Cat Channel / Cat Chat / Cats and Kittens / If you don’t usually take your cat(s) to the veterinarian, why not? / Latest Posts

RE: If you don’t usually take your cat(s) to the veterinarian, why not?

PattyPatton — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 13:22:45 GMT

To Papa Roach lover,

There are areas in the health of cats that you don't know either.
Of all the cats I have owned (too many to count) I did have a rare tragedy. One of my best cats at the age of 4 developed bone marrow cancer. It was proven by (after running every blood test known, a chip of the cat's bone, and a ton of money) a professor at the University of Michigan that my cat developed the cancer as a reaction to the rabies shot he received the previous year. He passed a year later.

RE: If you don’t usually take your cat(s) to the veterinarian, why not?

PattyPatton — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 13:06:27 GMT

I have had cats since I was 5 yrs old; I am now 41. I have been a strong believer on annual Vet visits ever since I was a teenager. My attitude is now turning. I have been to two different Veterinarians in the past 7 months (due to a geographical move).
The two new doctors have managed to turn my attitude within the first 10 minutes of the appointment. I currently have a 4 1/2 yr old, female, spayed Ragdoll. I do research on all animal breeds before I purchase a new family memeber to make sure that our life together is a great fit, and it is 100%.

When the Veterinarian says he can't easily feel my cat's ribs and argues with me that my cat is overweight and must lose 2 pounds (even though my Ragdoll is a large breed) I say, "Goodbye." Then he implies that if it is not done, my cat will suffer health issues. By the way, I only feed my animals top of the line weight management ($$$) cat or dog food. They are healthier than I am.

I have called breeders, top professors of Animal Science from the University of Michigan and the University of Florida, and I have searched the internet. The answer is basically the same. The average weight for a healthy altered female Ragdoll is between 10 lbs and 15 lbs. My cat weighs 12 lbs. I have also been told that a small bowl of cat food can be left out for the cat, because a cat will nibble small amounts of food up to 14 times a day.
The veterinarians that have my feathers ruffled only want me to feed my baby 1/4 cup of food a day no more that 1/2 cup a day.

I am an experienced and responsible pet owner. I have owned many different breeds and many mixed bloodline cats (as well as dogs). I take all of my pets health just as seriously as I take my own health. Every cat breed is different and you can't put all in the same group. A Turkish Angora (which I have also owned) is not in the same weight category.

Makes me wonder...

RE: If you don’t usually take your cat(s) to the veterinarian, why not?

kitten4ever — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 14:45:38 GMT

I don't take my cats to the vet every year because one of my cats (the younger one that's 7) does not get into the cat carrier no matter what you do so it's a huge hassle. My other cat (the older one who's 21) is too old to go through the commotion of getting in a carrier, driving to the vet, being a new place, etc... My cats are healthy and I'm thinking of calling an in home vet to come check on them.

RE: If you don’t usually take your cat(s) to the veterinarian, why not?

bugaboo95422@gmail.com — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 21:12:25 GMT

i take my cats to the vet when get a basic health check,for shots, and for spaying. then knowing i would always have cats and not money i took some vet courses though college. i seemed to have a gift of knowing what their probs are and how to help.it sometimes requires a dr. but usually it's usually common sense. i'm glad they have pet insurance now so we can get the help they need when they need it. cat breeders and show cats should have regular checkups.

RE: If you don’t usually take your cat(s) to the veterinarian, why not?

CrazyCats58 — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 09:21:27 GMT

Too many vets over-vaccinate and there are a number of vaccinations that are unnecessary, and they can do more harm than good. Our cats get their rabies shots, so I only take them to the vet when a situation warrants the trip.

I find it quite irritating that there is a vaccination for cats and dogs for Lyme disease. Give me a break! I have been infected with Lyme disease 6 times now and according the CDC there is no vaccine for Lyme. So what are the vets putting in the syringe they refer to as Lyme vaccine????

