- Check your cat's vaccine dates — rabies, FVRCP, and FeLV (if applicable) should all be current, with the next-due date clearly noted.
- Confirm you have this year's lab results on file — not just the memory of the visit, but the actual CBC, chemistry panel, and thyroid values (especially for cats 7+).
- Verify your medication list and emergency contacts are current — an ER vet needs this in minutes, not hours.
Cats are famously good at hiding problems. They'll purr through pain, mask illness until it's advanced, and act perfectly normal the day before a crisis. That's why their health records matter more than most owners realize — the record catches what the cat won't show you.
This checklist walks through every section of a complete cat health record. It takes about 15 minutes. By the end, you'll know exactly what's current, what's missing, and what to ask your vet to fill in at the next visit.
1. Vaccines: what should be current?
Cat vaccines fall into two categories: core (every cat needs them) and lifestyle (depends on whether your cat goes outdoors, lives with other cats, or boards). Here's what a complete vaccine record includes:
| Vaccine | Category | Typical schedule | What to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rabies | Core (required by law in most states) | Every 1–3 years after initial series | Is the certificate current? Does your record show the next due date? |
| FVRCP | Core | Every 3 years after kitten series | Covers rhinotracheitis, calicivirus, panleukopenia — the big three. Check date of last booster. |
| FeLV (Feline Leukemia) | Lifestyle — outdoor cats, multi-cat homes | Annual for at-risk cats | Was your cat tested before the first FeLV vaccine? Is the test result on file? |
| Bordetella | Lifestyle — boarded or groomed cats | Annual | Some boarding facilities require it. Check if your facility does. |
What's often missing: The FeLV test result. Many cats were vaccinated as kittens but the initial test result (negative FeLV/FIV combo test) is buried in a kitten-visit record that never transferred. If your cat is FeLV-vaccinated but you can't find the pre-vaccine test, note it for your next vet visit.
2. Lab work: do you actually have the results?
This is the section most cat owners think they have but don't. You remember the vet running blood work. You remember them saying "everything looks fine." But is the actual report — the CBC, chemistry panel, urinalysis — saved somewhere you can access it?
Here's what a complete lab history looks like for an adult cat:
- Annual CBC + chemistry panel — baseline organ function, blood cell counts, protein levels
- Thyroid (T4) screening — annual for cats 7 and older. Hyperthyroidism is the most common endocrine disease in older cats
- Urinalysis — often run alongside blood work, especially for senior cats. Catches early kidney disease before blood values shift
- FeLV/FIV combo test — at least one result on file, ideally from before any FeLV vaccination
- Fecal parasite screening — at least annually, more often for outdoor cats
If your cat is 10 or older, twice-yearly blood work is standard practice. Kidney disease, diabetes, and thyroid issues are significantly easier (and less expensive) to manage when caught early through trending lab values — not when your cat stops eating.
The Voocie angle: When your vet emails lab results to your cat's private Voocie address, they land in the record automatically. No logging into a portal, no downloading a PDF from an email you'll lose. The next vet — or the ER — can see the trend line, not just the latest number.
3. Dental records: the section nobody keeps
Dental disease affects an estimated 50–90% of cats over age 4, according to the American Veterinary Dental College. Despite this, dental records are the most commonly incomplete section of a cat's health file. Here's what should be there:
- Professional cleaning dates — including pre-anesthesia blood work results
- Extractions — which teeth, why, and any post-op notes
- Dental X-rays — critical for detecting feline tooth resorption, which affects 20–60% of cats and is invisible on visual exam alone
- Gingivitis or stomatitis notes — any vet observations about gum inflammation at wellness exams
- Home dental care notes — if your vet recommended dental treats, water additives, or brushing, is that documented?
Why it matters: Dental disease doesn't stay in the mouth. Untreated oral infections can affect the heart, kidneys, and liver. A complete dental record helps your vet track progression and decide when the next cleaning or intervention is needed — before your cat stops eating because of mouth pain they've been hiding for months.
4. Medications and supplements: is the list current?
If your cat takes any daily medication — thyroid pills, insulin, pain management, anxiety medication, joint supplements — your health record should reflect exactly what they're taking right now, not what they were prescribed six months ago.
