Petcare question for those of you with cats

BriDec05 Posted: Oct 06, 2005 11:17 AM

Petcare question for those of you with cats

If your cat is an indoor cat and never goes outside, do you bring him/her to the vet each year for check ups or only if there's a problem?

mccarm Posted: Oct 06, 2005 11:43 AM

Re: Petcare question for those of you with cats

Our cat is 100% indoor and he's not on a regular schedule for checkups. He used to have asthma so he was at the doctor quite often when he was younger.

Last time we had him checked was probably a year and a half ago. We monitor his behavior (often a good indicator for underlying medical issues) closely/easily as he is the only cat. When I trim his nails every couple of weeks I try to give him a once over to make sure he doesn't have any hidden injuries/ailments...

FUTUREBRIDETOKEITH Posted: Oct 06, 2005 11:46 AM

Re: Petcare question for those of you with cats

Just watch him. I do not bring my cat in for yearly check ups and he is fine and as bad as ever.

BriDec05 Posted: Oct 06, 2005 11:50 AM

Re: Petcare question for those of you with cats

I've been thinking that - as long as the pets are healthy - going to the vet each year is not necessary. We have 5 cats and a rabbit and are fostering a rabbit and her babies right now. For the past three years, they've all gone to the vet at least once a year and they're all pretty healthy. It's a huge expense and we're having a really hard time finding a reliable vet (though, fingers crossed, we may have hit the jackpot with the new one!).

But I was wondering what other people do.
Oen of our cats has bladder stones so she is at the vet ALL the time.

Xelindrya Posted: Oct 06, 2005 11:18 PM

Re: Petcare question for those of you with cats

Both cats are 100% indoors.

Buddy (the older one) is actually terrified of the outdoors! He looks outside a door that's open but won't put a paw out for NOTHING.

Still we take him every year like clockwork.

Sad story: Jim's client just had a cat die on him of kidney failure that could have been seen earlier but the Owner thought he cat was stressed from a recent move. Never took him in to a vet. He's really blaming himself it's sad. Now he thinks he's not fit to own another car. So sad.

Take your cat in if no other reason than to rule stuff out.

My Buddy was healthy and fat at 15.04 lbs when he went in back in June. Now he's 12lbs and diabetic.

julybride44 Posted: Oct 07, 2005 12:29 AM

Re: Petcare question for those of you with cats

My cats are indoor only, but I take them in annually for check ups.

They can't tell you when they have a tummy ache, or feel dizzy or anything like that. So, those hidden symptoms become serious illness and you never even know.

My mom didn't take her cat in and for years he was developing stones in his bladder. By the time he showed symptoms serious enough for her to take him to the vet she had a $1500 surgery, not to mention the pain and discomfort for him..if she'd taken him in annually they would have switched his food and it never would have happened...

regi Posted: Oct 07, 2005 06:05 AM

Re: Petcare question for those of you with cats

Both of my cats stay indoors. I take them for a complete physical every year(including bloodwork). I also give them a monthly dose of Revolution to help protect them agaisnt heartworm(cats can get it from mosquitoes).

BriDec05 Posted: Oct 07, 2005 06:26 AM

Re: Petcare question for those of you with cats

Posted by julybride44

My cats are indoor only, but I take them in annually for check ups.

They can't tell you when they have a tummy ache, or feel dizzy or anything like that. So, those hidden symptoms become serious illness and you never even know.

My mom didn't take her cat in and for years he was developing stones in his bladder. By the time he showed symptoms serious enough for her to take him to the vet she had a $1500 surgery, not to mention the pain and discomfort for him..if she'd taken him in annually they would have switched his food and it never would have happened...

Weird - I brought my oldest cat in annually and she had stones and they didn't know what it was for over 1 1/2 years. They treated her for everything BUT stones. Finally I brought her to Ultra Vet Diagnostics and they figured it out. I took her to a different vet for the surgery and lo and behold, she's got the stones again!

All of our pets currently go in once a year but we've had experiences with two vets recently where I just think it'd be easier for us and the cats NOT to go in each year.

But you bring up good points about them not being able to tell us when something's wrong!

BriDec05 Posted: Oct 07, 2005 06:31 AM

Re: Petcare question for those of you with cats

Posted by Xelindrya

Both cats are 100% indoors.

Buddy (the older one) is actually terrified of the outdoors! He looks outside a door that's open but won't put a paw out for NOTHING.

Still we take him every year like clockwork.

Sad story: Jim's client just had a cat die on him of kidney failure that could have been seen earlier but the Owner thought he cat was stressed from a recent move. Never took him in to a vet. He's really blaming himself it's sad. Now he thinks he's not fit to own another car. So sad.

Take your cat in if no other reason than to rule stuff out.

My Buddy was healthy and fat at 15.04 lbs when he went in back in June. Now he's 12lbs and diabetic.

Oh that is sad about Jim's client and his cat!
I kinda know how he feels. When my oldest cat was having surgery for the bladder stones, the new vet came out and asked me why no one had done surgery on her before - that she was obviously in pain. I told him that we'd been going to the other vet for almost two years - usually twice a week - but that vet didn't suggest surgery. I felt horrible knowing that I was subjecting her to the crummy vet AND that she was living in pain until I went to the other vet.

How is Buddy doing on the insulin?

glinda_goodwitch Posted: Oct 07, 2005 07:45 AM

Re: Petcare question for those of you with cats

My cat is 100% indoors but I take him for a checkup yearly (same time each year as well). He's my baby and I just want to make sure that he's completely healthy. I think it's a good idea to just be on the safe side.

m&m2005 Posted: Oct 07, 2005 08:54 AM

Re: Petcare question for those of you with cats

All my cats are indoor cats, my older one Tigger goes to the vet 2 times a year, 6 months apart. I do blood workup in june and a basic checkup in Dec (this is a cheap visit). This is basically because I have already gone through watching a cat fade away because of things that could have been detected and treated and were not. He basically came with my DH house 7 years ago - when the owner passed away her son just threw the cats outside. When DH moved in we basically adopted him but he already had health problems. So for me I can't risk missing something with Tig.

My kittens will go only for a basic check up and because we have a dog they need deworming once a year (amazing what a dog or even us can bring in under there feet). I did a complete blood work up on their first visit and then every 3 years or so to monitor any changes.

FrogGirl0917 Posted: Oct 08, 2005 01:38 AM

Re: Petcare question for those of you with cats

Cat is indoors, dog is outdoors....cat thinks she's an outdoor, so she has all of her shots just in case she gets out and runs into one of the strays.....but we only take her in once a year to the vet

regi Posted: Oct 08, 2005 08:31 PM

Re: Petcare question for those of you with cats

MY cats are also microchipped. Good idea to do. I have heard lots of stories about indoor cats getting out and lost.

Kel Posted: Oct 08, 2005 11:55 PM

Re: Petcare question for those of you with cats

Our guy is strictly indoors .. but I would NEVER think of not bringing him to the vet for his checkups .. and he absolutely HATES getting checked out .. making the physical exam practically pointless .. but still .. I'd rather go through that than give up the opportunity to catch anything that could be trouble.