat was double chipped - new vet surgery couldn’t get the previous chip (which definitely was in her, I was there when it was done) to scan so redid it to be on the safe side. Bionic baby.

I have indoor cats, and don't have a vet plan. Annual MoT and jabs with a "just in case" spot on once a year due to the propensity of mice to try to move in (they soon either die or run away) is my lot.

Since Tobias's FIV diagnosis & his bowel issues he needs to go in 6 monthly for blood tests etc but as those are for his health conditions they are covered by the insurance with just an annual excess to be paid. Apparently the annual vaccinations are contra indicated in FIV cats, so he doesn't even get those.

Not just me who thinks vets are increasingly pushing unnecessary treatments...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8j3020kl04o

Thanks all. I’m definitely going to cancel at renewal any cat gets little benefit out of it.

That sounds like a waste of money to me. Cats need regular worming, flea treatment and annual vaccinations. That's it.

The vet can quickly give them the once-over and check their teeth when they have the annual booster. If yours is an indoor cat, then claws might need attention as they aren't being worn down by being outside, but you can learn to do that yourself (and train your cat to let you).

Do keep him vaccinated anyway, it is still recommended for indoor cats.

Might be recommended by your vet becuase indoor cats are more prone to obesity and behavioural problems/anxiety/restlessness/depression because they are so miserable being cooped up all day inside.

AS with everything in life it has become over monitored, over regulated, over complicated and over cautioned.

Years ago, we never even had vacs for cats, a bit of flea spray here and there but nothing more

I have reluctantly been doing a 3 monthly flea spot on and she is due it now

I have also in the last couple of years started getting her yearly vacs but I wont necessarily always do it

We've never had insurance for any of our animals including the dog.

They're moggies, they are virtually wild animals that pop in from time to time to eat us out of house and home and take up space on the bed.

I would only bother if it is cheaper. I have an indoor cat and started a wellness plan that included unlimited vet consultations when I realised my cat was ill and would need several consultations. They let me subscribe to the plan when I went to book the appointment, it was dramatically cheaper than paying for them individually.

I have one for Charlie although he's indoor only at the moment and when he does go outside our garden is cat proofed. He goes to the cattery so needs to be flead and wormed and I like the treatment he has as it only needs doing every 3 months!