Taking my senior cat to the vet twice a year

I've been seeing my vet every six months for my senior cats for a while now, but I'm starting to wonder if that's overkill. My 4-year-old DSH Kettle is actually the one I'm worried about because he keeps getting ear mite issues and I want to make sure nothing else is going on. But is twice a year really necessary if they aren't showing obvious symptoms? I feel like I'm burning money on exams that might not find anything new.

I think it is necessary. My Willow is 11 and we do go twice a year. It’s not just about the current symptoms. It is about catching the things that don’t announce themselves until it is too late. I remember reading in Routine check-ups for cats over ten that the decline can be very slow. If you wait for the obvious signs, you have already lost a window of opportunity. The peace of mind is worth the cost, even if the results are normal.

Sparrow is right about the peace of mind, but let's be real about the wallet. I have an 8-year-old mix and a 3-year-old white cat. I only go once a year unless something happens. I saw a thread in Is it safe to skip the second visit if they seem fine? that argued for annual visits for healthy seniors. My vet said my older cat was fine, so why pay for a second exam? I save that money for when things actually go wrong, like when Puff had those hairball issues last month.

I get both sides. My Siamese is 5 so she's not technically a senior yet, but I do blood work annually. I found a thread in Blood work recommendations for seniors that said even at 5, you should start monitoring kidney values because cats hide illness so well. I think once a year is the minimum, but if you have a cat with a history like Kettle's ear problems, twice might be better. Maybe you could ask your vet if you can just do the blood work at the second visit instead of a full physical exam? That might save some cash.