How often should my cat get a wellness exam?

We recommend that adult cats have a wellness exam at least once every year. When they're older and they're senior cats, and maybe we're following a particular issue, they might need more than one examination or checkup in a year. But as a minimum, cats should get wellness exams once per year.

How often a cat should get a wellness exam depends on the age of the pet. If it's a kitten, we recommend them coming in very frequently up until about six months. We might even see them every three weeks for a checkup while they're getting their boosters. Once they're an adult, we recommend once a year, and then, once they become a senior, we recommend wellness exams every six months. Cats are considered seniors around the age of eight years old.

We recommend twice-yearly physicals for all pets in general of all ages. When they have other diseases or get older, there may be reasons to come in more often than that, but we recommend twice yearly. Cats and dogs age a lot quicker than we do, and so a lot can happen in a cat's lifespan in just six months.

Ideally, your cat should have a wellness exam once a year, similar to how you would go to your doctor for a physical exam. Annual checkups are optimal for maintaining your cat's health.