Check for:
- Current medications — name, dose, frequency, prescribing vet, start date
- Discontinued medications — what was stopped, when, and why (this prevents re-prescribing something that didn't work or caused a reaction)
- Supplements — glucosamine, lysine, probiotics, fish oil — anything you give regularly
- Known adverse reactions — even mild ones. If a medication caused vomiting, lethargy, or appetite loss, that belongs in the record permanently
This section is life-or-death in an emergency. An ER vet making decisions at 2 a.m. needs to know what your cat is already taking before adding anything new. Drug interactions in cats are real and sometimes dangerous.
5. Diagnoses and chronic conditions: the long view
Cats who live past 10 often accumulate diagnoses: chronic kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes, arthritis. Each one affects treatment decisions for the others. A complete record should include:
- Each diagnosis — the condition name, date diagnosed, and diagnosing vet
- Staging or grading — for kidney disease (IRIS stage), heart disease (murmur grade), or cancer
- Treatment plan — what was recommended and what's actually being done
- Monitoring schedule — how often blood work or imaging should be repeated
If your cat has been diagnosed with anything chronic, ask your vet: "Is this documented in a way that another vet could pick up where you left off?" If the answer is uncertain, that's a gap worth closing now.
6. Emergency information: ready in minutes, not hours
The moment you need your cat's records most urgently is also the moment you're least capable of calmly assembling them. Check that your record includes:
- Emergency vet contact — the nearest 24-hour emergency hospital, with phone number and address
- Primary vet contact — name, phone, after-hours protocol
- Your emergency contacts — who can make medical decisions for your cat if you're unreachable?
- Pet sitter or co-owner access — can someone else access the health record if you're traveling, hospitalized, or otherwise unavailable?
- Allergies and adverse reactions — prominently noted, not buried in visit notes from three years ago
Voocie's emergency card puts all of this on a single shareable link — no app download required for the person you share it with. Your pet sitter, your partner, your parents watching the cat while you travel: one link, full record access.
The 15-minute audit
Here's the whole checklist in one pass. Go through it with your cat's record open:
| Section | Check | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Vaccines | Rabies current? FVRCP current? FeLV if applicable? | ☐ |
| Vaccines | Next-due dates noted for each vaccine? | ☐ |
| Lab work | This year's CBC + chemistry on file (not just memory)? | ☐ |
| Lab work | Thyroid (T4) if cat is 7+? | ☐ |
| Lab work | FeLV/FIV test result on file? | ☐ |
| Dental | Last professional cleaning date documented? | ☐ |
| Dental | Extractions and X-ray records present? | ☐ |
| Medications | Current med list accurate (dose, frequency, start date)? | ☐ |
| Medications | Adverse reactions noted? | ☐ |
| Diagnoses | Chronic conditions listed with date and staging? | ☐ |
| Emergency | Emergency vet and primary vet contacts current? | ☐ |
| Emergency | Someone else can access this record if needed? | ☐ |
If you checked every box, your cat's record is in better shape than most. If you found gaps, you now know exactly what to ask for at the next vet visit — or what to track down from a previous clinic.
FAQ
What vaccines should be in my cat's health record?
A complete cat health record includes current rabies vaccination (required by law in most states), FVRCP (the core combo vaccine covering rhinotracheitis, calicivirus, and panleukopenia), and FeLV (feline leukemia) if your cat goes outdoors or lives with other cats. Each entry should show the date given, manufacturer and lot number, and the next due date.
How often should my cat have blood work done?
Most veterinarians recommend annual blood work (CBC + chemistry) for adult cats, and every six months for cats over 10. Senior cats benefit from more frequent monitoring because kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, and diabetes are common in older cats and are caught earlier through lab value trends. Talk to your vet about the right schedule for your cat.
What dental records should I keep for my cat?
Keep records of every professional dental cleaning (including pre-anesthesia blood work), any extractions (which teeth and why), dental X-ray results, and vet notes about gum health at wellness exams. Dental disease affects most cats over 4, and tracking it prevents painful surprises.
Why does it matter if my cat's health record is complete?
A complete record lets your vet see trends (weight changes, lab value shifts, recurring issues), lets boarding facilities verify vaccinations without phone calls, and gives an emergency vet your cat's full medication and allergy history in minutes instead of hours. Incomplete records lead to repeated tests, delayed care, and higher costs.
How can I consolidate my cat's records from multiple vets?
Create your cat's record in Voocie and give each vet your cat's private Voocie email address. When a clinic emails a visit summary or lab result to that address, the record files itself. For older records from previous clinics, upload PDFs or photos — Voocie parses and organizes them into your cat's timeline.