I am probably a sucker lol. I was told by the vet that I needed to, so I did. Also, she is my first ever animal, so I just don’t know these things. She did go for the first 6 years of her life so far…
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A lot of people on this board take their cats for check ups, it’s probably a really good idea! Just not the normal thing in my low income neighbourhood.
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I do it because I can afford it, my cats don’t hate the vet or the car, and I’m paranoid. My childhood cats HATED going and basically only ever went for rabies vaccines.
They have changed the default rabies vaccines from a 3 year one to an every year one though, so you probably have to request it specifically. If your cat doesn’t ever try to escape the house then the vax is more of a nice to have but it’s legally required a lot of places.
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I also take my pets for annual visits, and incidental visits if they get sick. They also get bloodwork done at least every 2 years when they are young, and yearly when they are older. And they get dentals, the regularity depending on how their teeth health is (I’ve had some animals that had superior genetics that basically never needed one, and some that needed one every 2 years).
I can afford it and I think that when I took responsibility for my animals when I adopted them that meant keeping them as healthy as they can be. Without regular vet checkups they can live a long time in pain without you knowing (especially cats, they are very good at hiding issues, and that can develop very painful dental issues if left unchecked). It is privileged, to be sure, but I don’t think it is being a sucker to do it.
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Some of it depends on the cat. When I first got my current cat and his brother they just went in for vaccinations (required for boarding since at this point I wasn’t trading cat-sitting) but that was it. And then cat’s brother developed kidney disease way younger than is typical and by the time it was caught it was too late. Since it’s a potentially hereditary thing I started taking current cat in yearly, and since he most definitely has kidney disease now and it’s progressed to the managing stage it’s twice a year. He doesn’t much like going in, but he gets over it pretty quickly once we’re home again…if it completely traumatized him I’d be less inclined to push it.
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Our cats have had access outside, so they’ve always gone annually for all the vaccines plus a checkup, and when the little boy developed diabetes, he went in a lot.
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Thanks all. I can afford it, so will continue doing it. I don’t think they have ever done blood work though, is that standard? Like, I’ve never gotten a report that it was all good.
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Generally they don’t unless they want to check something’s up. For boring cats it’s visual and touch type of check up. Eyes good, teeth good, body fat good. Basically a professional looking for signs something has changed from year to year. Like, if your cat is down 3 lbs then something is up and now you and the vet know to look deeper. But no never had blood drawn for easy normal cats during yearlies.
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Oh! Sometimes they trim claws for you if you ask lol! Or do anal glands (usually a fee) if that’s a problem for your pet.
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Agree with Oro on bloodwork, but usually a vet will want to get baseline bloodwork as they get to be seniors. Unsure of age there - 8 to 10 years, maybe?
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She’s 7 now, and to my very amateur eye healthy which is how I want to keep her. 
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My kitty recently got told he needs to gain 1 pound. Isn’t that so cute? Like to be so little that 1 pound makes a difference 
He did it too; he now weighs 10.1 pounds. SO LITTLE.
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I used to, with my fully indoors cats. But now I have a child and I’m not organized enough. And this one does go outside (child and cat)
I think most cats are good with less frequent visits but it’s also only 100 if you do go
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At least at my vet’s bloodwork starts once they get above a certain age. My vet said 8-9 is what she typically targets unless there’s a specific issue that needs to be checked out earlier. Current cat started at 6 since that’s how old his brother was when he died, but again that was an usual situation.
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My previous cat’s best weight was 6.5lbs. LITTLE. (She was sick and that was as good a weight as we could get on her) 
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Nacho is 2/3 the size of an average cat but heavier than most cats because he is made of nothing but muscle and rage.
This has nothing to do with Georgia, who was perfect. I just want to talk about my weirdo cat.
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Awww, I remember her. She was such a sweet little thing. <3
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I take my cats annually when they are young, but they are strictly inside cats and as they get older they aren’t dashing out the door. So now it’s more like every other year unless something seems off.
We took them both last December before we moved, so maybe next summer? I’d like to be able to go in with them the first time. They’re 12 and 19 years old.
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What’s a favorite memory you have of something your parents did for you, or you did with them? Something they picked or orchestrated somehow. (I’m brainstorming for a general “make good memories for Latte” type list.
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I have really good memories of volunteering. We did a lot of stuff up close and personal with people, meals on wheels, soup kitchens, rides for the elderly, visiting hospice, foster kids, and I really value those memories. I learned a lot.
Also, on our birthdays we were allowed to pick out one thing from each aisle in the grocery store, no parental veto. 
One year my brother picked a turkey! We thought it was the best/most fun thing ever.
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