Q: Should my cat see the vet more than once a year for a check-up as she gets older?
A: The American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) and American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) have made recommendations that all cats should get an annual wellness examination, and these examinations should become more frequent in seniors and geriatrics cats.
A cat is classified as senior when she reaches the age of about 10 years and geriatric at about 15 years of age.
Cats are very good at hiding pain and disease, so owners may not be aware of changes in the cat’s health until it is too late to do anything.
So the reason for these frequent visits are so that the vet can identify changes or abnormalities in the cat’s health status early on, and interventions can be implemented in the course of a disease to ensure the cat lives a long and happy life.
Dr Vanessa Mcclure, veterinarian
