Cat Health and Vet Care: Vaccines, Spay/Neuter, Parasites, Teeth and Warning Signs

Cats are both predators and prey animals, with a deep instinct to hide weakness. A cat can be quite unwell while looking more or less normal, which is why preventive care matters and why it pays to know the subtle signs that something is wrong.

This guide explains routine veterinary care in general terms. Your own veterinarian, who knows your cat, your area and your cat's lifestyle, should set the specifics, such as vaccine schedules and parasite products.

Regular checkups

Most veterinarians recommend a wellness exam at least once a year for healthy adult cats. For senior cats, and cats with ongoing health conditions, visits every six months are often recommended, because problems can develop quickly and are easier to manage when caught early. Kittens need several visits in their first months for vaccines and checks.

A typical wellness visit includes:

• Weighing your cat and assessing body condition. Gradual weight loss or gain is one of the earliest signs of many problems.
• A nose-to-tail physical exam: eyes, ears, mouth and teeth, heart and lungs, abdomen, lymph nodes, skin, coat and joints.
• A review of vaccines and parasite prevention.
• Discussion of diet, behavior, litter box habits and anything you have noticed.
• Depending on age and health, blood tests, a urine test and a blood pressure check. These are especially useful for middle-aged and older cats.

Before the visit, write down any questions and any changes you have noticed, however small: drinking more, sleeping in different places, a change in appetite, or reluctance to jump. These details help your veterinarian far more than you might expect.

Making vet visits less stressful

Many cats find vet visits frightening. It helps to leave the carrier out at home as a bed, choose a hard-sided carrier with a removable top so your cat can be examined without being pulled out, and cover it with a towel on the journey. Ask whether your clinic has cat-only waiting areas; some have been through the American Association of Feline Practitioners' Cat Friendly Practice program. For very anxious cats, ask your veterinarian whether a pre-visit medication could help.

Vaccines and viral testing

Vaccines protect cats against diseases that are serious, sometimes fatal, and in some cases spread easily. Feline vaccination guidelines divide vaccines into two groups.

Core vaccines

Core vaccines are recommended for all pet cats, including those who live entirely indoors. They protect against:

• Feline panleukopenia, sometimes called feline distemper. It is a severe and often fatal disease, especially in kittens. The virus is very hardy and can survive in the environment for a long time, so it can be carried indoors on shoes and clothing.
• Feline herpesvirus-1 and feline calicivirus, the main causes of cat "flu," or upper respiratory infections. These are common, particularly in shelters and multi-cat households.
• Rabies. Rabies is almost always fatal and can spread to people. Rabies vaccination for cats is required by law in many US states and localities, and indoor cats are included. Bats, which can carry rabies, sometimes get into houses.

Panleukopenia, herpesvirus and calicivirus are usually given together in one combination vaccine, often called FVRCP.

Non-core vaccines

Non-core vaccines are recommended based on a cat's age, lifestyle and risk of exposure. The most important is:

• Feline leukemia virus (FeLV). FeLV is spread through close contact between cats, such as mutual grooming, sharing bowls and bite wounds, and it weakens the immune system and can cause cancers. Because kittens are most vulnerable and their future lifestyle is often uncertain, feline vaccination guidelines recommend FeLV vaccination for kittens. For adult cats, it is generally recommended for those who go outdoors or live with cats of unknown or FeLV-positive status.

Your veterinarian may mention other vaccines that are useful in specific situations, such as some boarding facilities, shelters or breeding catteries. For most pet cats, they are not routinely needed.

How vaccine schedules work

Kittens receive a series of core vaccines, usually starting at around six to eight weeks of age and repeated every three to four weeks until they are about 16 to 20 weeks old, followed by a booster some months later. Adult boosters are then given at intervals your veterinarian chooses based on the vaccine product, local law (for rabies), and your cat's risk. Not every vaccine is given every year. If you adopt an adult cat with an unknown history, your vet will plan a catch-up schedule.

Side effects

Mild side effects are common and usually pass within a day or two: tiredness, a slightly reduced appetite, a mild fever or a small, tender swelling at the injection site. Serious reactions are rare.

Testing for FeLV and FIV

Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) are lifelong viral infections that affect the immune system. Many cats with these infections show no signs for a long time. A simple blood test, often done in the clinic, screens for both.

• Test every new cat whose status is unknown, ideally before they meet your other cats.
• Test any cat who becomes sick, and cats who have been exposed, such as after a fight with an unknown cat.
• Young kittens can have confusing results. A kitten can test positive for FIV because of antibodies passed from the mother, and some early FeLV infections are missed, so your vet may advise retesting later.