RE: If you don’t usually take your cat(s) to the veterinarian, why not?

~c@t$_f0r_l!f&~ — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 07:32:21 GMT

No offense to anyone out there but not taking your cat to the vet is irresponsible. It isn't good for them to not get annual vaccinations and check-ups. If you aren't going to provide your animals with the proper health mantinence, then you shouldn't have an animal! Do you go to the doctor? Do you get vaccines? Why do you think your animal doesn't need or deserve the same? Also, "over-vaccinating" does not cause "kitty autism". Please click this link and READ IT before you post things that you heard. Not everyone knows what they're talking about!

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080327091545AAPE99T

RE: If you don’t usually take your cat(s) to the veterinarian, why not?

yzerman1987 — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 18:35:09 GMT

Well I take my cats once a year, unless they are sick. I've always taken them to the vet to get vaccines, and yearly checkups. I never miss a year.

However, my aunt and uncle have many cats and dogs, and have NEVER taken one of their animals to the vet. None of their animals are vaccinated. They tell me that they don't believe in shots or anything, and that their animals don't need a vet. Whatever...people have their own way of thinking how to raise an animal, but I treat mine like a kid, kids need to visit a doctor, cats and other animals should visit a vet.

My other aunt only takes her dog when its sick too. I seem to be the only one in my family that goes for a yearly checkup at the vet. I like to be reassured that my cat is healthy, rather than just assuming she is.

Sometimes an animal is sick, but doesn't show any signs. Wouldn't you feel a little bit upset if your cat died because of an illness that could have been stopped by visiting the vet yearly?

RE: If you don’t usually take your cat(s) to the veterinarian, why not?

angelkitty — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 18:22:46 GMT

Martha stewart had a show the other day the whole show was dedicated to cats, the guest she had on her show said a cat and a dog only need the first baby shots just like humans u dont have boosters every year and your cat doesnt either thats just another way for the vets to make money...I do take my cat to the vet if she is really sick and luckily in the 15 years I have had her she had a kidney infection when she was a baby and was treated for that and has been very healthy every since

RE: If you don’t usually take your cat(s) to the veterinarian, why not?

love my manx — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 17:14:31 GMT

I have always taken my to the vet when sick they are like kids, and i would take my child to the doctor. Their is no need in a cat suffering. some vets will let you make payment aragements.

RE: If you don’t usually take your cat(s) to the veterinarian, why not?

EgyptianMaulady — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 13:49:59 GMT

I take my Mau girl once a year for vaccines, shots, and a general checkup, that's it. Some people take their pets to a vet for every little thing, and every couple of weeks, which, to me, is a big waste of money. I know from having worked at the Humane Society, if a cat gets too much antibiotics, too many vax's, etc, that the effect of it doesn't benefit them, esp the antibiotics, which their bodies eventually grow an immunity to, and when they get sick, something stronger is needed to help whatever it is get knocked out.

Now, if Isis gets an URI or UTI, I do take her in for that, and it is rare for her to have that, but I don't do it if she only sneezes a couple of times, because that could be allergies or dust.

RE: If you don’t usually take your cat(s) to the veterinarian, why not?

angelkitty — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 00:16:05 GMT

my cat absolutly hates the vet infact my vet has given her setatives before they will even see her, and that is so sad because she has problems walking when she is on them and I dont like giving them to her...she is always up to date on all her shots and she has been a pretty healthy cat all her life (knock on wood)

RE: If you don’t usually take your cat(s) to the veterinarian, why not?

Kitty Kiss — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 17:29:59 GMT

Did anyone stop and think how much vet school costs! They have bills to pay just like you and me.if you have too many pets to give good health care for them, find a vet you can afford. Please take good care of your sweet babies see the vet often. The money is well spent!

RE: If you don’t usually take your cat(s) to the veterinarian, why not?

~c@t$_f0r_l!f&~ — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 13:59:41 GMT

I only take my cats to the vet when they're acting weird or to board them when we go on a vacation or for vacinations or other neccessary things like that. I think that everyone should take their cats to the vet because it is crucial for their health as felines.

