Life Stages Health Care Recommendations
Your cat will have different medical needs at different stages of its life. Part of keeping your cat healthy entails regular checkups, vaccinations and procedures. The following chart illustrates our recommendations for care as your cat ages from a kitten to a healthy senior cat.
Kitten:
Less than 1 year old
Your kitten is growing rapidly. We want to check for parasites and start vaccinations at this time. This is the best time for spaying or neutering your cat as well as microchipping your cat. You should also consider buying pet insurance now while your kitten is young and healthy.
| Exams and Tests | Vaccinations | Special Procedures |
|
Full physical exam w/vaccination schedule Felv/FIV test Fecal exam 2 times |
FVRCP at 8, 12, 16 weeks Rabies at 12-16 weeks Felv at 12 and 16 weeks for outdoor cats Heartworm prevention |
Spay/Neuter Pre-anesthetic blood panel Kitten socialization class Microchip Purchase Pet Insurance |
Adult:
1 to 7 years
Your cat is now in the prime of its life when it is most active. We want to see her every six months for an exam. This is also the time to start home dental care so her teeth remain strong. Now, when she is healthy, is a good time to get a baseline reading of her blood. This lets us compare changes as she ages.
| Exams and Tests | Vaccinations | Special Procedures |
|
Full physical exam every six months Felv/FIV/Heartworm test yearly if outdoors Fecal exam or deworming yearly Home Dental Care |
FVRCP every three years after one year booster Rabies yearly Felv vaccine yearly if outdoors Droncit if cat hunts or has fleas Heartworm prevention |
Full baseline labwork-complete blood count, chemistry, electrolytes, thyroid, urinalysis Dental cleaning as needed Microchip Purchase Pet Insurance |
Mature Adult
7 to 11 years
As your cat reaches maturity, we’ll start looking for age-related changes. We will run standard lab tests every other year, hoping to catch any problems early. We also like to see x-rays of the chest and abdomen for the same reason. You may want to switch your cat’s food to something more fitting for her age.
| Exams and Tests | Vaccinations | Special Procedures |
|
Full physical exam every six months Discuss age-related diet changes Felv/FIV/Heartworm test yearly if outdoors Fecal exam or deworming yearly Home Dental Care |
FVRCP every three years Rabies yearly Felv vaccine yearly if outdoors Droncit if cat hunts or has fleas Heartworm prevention |
Full labwork every other year-complete blood count, chemistry, electrolytes, thyroid, urinalysis Blood pressure measure Baseline/screening thoracic and abdominal radiographs Dental cleaning as needed Microchip |
Golden Years
11 years and older
Our goal in this stage of life is to keep your cat healthy and happy for as long as possible. For the senior cat, we are looking closely at lab tests and behavior, anticipating problems as he ages. We are performing tests more often because we know that your cat is more vulnerable at this stage in his life.
| Exams and Tests | Vaccinations | Special Procedures |
|
Full physical exam every six months Discuss age-related diet changes Discuss any changes in behavior, appetite, water intake Felv/FIV/Heartworm test yearly if outdoors Fecal exam or deworming yearly Home Dental Care |
Vaccinations split into 2 visits one month apart FVRCP every three years Rabies yearly Felv vaccine yearly if outdoors Droncit if cat hunts or has fleas Heartworm prevention |
Full labwork every year-complete blood count, chemistry, electrolytes, thyroid, urinalysis Blood pressure measure Thoracic and abdominal radiographs every other year Dental cleaning as needed Microchip |