A positive result is not a reason to give up on a cat. Many cats with FIV, and some with FeLV, live good lives for years with attentive care. FIV spreads mainly through deep bite wounds, so FIV-positive cats can often share a home with other cats who get along well. FeLV spreads more easily through everyday contact, so FeLV-positive cats generally need to be kept apart from FeLV-negative cats. Your veterinarian can advise on management.

Spaying and neutering

Spaying (removing the ovaries, and usually the uterus, in females) and neutering (removing the testicles in males) are among the most common and important procedures for pet cats. Benefits include:

• No unplanned litters. Cats can become pregnant very young, and there are already far more cats than homes in many areas.
• No heat cycles. Unspayed females come into heat repeatedly, with loud yowling, restlessness and attempts to escape outdoors.
• Health benefits. Spaying, especially before the first heat, greatly reduces the risk of mammary cancer and eliminates the risk of pyometra, a life-threatening uterine infection. Neutering eliminates testicular disease.
• Fewer behavior problems. Neutering greatly reduces urine spraying, roaming and fighting in males, and the bite wounds that come with fighting.

When to spay or neuter

Kittens can reach sexual maturity as early as four months of age. For that reason, many veterinary organizations now recommend spaying or neutering pet cats by about five months of age. Shelters often spay and neuter younger kittens, which is considered safe. Ask your veterinarian about the right timing for your kitten, and for an adult cat who hasn't yet been altered.

Recovery

Most cats recover quickly. Follow your veterinarian's discharge instructions: usually rest indoors, limited jumping, no licking of the incision, and a daily look at the wound. Call your vet about swelling, discharge or an opening wound, or if your cat stops eating or seems lethargic. Altered cats often need fewer calories afterward; our feeding guide explains how to adjust.

Parasites

Parasites are among the most common health problems in cats, and indoor cats are not immune. Fleas hitch rides on people and dogs, mosquitoes get indoors, and kittens often come home with worms. Your veterinarian can recommend a prevention plan that matches your cat's lifestyle and your region.

Fleas

Fleas cause itching and skin problems, can cause serious anemia in kittens, and transmit tapeworms when a cat swallows one while grooming. Some cats are allergic, and a single bite triggers intense itching and scabs. Look for "flea dirt," tiny black specks that turn reddish-brown on damp white paper. Treat every pet in the household and the home itself, since most of a flea population lives in the environment as eggs and larvae.

Ticks

Ticks are more of a concern for cats who go outdoors, and tick risk varies a lot by region. In parts of the southern and central United States, ticks can transmit a severe and often fatal disease called cytauxzoonosis to cats. If your cat goes outside, ask your veterinarian whether tick prevention is recommended where you live, and check your cat for ticks after time outdoors.

Intestinal worms and other gut parasites

Roundworms are especially common in kittens, which can be infected through their mother's milk. Hookworms and tapeworms also affect cats, and protozoan parasites such as Giardia and coccidia can cause diarrhea. Kittens are typically dewormed several times, and your vet may recommend periodic fecal tests or routine deworming for adults, depending on lifestyle. Some intestinal parasites can spread to people, so wash hands after scooping litter.

Heartworm

Cats can get heartworm disease from mosquito bites, including cats who live indoors. Heartworm in cats behaves differently from heartworm in dogs. Even a few worms can cause serious lung and breathing problems, and there is no approved medication to treat heartworm infection in cats, so prevention is the main protection. Monthly preventives for cats are available, and some combination products also cover fleas and intestinal worms. Ask your veterinarian whether heartworm prevention is recommended where you live.

Avoid "natural" flea remedies based on essential oils, garlic or other home treatments. They are not reliably effective, and some of them are toxic to cats.

Microchipping and identification

A microchip, about the size of a grain of rice, is injected under the skin between the shoulder blades and carries a unique number that shelters and vet clinics can read with a scanner. It is quick and can be done at a routine visit or during spay or neuter surgery.

• Register the chip in your name with the chip company or a registry, and keep your phone number and address up to date whenever they change. An unregistered chip can't bring your cat home.
• Indoor cats need chips too. Indoor cats slip out through open doors, during moves, and after accidents or natural disasters.
• Collars are optional extra ID. Choose a breakaway collar designed for cats, fitted so two fingers slide underneath.

