Bringing Your Cat to the Vet

Every cat owner knows the stress of having to take your cat to the vet. You can probably picture it now, you bring out the carrier and your cat suddenly disappears. Once you finally find him, you end up on your hands and knees, dragging him out from under the bed as he struggles against you. When you finally manage to get him into the carrier, it’s non-stop yowling until you get to the vet. Even worse, your cat is so stressed out he urinates, defecates, and vomits in his carrier. What if I told you it didn’t have to be this way?

The most frequent appointment cancellation phone call that your veterinary office receives is “I can’t catch my cat, I’ll have to reschedule”. I assure you, taking your cat to the vet does not have to be a stressful experience for anyone. With some time, training, supplements, and maybe even medications, this could be a stress-free adventure. I know I sound crazy to some of you, but hear me out. 

1. Make sure you have an appropriately sized carrier for your cat. All too often large and overweight cats are crammed into a carrier that is only appropriate for small cats and kittens. Your cat should have room to turn around in the carrier. 
2. Pick a carrier that is easy to open. This is especially important for your veterinary staff. If your carrier has a bunch of bolts that need to be unscrewed just to take the top off the carrier, this is going to prolong the veterinary visit and stress out your cat even more if he refuses to walk out of the carrier on his own. 
3. Schedule a morning appointment or an appointment closer to your cats usual meal time. Do not feed them or just reduce their food prior to their appointment. You can then toss some treats or food into the carrier to encourage them to walk into the carrier on their own. You can also practice this at home. Randomly toss some treats into the carrier and let your cat walk in for a snack without closing the door. If your cat puts up a fight going into the carrier and it may put you in danger to put him in the carrier, then it’s advised to feed him in his carrier every day. Regardless of if you have a vet appointment or not. A cat who eats in his carrier, will no longer be afraid of the carrier and will enter the carrier happily when it’s time to go to the vet.
4. Utilize calming supplements. There are various feline calming supplement on the market today. I highly recommend placing a blanket inside the carrier and misting it with Feliway. Then mist a towel with Feliway and place it over top of the carrier to create a dark hideaway space for your cat. Vetriscience Compsure treats can also works wonders. Give 1-2 treats approximately 30 minutes prior to your veterinary appointment. This supplement includes L-Theanine, Thiamine, and Colostrum which all have a calming effect on cats. 
5. If your cat is aggressive and scary at the vet, please call your veterinary staff at least a week in advance and request sedatives. Every stressful vet visit creates lasting memories with our pets and puts you and the veterinary staff at risk. You do not want your vet staff to have to put on the cat gloves and force your pet to stay in place while they get vaccinated. You also don’t want the vet staff to not be able to handle your cat for necessary procedures and treatments when they are ill. Trying to get xrays or bloodwork from a fractious cat that is not sedated is simply not going to happen, and that cat will suffer because of it. Also, cat bites lead to serious infections, sometimes even requiring hospitalization. So why not help your cat relax and stay calm for the safety of everyone involved? Know that when you request sedatives to give at home, your vet will either prescribe a pill, liquid, or capsule. These medications are not going to “put your cat out”. Your cat will still be awake and alert, just calmer and quieter. Alert your veterinarian if the medication given did not work, they may be able to increase the dose or add an additional medication. 

Please note that not every cat is the same. You may even need to utilize all of these tips to create some calm for veterinary visits. I do recommend you work on tips 1-4, prior to resorting to tip 5. Some cats just need a little extra comfort and sedatives aren’t necessary.

And for the love of your cat, never bring your cat to the vet without a carrier. Cats loose in the car can get under your feet and cause a car accident or they could escape out of your car door in the vets parking lot only to be lost forever. Cats loose and on leashes inside the veterinary waiting room is another disaster waiting to happen. Not every dog is cat friendly and not every cat is comfortable with dogs barking. Your cat could easily be injured or killed by a cat-aggressive dog or by escaping out the door when another client comes in. Be responsible, and keep your cat in a carrier at the vet.

On that note, have a wonderful Memorial Day.

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