choosing a vet for your cat (and kitten!)

Get medical veterinary care for the cat you love

Looking for a wellness or primary care vet? We suggest thinking about three important factors: convenience, value, and — most importantly — a veterinary team that knows and loves cats. We’re here for kitty love, health, and happiness, which includes helping you get the wellness care your cat needs to stay healthy and happy.

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The difference between veterinary care, emergency care, and petcare advice

People may go to a family practice for one thing, a specialist for something else, and emergency care for sudden emergencies. It’s much the same for veterinary care. We recommend having these three resources for petcare, because each one is designed to provide a different important service.

A veterinary clinic is your pet’s wellness partner for health

The veterinary team you pick for pet primary care should be all about wellness. This is the vet your pet should see twice a year for baseline health, including comprehensive exams and vaccinations. They’re also here to help with diets, parasite control, skincare issues, new behavior weirdness, and other new or ongoing health concerns. Special kittyBAE or doggyBFF needs? Your vet can help diagnose, treat, and advise on health issues, or even refer you to a specialist.

An emergency vet hospital is for health crises

The vet your pet sees for wellness may not have a critical care environment for emergency medicine — and they probably aren’t open at all hours. We recommend knowing the number and location of your local emergency veterinary hospital for after-hours or immediate care. This is often the quickest way to get help if your pet is sick or injured.

Petcare advice services can help give you peace of mind

Unsure if your pet is actually having a medical emergency? Petcare advice services can help. Look for one that provides information from veterinary professionals so you can make real-time decisions for your pet. Advice services are a great way to figure out when to see a vet ASAP — or when you can relax.

How Banfield can help

Banfield’s here for love, health, and happiness — and with a free first visit for you and your pet. We’re in neighborhoods and PetSmart^® locations nationwide. Our Optimum Wellness Plans^® (OWPs) are smart and affordable year-long packages of high-quality, preventive veterinary care. And every OWP includes Vet Chat^TM, your anytime, anywhere source for general veterinary advice, both online and on your phone.

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