I’m Right, You’re Wrong!

by Marinka on January 25, 2011

Welcome back to I’m Right, You’re Wrong!

Today’s dilemma: Should a healthy, asymptomatic, indoor cat (Nicki) be taken to a vet for an annual check up? IN THIS ECONOMY?

I feel very healthy. Just a little sleepy. I'm sure it's nothing.

Cast of Disagreers: Marinka and Marinka’s 12 year old daughter (and apparently Nicki’s legal guardian.)

Position One: Eh, she looks fine. Let’s skip it until the economy turns around in a few years or she looks sick.

Position Two: You can’t tell by looking at her! Sometimes someone looks fine but they are really sick! She should get a check up to make sure she’s developing normally and everything is okay.

What do you say?

P.S. One of the disagreers, and there’s no need to get into which one, wants to point out that a year or so ago, Nicki had blood work done and all was ok!

One year ago ...

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{ 26 comments… read them below or add one }

Tonya
Twitter:
January 25, 2011 at 8:35 am

I’m probably not going to win “kitty mommy of the year” award since my cat hasn’t been to the vet for a check up in…oh….7 years. She’s an indoor feline whose on her 15th year so I guess we’re doing something right?
I asked her (the cat) what she thinks and she insists she doesn’t need a trip to the vet, however, “would it kills us to take her to a spa or out for drinks?”

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ChiTown Girl January 25, 2011 at 8:40 am

I say the ONLY one who gets a vote is the one who holds the purse strings!

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Donna January 25, 2011 at 8:43 am

My theory is, unless the cat is acting sick, you can keep her at home. Tell your daughter that the cat might get sick at the vet’s, surrounded as it would be by all of those swine-flu-kitties. Next thing you know your daughter comes down with the swine-cat-flu, and it all could have been avoided if only she’d let the poor cat alone. (p.s. Our vet makes house calls. In fact, he spayed the cat ON MY KITCHEN TABLE. This is apropos of nothing, but I thought I should tell you.)

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CoftheU January 25, 2011 at 11:02 am

The only reason I bring the dog in is because they lay the guilt trip on me when I don’t. But, dang, they sucker me into stuff all the time. $700 to sedate her and clean her teeth. Her TEETH!! Because if you don’t clean their teeth, they’ll DIE apparently. (Maybe you should pass that along to YL.)

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stephanie January 25, 2011 at 11:31 am

I’m with you. The only reason I am so timely with my dog’s checkups are because they sometimes need to be boarded- thus- current on vaccines. You can tell when cats are sick. Put it off six months and then come up with a fun excuse why you’re behind on the checkup.
Like “I was busy finding GUESTS for my blog so I could find time to come….”
🙂

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alexandra
Twitter:
January 25, 2011 at 12:04 pm

You need to bring her in. You do.

My friend’s cat began laying around and it was a really bad UTI.

My vote? Take the poor thing in.

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Heather January 25, 2011 at 12:17 pm

Good lord, now. Here’s what you do. You tell the other disagreer you made Nicki a vet appointment but all they had were times while they were in school. Darn it! So you’ll have take Nicki by yourself. Only there is no vet appointment. But tada anyway! Nicki is just fine!

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Awesome dude January 25, 2011 at 12:18 pm

I will do a complete physical exam including rectal examination for a bowl of soup.

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reiven January 25, 2011 at 6:01 pm

Now that’s a bargain!

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GrandeMocha
Twitter:
February 18, 2011 at 7:34 pm

Excellant! If you are ever in Michigan Awesome Dude, look us up. I have cats too.

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Stacey January 25, 2011 at 1:12 pm

Take the cat in. Yes, she’s an indoor cat who isn’t showing signs of being sick. However, the yearly exam gives you a baseline of her health every year. Then, if she gets sick, you know that as of whatever date she was last at the vet, she was fine. It gives the vet something to work with in the event she does get sick in between annual checkups.

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Kimberly January 25, 2011 at 1:58 pm

This is the correct answer.

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Rima
Twitter:
January 25, 2011 at 2:14 pm

Tell Awesome Dude he doesn’t have to do a rectal. I can send him a ziplock bag of frozen borscht from the Russian store down the street.

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joanne briefs January 25, 2011 at 2:37 pm

NO

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Dana
Twitter:
January 25, 2011 at 2:58 pm

You win this argument… says the woman who hasn’t taken her dog to the vet in, oh, let’s just call it a very, very long time and move on.

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Bekah January 25, 2011 at 3:05 pm

I grew up in a Kansas farm town where our cats lived outside, mostly ate mice and only went to the vet when they got the tar kicked out of them in a fight with another cat. I’m firmly in the Position One camp. If they aren’t bleeding, puking or totally unresponsive, they are A-OK!

My dog, however, is a different story. Don’t judge.

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Phoenix Rising
Twitter:
January 25, 2011 at 3:21 pm

I say you bring the cat to the vet. BUT you have to report back on your blog in detail (with photos) of all the things that happen to the cat to, from and at the vet’s. AND it has to be written from the cat’s persepctive. That is all.

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Lynn MacDonald (All Fooked Up) January 25, 2011 at 3:36 pm

I took my cat in for a check up and she was FINE. The next week she ate string and almost died. $2500 later after surgery, she was fine again. Why spend the money finding out if she’s fine? When she’s dying, you’ll know!

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Shannon January 25, 2011 at 6:43 pm

None of my family’s pets have ever been to the vet for anything but vaccinations and when they really seem sick, and it worked out fine for them. If she looks sick, take her, but if not it’s a lot of work and money for a diagnosis of “fine” in my opinion.

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the mama bird diaries
Twitter:
January 25, 2011 at 7:04 pm

Are you allowed to shop again? No? Then no vet for her.

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Amy January 25, 2011 at 11:22 pm

I worked as a vet tech for nearly 15 years. My indoor cat (now 20+ years old) hasn’t been to the vet since she was about 5 years old. No vaccines, nothing. If she never gets out just skip it!

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Abbey January 26, 2011 at 1:50 pm

This could be a great future-parenting lesson. Find out the cost of the vet appointment, and let daughter know that she will have to give up some activity or item that is of equal cost. You know, as Niki’s legal guardian she needs to learn the joy of sacrifice for one’s children.

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Trish@Show and Tell
Twitter:
January 26, 2011 at 9:24 pm

Doesn’t the cat get a vote? Ask the cat. Two purrs for yes, one for no.

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Peajaye
Twitter:
January 27, 2011 at 7:49 pm

I consulted with my friend’s collie, Barnie, and he said, Absolutely Not!

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Jonathan January 28, 2011 at 12:37 am

After seeing that bill again from last time, I vote no! Especially since not only is she inside, but she’s like what, 18 months? She’s fine.

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Allispin July 25, 2011 at 4:59 pm

I feel like you should take her in, once a year is not that bad. I feel like all pet owners have a responsibility to make sure their pets are happy and healthy and yearly check-ups are a part of that, in my book…

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