RE: If you don’t usually take your cat(s) to the veterinarian, why not?

Concucat — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:18:05 GMT

[quote]felinebystander (11/18/2008)

[quote]mrs. eelcat (11/18/2008)

I hear that if you vacinate your cats they get kitty autism!
[/quote]

How could you tell if they had it?[/quote]

well, for one, they start obsessively counting EVERYTHING, and they totally freak out when you take them to the airport or when the crosswalk light changes while in the middle of the street.

RE: If you don’t usually take your cat(s) to the veterinarian, why not?

felinebystander — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 11:57:20 GMT

[quote]mrs. eelcat (11/18/2008)

I hear that if you vacinate your cats they get kitty autism!
[/quote]

How could you tell if they had it?

RE: If you don’t usually take your cat(s) to the veterinarian, why not?

mrs. eelcat — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 11:18:51 GMT

I hear that if you vacinate your cats they get kitty autism!

RE: If you don’t usually take your cat(s) to the veterinarian, why not?

Elistariel — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 10:26:47 GMT

You forgot the option:
It's too bleeping expensive.

That's the main reason a lot of cats around here don't go. The owners cat afford it. With outside cats especially, sometimes the only time the cat will ever see the vet is to be fixed.

RE: If you don’t usually take your cat(s) to the veterinarian, why not?

leilanimr — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 14:09:14 GMT

Cost and misdiagnoses are BIG issues for us. We lost 4 cats in 18 mos because tests were inaccurate, to much time spent on irrelevant issues, lack of information to make an informed decision, wrong meds prescribed to diabetic cat.

RE: If you don’t usually take your cat(s) to the veterinarian, why not?

Maruul — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 06:49:35 GMT

Our cats don't usually show any signs of illness. Except worms. We have worm issues for some reason. Occasionally I'll get concerned about Cheshire's behavior and plead with mom to take him to the vet, but the worst thing they've found with him so far is bad teeth. And since he's old, that's not a huge surprise. We've just decided he's crazy and don't worry unless it alters dramatically.

Another issue is money. Or course, if mom would stop spending it all on shoes and house redecoration, we'd have more.

RE: If you don’t usually take your cat(s) to the veterinarian, why not?

Shasta — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 13:19:04 GMT

I would like to take Bart to the vet dut my mom want let me.It will cost me 35 for the vist and 60 for the shots the vet I realy liked past away he was good with my kitten.Bart is an outside cat he rarly comes in to the house.

RE: If you don’t usually take your cat(s) to the veterinarian, why not?

shadowkitten44 — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 07:45:19 GMT

I agree, I ONLY take my pets to the vet when it's absolutely necessary! It is far too expensive & they do charge insane amounts of money for simple little things....as a matter of fact, It is my personal belief that more people would own pets, fewer pets would be homeless, more people would get their pets spayed/neutered, & there would be alot less overpopulating & animals being put to sleep, IF they'd make it to where NORMAL people could own pets, & not just Millionaires!!!! They NEED to make it easier to find discount spay/neuter clinics & they NEED to make more of them, it took me an entire day & night of nonstop searching to find any solid decent information on any of the discount spay/neuter clinics in my area! They don't freely give out this info because if they did then the vets wouldn't be able to those ridiculous prices for the procedures! They also NEED to make more affordable & available housing for people with pets, because where I live, if you rent your home & don't own it, & you have multiple pets, then you had better have one REALLY REALLY good paying job, or ALOT of roommates!

Sorry, I don't mean to be ranting. It just infuriates me that they make it so impossible for people to care for their pets, then they try to guilt-trip goodhearted people into taking in more pets, & then treat us like we're horrible people for not being filthy rich & being able to afford to give our pets the care they deserve.

