The kennel asks for proof of vaccination, the new vet asks when the last booster was, and the answer is on a card in a drawer somewhere. If you write each vaccine down when it happens, with the date it's due again, you never have to dig. This guide walks through what's worth keeping for each pet, then how to keep it with Pet Cat, our pet records app for iPhone.
What to keep for each vaccine
A useful vaccine record is short:
- What it was: the name as it's written on the certificate or the vet's card.
- When it was given: the real date, even if that was last year.
- Who gave it: the vet or clinic, and their phone number if you'll need it again.
- When it's due again: the date your vet gave you, if there is one.
- Anything else on the card: a batch number, the pet's weight that day, a note.
Which vaccines your pet needs, and how often, is your vet's call. Pet Cat doesn't suggest a schedule or give health advice; it keeps the records and the dates you set.
Add your pet
Tap Add your first pet, or + (Add pet) once you have one. A name is all it takes. You can also add a photo, what kind of animal they are, a birthday, a Microchip number and notes (food, medicines, habits). Tap Add, and the pet appears on Home. You can change any of it later from the ⋯ menu on the pet's page.
Write down each vaccine
- Open your pet's page and tap + (Add record).
- Pick the kind: Vaccine, Vet visit, Medicine or Other.
- Type the name as it's on the certificate, and set the Date it was given. Past dates are fine, so you can add last year's vaccines from the old card.
- Add the vet. Type it in Vet or clinic (optional). Any vet works, and each record keeps its own, so a clinic you used on holiday is fine too. Vets you've typed before show up as buttons to tap.
- Turn on Due again and set the date it's due. The 1 month, 6 months, 1 year and 3 years buttons count from the record's date, not from today. They're shortcuts, not advice: use the date your vet gave you.
- Add notes if you like: batch number, weight, anything else.
- Tap Save.
If you change a record's date after setting a due date, the due date moves with it, and the app tells you so under the due date. Records are listed newest first on the pet's page. Tap one to correct it, or to delete it.
See what's coming up
Home opens on Coming up: anything due in the next 30 days, or already late, for every pet. Each line says how long is left ("Due in 12 days", "Due tomorrow") or how late it is ("3 days late"). When nothing is due, it says Nothing due in the next 30 days.
When the vet has done it again, tap the ✓ next to it. That writes a new record for today, with the same vet, and sets the next due date the same distance ahead as last time. On the pet's page, the Due section has the same ✓, and you can also swipe a line and tap Done today. Got the date wrong? Tap the new record to change it.
Get a reminder the morning it's due
Pet Cat sends one notification on mornings when something's due, for all your pets together, and nothing on the other days. It's on to start with. To change the hour, or turn it off, open Settings and use Morning reminder and At. The app asks for permission to send notifications once something is due in the next 30 days, not when you first open it.
Going away? Print a sitter sheet
Tap Sitter sheet on Home. Set From and how many days you're away, pick Letter or A4, and fill in If something's wrong, call. The vets your pets have seen are listed, so you can add each one's phone number, plus a note for the sitter. The sheet shows each pet's notes exactly as you wrote them, and lists anything due while you're away with a box to tick. Then tap Print or Share to send it as a PDF.
Keep the paper certificate too
Some places want to see the vet's own certificate. With Pet Cat Pro you can add a photo of it to the record (see below). If you'd rather keep a PDF of every paper you get from the vet, our guide on how to scan documents on iPhone shows how.
What it costs
Pets, vaccines, vet visits, medicines, due dates, morning reminders and the sitter sheet with Print and Share are free, with no limit on pets or records, no ads and no account. Pet Cat Pro is an optional one-time purchase that adds three things:
- Document photos: add photos of a vaccine certificate or a vet's invoice to any record, from the camera or your photos.
- Full history PDF: a pet's whole history in one PDF, for a new vet, a kennel or your own files. It's in the ⋯ menu on the pet's page.
- Your own sitter lines: add lines like the Wi-Fi or bin day to the sitter sheet.
More on the Pet Cat page.
Every pet, record and photo is kept on your device and in your own backups unless you share it. There's no account, so there's nothing to sign in to.
Quick answers
Can I add vaccines my pet had before I got the app?
Yes. Set the record's date to when it was given. The due-date buttons count from that date, not from today.
Does Pet Cat tell me which vaccines my pet needs?
No. It keeps the records and the due dates you set. Ask your vet what your pet needs and when.
Can I keep records for more than one pet?
Yes. There's no limit on pets or records, and Coming up shows every pet in one list.
What if we use more than one vet?
That's fine. Each record keeps its own vet, and you can add any vet's phone number on the sitter sheet.
Can I give a new vet my pet's history?
With Pet Cat Pro, make the full history PDF from the pet's page, then print it or share it.
Try Pet Cat
Try Pet Cat: free, no ads, no sign-up → iyio.com/apps/pet-cat