Dental care

Dental disease is one of the most common health problems in adult cats, and it often goes unnoticed because cats keep eating through considerable pain. Common problems include plaque and tartar buildup, gum disease (periodontal disease) and tooth resorption, a painful condition in which a tooth's structure breaks down. Signs of dental problems include:

• Bad breath
• Red, swollen or bleeding gums, or a red line along the gumline
• Yellow or brown tartar on the teeth
• Drooling, pawing at the mouth or dropping food
• Chewing on one side, eating more slowly, or preferring soft food
• A cat who approaches the bowl hungrily but walks away

Home care

Daily tooth brushing is the most effective thing you can do at home to slow plaque buildup. Many cats accept it if you start slowly:

1. Let your cat lick a little cat toothpaste from your finger. Never use human toothpaste, which can contain ingredients that are harmful to cats and aren't meant to be swallowed.
2. Over several days, gently rub the paste along the outer surfaces of the teeth and gums with your finger.
3. Gradually introduce a soft cat toothbrush or finger brush. Focus on the outer surfaces of the back teeth and canines, where tartar builds up most.
4. Keep sessions short and positive, and follow with a treat or play.

If your cat won't tolerate brushing, ask your vet about dental diets, treats or water additives. Look for products that carry the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) seal, which shows they have been shown to reduce plaque or tartar. These help, but they don't replace brushing or professional care.

Professional dental cleaning

Your veterinarian will check your cat's teeth at each exam and may recommend a professional cleaning. A proper dental cleaning is done under general anesthesia so the vet can clean below the gumline, take dental X-rays, and treat or extract painful teeth safely. Veterinary dental specialists do not recommend anesthesia-free cleanings, which only clean the visible surfaces and can miss serious problems under the gumline. If your cat is anxious about anesthesia, your veterinarian can explain the pre-anesthetic checks and monitoring they use.

Quiet signs of illness

Because cats hide illness, changes in everyday habits are often the first clue. Take note, and call your veterinarian, if you see:

• Changes in appetite, eating less, eating more, or becoming fussy
• Weight loss or gain, even gradual. Weighing your cat monthly at home is a good habit.
• Drinking or urinating more, or bigger clumps in the litter box
• Litter box changes, such as going outside the box, straining, blood in urine, diarrhea or constipation
• Vomiting more than occasionally. Regular vomiting, including of hairballs, is not something to accept as normal.
• Hiding, withdrawing or seeming less interested in people or play
• Grooming changes, an unkempt or greasy coat, or overgrooming and bald patches
• Reluctance to jump or climb, stiffness or limping, which are common signs of arthritis
• New behaviors, such as irritability, increased vocalizing at night, or disorientation in an older cat
• Sneezing, nasal discharge, runny or squinting eyes, or coughing. Coughing in cats is sometimes mistaken for trying to bring up a hairball, and it can be a sign of asthma or other lung disease.

None of these is necessarily an emergency, but a change that lasts more than a day or two, or that worries you, is a good reason to call.

When to see a vet urgently

Know where your nearest 24-hour emergency veterinary clinic is before you need it, and keep its address and phone number with your regular vet's details. Animal poison control services, such as the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center and the Pet Poison Helpline, can also advise in a suspected poisoning (a consultation fee may apply). Look up their numbers now and save them in your phone.

If you are unsure whether something is an emergency, call your vet or the nearest emergency clinic and describe what you are seeing. It is always better to ask.

Planning for costs and pet insurance

Veterinary care can be expensive, especially in an emergency, and planning ahead means decisions in a crisis don't have to rest on cost alone. Pet insurance is one option. Policies vary widely, so check how pre-existing conditions are handled, along with waiting periods, deductibles, reimbursement rates, limits, and whether premiums rise with age. Some clinics offer wellness plans that spread the cost of routine care, though these are not insurance. A dedicated savings fund is a workable alternative or addition. We don't recommend any particular insurer; compare a few policies and choose what fits your budget and your cat.

Key takeaways

• See your veterinarian at least once a year for adult cats, and about every six months for seniors and cats with ongoing conditions.
• All cats, including indoor cats, need core vaccines. Non-core vaccines such as FeLV depend on age and lifestyle.
• Test new cats for FeLV and FIV, and keep them apart from your other cats until they have been checked.
• Spay or neuter by about five months of age, or as your vet advises.
• Use vet-recommended parasite prevention labeled for cats. Never use dog flea and tick products on a cat.
• Microchip every cat, and keep the registration up to date.
• Dental disease is common and painful. Brush with cat toothpaste and have your vet check teeth regularly.
• Watch for quiet changes in appetite, weight, thirst, litter box habits and behavior.
• Breathing difficulty, straining to urinate, collapse, seizures, lily exposure and suspected poisoning are emergencies. Go now.