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Preventative Care

Cats hide illness extraordinarily well.

By the time you notice something is wrong, your Cat has often been compensating for weeks or months. Preventative care is how we find what they are hiding, early, when it matters most.

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The Biology of Hiding Illness

This is not personality.
It is a survival instinct.

Cats are both predators and prey animals. In the wild, showing weakness invites predation. Over millennia, Cats evolved an extraordinary capacity to mask pain, illness, and disability, even from the people who know them best.

Your Cat may be eating, playing, and behaving normally while managing kidney disease, dental pain, hyperthyroidism, or early cardiac disease. Not because they are fine, but because their biology is hiding it from both of you.

Preventative bloodwork, blood pressure monitoring, and regular physical examinations are how we see past that mask. The earlier we find it, the more we can do.

What Preventative Screening Catches
Chronic Kidney Disease

Often asymptomatic until 75% of kidney function is lost. Blood and urine values catch it far earlier.

Hyperthyroidism

Classic early signs are easily attributed to aging. T4 screening reveals it before organ damage occurs.

Hypertension

Silent until it causes vision loss, retinal detachment, or stroke. Blood pressure screening finds it first.

HCM / Cardiac Disease

The most common heart disease in Cats. ProBNP screening and auscultation identify it early.

Dental Disease

Affects the majority of adult Cats. Most live with dental pain for months before any behavioral change is noticed.

Screening by Life Stage

What we screen for, and when.

For Cats of all ages, screening lab tests are strongly recommended. Establishing normal baselines and monitoring for annual trends is how we detect early and intervene sooner.

Life StageAgeRecommended Visit FrequencyKey Screenings
Kitten0 to 6 monthsEvery 3 to 4 weeks during vaccine seriesPhysical exam, vaccines, parasite screening, nutrition consult
Junior6 months to 2 yearsAnnually after vaccine series completePhysical exam, wellness bloodwork baseline, FeLV/FIV
Adult2 to 6 yearsAnnuallyFull physical, vaccines as indicated, baseline bloodwork
Mature7 to 10 yearsAnnually with diagnosticsCBC/Chemistry, T4 thyroid, urinalysis, blood pressure, proBNP
Senior11 to 14 yearsEvery 6 monthsFull diagnostic panel, blood pressure, weight and muscle monitoring
Geriatric15+ yearsEvery 6 months or more frequently as neededIndividualized panel, QOL assessment, comfort and pain evaluation

“We cannot out-observe what a Cat has evolved to hide. The best clinical insight we have is a consistent history of diagnostics over time, and that baseline is only possible if visits happen before something is wrong.”

CatsOnly Clinical Team
Membership Makes It Easier

Preventative care without the barrier.

One of the most common reasons preventative care is delayed is the cost of the exam visit. CatsOnly Membership removes that barrier, with unlimited visits, so your Cat gets seen when they need to be seen.

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Preventative care is the most important thing you can do for your Cat’s long-term health.

Book a wellness visit or call our Feline Experience Specialists with any questions.

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