Hand over the full clinical history
A Domestic Shorthair changing vets needs her whole clinical history to travel with her. Hand over the vaccination record, notes from past examinations, and summaries of any illness, injury, dental work, or procedure she has had. Include test results the previous clinic holds, and mention past concerns even if they settled without treatment, because a pattern across years tells a new clinician more than a single snapshot. Ask the previous clinic to forward the file directly, but carry your own copy to the first appointment, since a delayed transfer should never leave the new vet working blind.
Add a photograph and a plain description
A Domestic Shorthair has no breed standard, so identity in her file rests on a good description. Include a recent photograph and write down her colour, markings, build, and any distinguishing feature, such as a nicked ear, a kinked tail, or an unusual patch. Note her typical weight and whether she is indoor-only or goes outside, since those facts shape how a new vet reads her condition and her risk of picking up injuries or parasites. A clear description also protects her if she is ever lost, because the clinic file then matches the cat a finder describes.
Include feeding and everyday routine notes
Add the everyday details that clinical notes omit. Write down the name of the food she eats, her feeding times, and whether she is a grazer or a cat who finishes meals at once. Note how she behaves at the vet, whether she hides, freezes, or objects to being handled, because a new team can then plan a calmer first visit. Domestic Shorthairs vary enormously in temperament, from bold to deeply shy, so a sentence about her personality is genuinely useful information rather than small talk. Put your current phone number and her microchip number on the same sheet.
Put the questions you are carrying on the record
Use the handover to record what you have been noticing at home. List any change in appetite, litter habits, energy, coat condition, or behaviour, with a rough note of when each change began. Present the timeline and let the new vet decide what it means, rather than arriving with a conclusion. Ask what the clinic wants you to watch between visits, and write the answer into your copy of her file before you leave. That turns the first appointment into a shared plan instead of a one-off examination.
Leave with your own copy fully up to date
Before leaving, confirm the new clinic's file holds the history, the photograph and description, the feeding sheet, and your current contact details, and take home a summary of the visit to add to your copy. A complete owner-held copy means an emergency clinic, a sitter, or a boarder can be briefed accurately at any hour. KinsLe makes that copy easy to keep, because a Domestic Shorthair's Pet Passport in KinsLe gathers her records into one portable packet that follows her from clinic to clinic.