As far as the shots go, I had my first cat Oliver vaccinated for leukemia because they said it was so important, & shortly after that he contracted leukemia anyway & died. So I'm not a big fan of all the shots either, & they do alot of times seem to make the pets sicker.......but all this is just my own personal opinion.

RE: If you don’t usually take your cat(s) to the veterinarian, why not?

allmycats — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 10:08:45 GMT

I only take my cats to the vets when needed. Not only is visits expensive (I go to the cheapest one) but also they like to keep you comming back and keep giving you more issues to be concerned about. Everyone in my family who owns pets don't take there pets for every little thing and they are the most healthiest. I don't belive in putting a cat through the vet unless its absolutly nessacary. If the cat can get over the illness by itself that is better, it keeps there immuine system up!

RE: If you don’t usually take your cat(s) to the veterinarian, why not?

catcrazy0554 — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 16:42:07 GMT

i agree. and i hate the idea of declawing cats

RE: If you don’t usually take your cat(s) to the veterinarian, why not?

catwoman63 — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 14:37:39 GMT

I take my cats to the vet once a year to get a physical and their boosters. I also get their stool checked for worms. My cats don't go outside and they don't eat people food. They do love to smell everything that I put in my mouth though. When I put my food on my plate I go to each of my cats to smell before I start eating it. My vet bill is around $125 for the 2 cats to get their boosters and get their ears checked and to make sure they don't have fleas.

RE: If you don’t usually take your cat(s) to the veterinarian, why not?

rust-op — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 13:30:37 GMT

does an indoor cat really need all those shots? I had a 17 yr old cat whom i needed to board(didn't want him to be alone at that age) he had to get a bunch of shots-i know he was old,but seems as though he went downhill fast after that--i miss him

RE: If you don’t usually take your cat(s) to the veterinarian, why not?

PeaLoki&Gabe — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 05:21:21 GMT

The Petsmart by my house has a free walk in clinic no office call fee, adn they're rates are very reasonable. When i had Gabe neutered I also had him chipped at the same time, and when i found out how little it cost to get him chipped I got my Pea chipped too, since she likes to sneak out. But except for tapeworms, and the $500 hairball Loki had last winter, they don't go to the vet. Loki needs to go to the vet because his paws are always cracked and bleeding (I suspect he had gotten frostbite before he was brought into the house) I just haven't taken him yet.

Before anyone asks about a $500 hairball, Loki was trying to move a hairball but was having trouble, he got himself so dehydrated throwing up to try and move it we took him to the they gave him IV fluids, and IV antibiotics, and sure enough he successfully moved it at 3 A.M. we took him back to the vet for more fluids and antibiotics the next day. Between the xrays, blood tests, fluids the office visit the bill came to about $500. I don't take him to that vet anymore since we kept telling them it was a hairball he couldn't move and they kept saying " it can't be cats can move hairballs on their own." Who knows this animal better me or them?

RE: If you don’t usually take your cat(s) to the veterinarian, why not?

Catalyst — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 19:03:01 GMT

Cost is a big factor for us too. The vets in this city charge somewhere between $60 - $90 just to walk in the door. Add shots and treatment on top of that and a single, noneventful vet visit could easily run over $200. We just don't have the money for that. Right now our cats got their initial shots as kittens, and were fixed, and haven't been to the vet since. They're both strictly indoor cats who fortunately have been healthy. If something were to come up then we would of course take them in, but at the rates the vets here charge we can't afford to take them in just so the vet can confirm that their healthy.

RE: If you don’t usually take your cat(s) to the veterinarian, why not?

SuperCat — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 19:21:42 GMT

Our local Petco store offers reduced rates on vaccinations. No office call fee. My cats get all of their shots for less than $20/each.

RE: If you don’t usually take your cat(s) to the veterinarian, why not?

Willow — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 22:24:10 GMT

Money is not a factor in my decision. I simply do not agree with the overuse of vaccines and antibiotics. There are cases when antibiotic therapy is necessary, and vaccines are very good things....but not when overused! And I don't trust medical professionals in general. I haven't been to a doctor since I was 12----when an unnecessary and unwanted MMR vaccination was forced on me.

