In general, if your cat is in good health, you should take your cat to the vet at least once a year for an annual check-up.

During these consults, your vet will perform a physical exam – checking the eyes, ears, gums, teeth, limbs/joints, coat, fur, skin, under the tail and other areas of your cat’s body – and assess their overall health.

Your vet will weigh your cat and listen to the heart (checking for heart murmurs or abnormalities) and pulse, ask you questions about your cat’s appetite and anything you’ve noticed your cat doing out of the ordinary, such as urinating outside the litter box. Your vet may also request a blood and urine tests to assess your cat’s overall health, for instance to learn if your cat is diabetic or has kidney or liver disease, or an infection.

Annual check-ups are also a good time to talk about vaccination. As your cat ages, he/she may need extra check-ups, particularly if your cat has diabetes, thyroid disease or showing signs of joint pain.

Cats older than 7 should be seen by a vet about twice a year, while cats older than 10 may need a vet check up to three times a year.

Vet bills can be expensive so you might want to consider pet insurance.

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