How Often Should I Take My Cat to The Vet
Kitten (0–16 weeks)
From birth to around sixteen weeks, your cat is in the early kitten stage of its life. As delicate and fragile as they seem these days, so they are. The chances of getting infected with bacteria or viruses just double during this stage. Therefore, naturally, your cat will need to see a vet more. Usually, the vet suggests bringing the cat for checkups at least once every 21 to 27 days. After six to seven weeks from birth, your cat is ready for vaccinations. Kittens are most prone to these infections; they might get shots for panleukopenia, rhinotracheitis, and calicivirus. A 10 to an 11-week-old kitten is ready for its next batch of vaccinations. After every 21 to 27 days of checkup, they will get vaccine shots until they are at least four months old. When the kitten enters the third month, they are ready for the rabies vaccine. The vet will take Blood samples from time to time to ensure the kitten hasn’t got in contact with any of the infectious viruses. Along with vaccinations, the vet will do a physical examination of your cat at every visit. They will check the heartbeat, monitor lung functioning, and take a look for abnormal coloration or any abnormal overgrowth around the eyes, ears, mouth, and skin.Six Months to a Year:
When the kitty becomes at least six months old, the female kitty is ready for spraying, in which you can choose to remove its female reproductive system. Similarly, a six-month male cat is ready to remove male reproductive parts. Vets call this procedure neutering. Some pet parents also prefer chipping to avoid future situations if their cat gets lost. At this stage, the kitty is ready for chipping too.
A professional’s assessment is beneficial for a better start of a kitty’s life during its first year. During these visits, you can learn how to take care of a cat from the vet. The vet will happily help you. You can ask anything regarding Nail trimming, Litter box training, understanding the cat’s behavior, and managing its diet.
Adult Cat
When the cat enters its adult years, its immune system grows out to be stronger. For that very reason, a vet’s appointment once a year is pretty enough unless there is an emergency.
It’s more suitable if you won’t switch your cat’s vet for checkups or even emergency visits. It’s most reasonable to go to the same vet you used to visit in the cat’s Kitten stage. The main reason behind this is that cats get anxious when they visit vet clinics. However, when cats are familiar with the environment and touch of the vet they have been visiting since childhood, they feel calmer and safer.
The vet will usually emphasize the weight of an adult cat. If it’s less than a cat’s average healthy weight as per its age, the vet will recommend you increase your cat’s calorie intake and suggest some healthy and nutritious food options for the cat. In case your cat is obese, for sure, the vet will advise you to increase your cat’s physical activity and reduce calorie intake.
The vet will probably ask if your cat likes to stay indoors or prefer outdoors. An outdoor cat has more chances of getting viral infectious diseases; therefore, the vet will run additional tests to ensure the cat is disease-free.
The vet will also make sure that the cat’s teeth are healthy and don’t have any cavities. The permanent teeth start developing soon in 6 to seven months old kittens. In the adult stage, due to active eating habits, the chances of cavities are more than usual. So, it’s better to ask the vet regarding teeth care and how to brush a cat’s teeth.
Before every visit, list out all the things you want to ask your cat’s vet so that you won’t forget anything during the checkup.
Senior Cat
Just like in humans, the senior years of cats also demand proper care and surveillance. As the cat’s age around 8 to 10 years, their health drops down, and they become weaker, just like they were in childhood. So, it’s better to take your cat to the vet twice or even thrice a year. Not, in any case, overlook the situation if your cat gets sick or feels even a little off. As cats age, their bones become weak, and their limbs don’t endure body pain for a longer time, due to which they are not as active as they used to be in their adult years. However, the issue could be arthritis, so it’s better to discuss it with the cat’s vet if your cat typically has difficulty walking. As the chances of kidney and liver diseases are also pretty high in old age, it’s better to keep a check on your cat’s water intake. Hydration is essential during these years.How Long Do Cats Live?
It depends on several factors like cats’ lifestyle and their genes. Of course, a cat with high physical activity, a better diet, and good genes will live longer. Due to a safer environment, an indoor cat lives up to 10 to 15 years. On the contrary, due to the higher risk of diseases and dangerous conditions, stray cats live up to 3 to 5 years.Conclusion
From childhood to Elder years, the cat’s body experiences a complete circling in terms of health and disease-fighting ability. As a parent, it’s your duty to monitor your cat’s behavior, changes in energy level, and variations in eating habits. Ignorance can lead to irrevocable damages, which could be deadly for your cat. To avoid this, all you can do is keep a check if there is something off with your emotional support cat and take your cat to the vet from time to time, along with giving them food filled with nutrition and lots of love.
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Vincent Maldonado
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