Is it neccessary for my indoor cat to have a health examination every year at the vet?

My parents’ cat is both an inside and outside cat. We give her a flea collar, laxative in malting season (she is a medium-hair), but she never sees the vet unless we notice that she is sick. If you are nervous not knowing what health your cat is in, by all means get her checked out, but if you are observant you’ll notice when it is getting sick.

Most people are probably going to tell you “yes.”
I’ll tell you that I’ve had cats for 28 years, and we only take them to the vet if they aren’t well or if it has been a long stretch of time, and they are due for a check up. Really, it is up to you.

It’s not necessary, but I’d feel irresponsible telling you that you don’t have to take your cat to the vet. Most vets are genuine animal lovers and aren’t just in it for the money. My vet in my hometown is one of the kindest men I’ve ever met, and the emergency vet my paretns once used was such a sweet, genuinely caring lady.

That said, I don’t take my cats regularly, because I can’t afford it. I keep a careful eye on them, though, and have taken them when I’ve felt concerned about anything health-related.

How old is the cat?

Also, depending on where you live, the rabies vaccine may be required by law.

Yes and no. It’s the same thing as with humans – they’ll tell you if the cat is overweight, if there’s something going on with their eyes, how their teeth are doing, etc.

You can get them vaccinated without the exam. I can get mine vaccinated for rabies for $10 every year at the local pound.

I’ve had a couple of ondoor/outdoor cats that made it to 19 with only spaying and the first shots. I would have taken them if they got sick.

Its a good I idea but if you can’t afford the vet they do offer have a vet go into petco that does vaccinations regularly, just call your local petco for when the vet will be there its quite affordable.

I don’t think it is necessary to have them go every year. But, if you can afford it, and you really want them to be closely monitored and at their best, then yeah, go for it. The only time my cats have ever seen the vet was when they had parasites and the other time was one had a false pregnancy.
My previous gifted guinea pig saw the vet more in one year then these two cats have seen in seven years.

I only go to the doctor if I am sick and I only take my dogs or cats to the vet when they are sick. The only exception to that is if they have to go to the kennel and shots have to be up to date for that. Otherwise I don’t bother with shots (except rabies when in USA, we do not have rabies in Australia). The vet I used in USA said it was overkill to vaccinate every year. If you are worried about immunity, have a blood titer done. In Australia they advise worming quarterly (without a stool check, just arbitrary worming) but I use Ivermectin for heartworm and that takes care of all parasites except tapes and since I pick up after them I keep an eye out for segments which is the only way tapes can be detected anyhow, by the presence of segments.

So I wouldn’t worry unless the cat is sick.