Some doctors do not truly care about their patients, they only care about lining their pockets, and a lot of the doctors who do care have been brainwashed by the mainstream medical establishment into mistrusting all alternative treatments. It's hard to find a doctor who is openminded enough to be willing to consider that alternative treatments may have merit. This is true whether it is a human doctor or a vet.

RE: If you don’t usually take your cat(s) to the veterinarian, why not?

imtripodsmom — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 21:16:03 GMT

My reason, cost, wasn't up there either, but my vet is very reasonably priced. It's just I'm unemployed, and my cat has hyperthyroidism. She needs methimathiazole daily, but a friend of mine is kind enough to pay for that. However, she should have bloodwork done at least once, preferably twice, a year to monitor her condition. At nearly 17 years old, I'm not concerned about over vaccinating; the actual risk of problems is actually very small. If I had money, I would buy the vaccines and do them myself, just bring her in for the 3 year rabies vaccine. But the answer I chose, too much off a hassle, is true, too--she hates riding in the car, and has quite a pair of lungs on her! Riding with Tripod in the car can be an earsplitting experience!

RE: If you don’t usually take your cat(s) to the veterinarian, why not?

evendozen — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 20:23:38 GMT

My response isn't on there - but cost has a little to do with it. For the most part, we know a lot about cats so we feel like we know when they need to get professional help.

RE: If you don’t usually take your cat(s) to the veterinarian, why not?

sweetpjs — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 15:49:40 GMT

Mine go to the vet, but I can see why some don't. Around here, we have lots of vets, but some charge 100$ just for an office visit! Are they kidding? My OWN doc doesn't charge that much! We found a vet who only charges 25$ an office visit and 7$ per shot. Plus he doesn't try to tell us the cat needs all these shots, that it doesn't! They're indoor cats. They don't need 50 million shots!

We had a vet one time want to charge an extra 50$ just for WARM saline during neutering! Actually, had we gone with them, our bill would have been around 300$! HELLO?!?! I've got four kids and never spent 300$ on an office visit!

So needless to say, we switched. The neutering was 28$. That was it. Cat's are fine and the vet is very well known and very well liked!

RE: If you don’t usually take your cat(s) to the veterinarian, why not?

ScarletDreams489 — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 15:19:26 GMT

I completely agree about over vaccination. When I got my cat she had already had her first distemper shot and I knew she would need another one in a couple weeks but when I went to the vet to get her other one they said she would need two more! I brought her back for a third but not a fourth. They charge a ton for such a little shot. I prefer vets that come out to my house, but the one that used to see my other animals doesn't come to where I moved, so I have to go to an expensive clinic.

RE: If you don’t usually take your cat(s) to the veterinarian, why not?

Willow — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 20:59:34 GMT

I wouldn't mind taking my cats to the vet once a year for a check-up, but I don't want to be pressured into vaccinating more often than is necessary. I don't agree that annual vaccination is a good thing, it really is quite risky. Here's one link: http://www.critteradvocacy.org/ , and if you Google the subject, you'll find a lot more about it. If I could find a vet that didn't push overvaccinating, I'd be glad to go more often for routine care. As it is, I only take the cats to the vet for spaying/neutering, vaccinating and testing young and new cats, and when a cat is sick.

RE: If you don’t usually take your cat(s) to the veterinarian, why not?

ScarletDreams489 — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 19:29:31 GMT

I only take my cat to the vet when it is absolutely necessary, such as for routine shots, spaying or an emergency situation. I know some people bring their cats to the vet for little things like worms (you can buy wormer at the store unless it's tapeworms). I also keep my cat inside so there are less reasons to bring the cat to a vet.

If you don’t usually take your cat(s) to the veterinarian, why not?

CAT MODERATOR — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 16:19:51 GMT

If you don’t usually take your cat(s) to the veterinarian, why not?