How to Survive Getting Your Cat to the Vet
They’re sweet, they’re soft, they sit on your lap while you watch TV, and they pretty much take care of themselves. That is why cats actually outnumber dogs as America’s favorite pet. But try to get your cat to the vet, and sometimes you have a small, fuzzy devil on your hands.
Veterinarians know that a lot of cats rarely get a physical exam more than a couple times throughout life. Often, it has to do with the raw fear of getting them to the vet and back. Cat parents get about as traumatized with transporting a cat as the cats do, and with good reason. However, cats are much better at hiding illness than dogs are, and sometimes can be extremely ill by the time you get over your personal fear of getting them to the vet. Regular checkups are exceedingly important for cats.
Cats Simply Hate Being Shoved in a Carrier Face First.
Most cat parents get ‘carrier etiquette’ all wrong for a few reasons: carrier do not come with instructions and the design of carriers make it seem intuitive to shove the cat in face first. I mean, there’s the door… and there’s the cat. It makes sense to place them in like a torpedo in a tube. The better way is to put the carrier vertical, and lower the cat in feet first. They don’t freak out as much they don't see where their bodies are going. Another way is buying carriers with easy to remove tops . Remove the top and simply set the cat in and replace the top. And finally, try to make your pet carrier more than the ‘tiny scary box.’ If you can, leave your carrier out in your cat’s general living space with comfortable blankets and adding treats every once in a while for them to find can be helpful in making the carrier a safe place to be instead of the carrier of doom.
Get Kittens Used to Riding in Cars
Kittens that travel well grow up to be cats that travel well. So pack up your kitten a couple times a week and ride them around. The car can be part of their natural environment, if they experience it enough. Better yet, bring them into your pet hospital for a “happy visit”. A happy visit is for the staff to pet them, let them explore an exam room, get treats or tasty food, and nothing medical happens to them. Admittedly, puppies are more often used to traveling around with us than kittens, but a good traveling cat can be a wonderful thing.
Cat Pheromones Help a Lot
comforting smells. These pheromones can make the ride in the car more agreeable. Our favorite is Feliway spray into the carrier and car about 10-15 minutes before placing the cat inside. Waiting a short period is important to allow any strong smell to dissipate. Our cat exam room has a Feliway diffuser with this pheromone permeating the room to help our cat patients feel more calm.
Talk to Your Vet
Sometimes, even with more knowledge and effort, some cats are still stressed out. Veterinarians understand the struggle that cat owners face in getting them into our office. We also may be able to prescribe your cat a “happy pill”. We have been using a medication called gabapentin with great success. If you can give your cat a pill a couple hours before their visit (it’s not a sedative, but an anti-anxiety medication), and it often helps a lot. If gabapentin is not enough to take the fear away and a patient is too upset for a proper examination, we can offer a “sedation exam” where a patient is given a little anesthetic gas to help relax them so proper samples can be taken and they are awake and back to normal within minutes (not hours like injectable or oral sedatives may be).
Blue Oasis Pet Hospital loves seeing cats live long and healthy lives! Schedule your cat’s appointment today if they have not been seen by a vet in over a year.