Help! Can't find a vet who will give my cats check ups because of our preference about thermometers.

(Prologue: Feel free to skip this paragraph if you don't care about the why.) I refuse to use rectal thermometers on my cats. Coming from someone who studies as a cat behaviorist, I find them invasive, risky, and potentially even cruel. For me, it's a moral thing. Cats are animals of choice and consent, and I am not willing to take a risk with that. We don't know enough about how it effects cats for me to be willing to take that risk. It's possible it doesn't phase them, but we just don't know. Everyone is different and you may have a different opinion--which is OK with me. But when it comes to my kitties, I am their parent and I have my opinions about what I think is best for them.

I can not find a vet who will see my pets for wellness check ups without using a rectal thermometer. I have even tried a local vet who integrates holistic medicine into her clinic but cannot find a vet who will perform a check up without using a rectal thermometer. I told them I would purchase and bring a good quality ear thermometer.

I know they aren't as accurate. But:

1) It's just a wellness check up.

2) I have heard of many clinics across the country switching to ear thermometers as the norm because it is less invasive.

3) A good quality ear thermometer can get pretty damn close.

4) For a rather small return, it is not worth the mental health risk. Holistic vets above all should see that.

Does anyone have any advice? Do you know what "types" of vets are more likely to listen to my small request to omit that part of the check up or take the reading with a different thermometer?

Thank you so much in advance for anyone who helps.

Try calling around at like holistic vet places or alternative medicine vets? That would be my only guess.

That is really odd.  I take my kitties to a conventional cats only clinic that is owned by a certified feline specialist and they use the ear thermometers for wellness checks.  They only use the rectal thermometers for sick kitties where the more accurate temperature is needed.  With a wellness check a  reading that just verifies that there is no fever is all that is needed.

It's interesting that you mention this. There's such a huge difference depending on where you live what kind of vet care you can get. It's just unbelievable sometimes. My cats hate going to the vet so I always want to make sure they have the least stressful experience possible so I can understand where you are coming from. Unfortunately the only thing I can really suggest is to try looking a little further away for a better vet. I know it can be inconvenient or just difficult to get them to the vet if its not close enough but this is what I've resorted to. Looking for vets that are more holistic is a good place to start but not every place is the same. Typically in my experience sometimes clinics are better than traditional vets but it really depends on what is around where you live.