Two cats: take to vet same visit or spread them out?

[2bcat]

 So we're up to the time where both cats should really have another checkup, or really kinda past it.  They came home together over a year and a half ago.  They're 6 years old and have lived together their entire lives (but apparently not litter mates as we once thought; they were rescued together as kittens and are both all black).  We took them together for an initial vet exam about a month after they got home, as we had promised the shelter and so they would be existing patients at the cat vet we used with our last cat.  Indeed they were and still are small and they came home from the shelter in one carrier and went to the vet in that one carrier.  We won't do that again though, probably wouldn't work as well as back then.

Widget had an extra visit late last summer for a vestibular issue and thus we've waited until about a year past that but now Poppet is having possibly an issue that may need attention beyond a regular checkup.  But maybe not.

Regardless, though, I can't decide what is easier really.  I have two carriers but one (a Sherpa soft-sided) is untested with these two and did not work well for my prior cat.  I'm not sure why I had it for so many years, guess for a while I had more space than energy to clear things.  I was set to give it away somewhere when I realized I could try it for having two separate carriers if both cats went at once. 

This vet is pretty reasonable in cost and we did not receive any discount for having two cats at once that I am aware of.

My memory is not clear on reactions after Widget went to the vet by herself last year.  My SO says I took Widget alone to the vet and she stayed home with Poppet, which doesn't sound right to me as we have nearly always gone together to the vet even with our prior cats.  But I truly don't remember well enough to be sure.  I don't recall if Poppet had an adverse issue with Widget coming back from the vet smelling wrong or anything.  If there was, though, it wasn't significant enough to stick in my mind.

My instinct this time says take Poppet by herself and sooner in case she has a separate issue.  So that's probably what we'll do.

But I'm wondering, when you have two well cats needing checkups, do you take them both?  Does anyone not take them both in that instance?  If one cat is possibly unwell do you take them both anyway?  Just wondering how others do this.  I only had one cat at a time before.  Or, well, we had a period some years ago where two cats shared the house but they didn't get along and they were seeing different vets anyway.

 

[LTS3]

For yearly check ups, I take both cats together (in separate carriers). It's just easier for me to bring both together instead of one cat one day and the second cat another day.

If one cat isn't feeling well, I'll only take that cat to the vet. I've never had any aggression issue when bringing the cat home. Some cats will get aggressive because the other cat smells strange so they think it's a completely different cat and they need to defend their territory.

 

[margd]

For yearly check ups, I take both cats together (in separate carriers). It's just easier for me to bring both together instead of one cat one day and the second cat another day.

If one cat isn't feeling well, I'll only take that cat to the vet. I've never had any aggression issue when bringing the cat home. Some cats will get aggressive because the other cat smells strange so they think it's a completely different cat and they need to defend their territory.

My situation is exactly the same - I take both cats together for well check-ups and separately when only one cat seems sick. The only exception is if the sick cat has something that might be contagious. Then I take the other cat as well so he or she can get checked out just in case and weighed to determine medication doseage if needed.

Fortunately, I've never had a problem with cats fighting after one goes to the vet!

 

[lisahe]

We take our cats together, too: one of our cats is a little high-strung, and it seems to be a comfort to her to have the other with her. One time they even left in the same carrier because the high-strung cat wanted to snuggle with the calmer cat. We always take them in separate carriers, one's a Sherpa, the other is a hard-sided carrier.

Sometimes we get house calls; it's still more expensive than going to the office but our vet offers a discount when the visit's for two cats. It was perfect when we'd just adopted our cats, they had URIs, were sleeping in the duvet cover, and there was a nasty cold snap. For certain things, though, like blood draws, I think it's better to take them to the vet's office because they have proper tables for handling the cats.

No matter how you do it, good luck!

 

[betsygee]

I always take them separately just because it's easier carrying one than two.  These three are very bonded and there's never a problem with aggression when they get home.

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

snick and her litter mate brother mickey (rip) did have 'upset' after one or both had a vet appointment. it was the vet smell that seemed to be the cause. what i've always done since then is to use a fresh/clean towel to gently rub both cats before taking either one or both to a vet appointment. when we get back home, whoever went to the vet appointment gets gently rubbed with that same towel -- which both takes away some of the vet smell and gives back some of both cats scents.

another way of getting both cats scents on the towel before one or both of them go see the vet is to simply lay out the towel in a nice sunny spot or other comfy spot, then let them curl up on it and take naps.

 

[LTS3]

 
I always take them separately just because it's easier carrying one than two. 

True

But I have a soft sided carrier that has wheels so my DMH get pulled around with one hand while I lug the hard sided carrier with my Aby with the other hand.