The thought of taking your cat to the vets can be a stressful time. This might be because you’re worried about their health or you’re worried about how they are going to react to the whole experience. Every cat is different. Some cats don’t mind being taken to the vets whilst others it is a stressful time. Some cats don’t show their stress whilst others really do and they all show it in different ways. So how do veterinary professionals try to make them feel at home?
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Check out the practice
It’s always worth doing some research before you attend the practice. Often practices will display on their website if they are members of the ISFM Cat Friendly Clinic scheme. If they do it means they have measures in place to help reduce stress. (Although of course many practices who aren’t signed up do too!). Let’s have a look at how we as owners can reduce stress for our cats and ourselves when preparing to take our cats to the vets. And look at how your veterinary practice can help reduce the stress for your cat.
The cat carrier
For some owners this is the first hurdle we need to complete, the dreaded cat carrier. Some owners may have a technique to get their cat in the carrier whilst others don’t have a problem and the cat just walks on in. If this is a stressful time, then try and plan it well. If your cat goes into hiding when you bring the carrier out, then try to get them used to it, way before you need to use it. Leave the carrier out in the house so your cat is used to it being around. Try feeding around the carrier, put treats and a nice soft bed or blanket in there. This just makes it more inviting and if they’re having food in there then hopefully they won’t see it as a bad experience. Hopefully then seeing the cat carrier out isn’t such a bad thing.
Try using products like Pet Remedy or Feliway, which come as a spray or plug in for the house. These products are designed to help relax and keep cats and dog’s calm. Pet Remedy releases a herbal essence which most pets like, then it triggers their calming mechanisms. Feliway, meanwhile, releases a specific feline pheromone that encourages relaxation and calmness. They don’t work for every animal but it’s worth a try, spraying it on bedding, blankets or around the environment could help. Most veterinary practices these days do use it and I have seen some great results with it.
Once you have achieved the first hurdle of getting your cat in the carrier, stress free, then we need to make sure it is secure
One way to make sure your cat feels at ease (or at least try to reduce any more stress) is using a blanket or towel over the carrier. I can imagine it is quite scary being put into a carrier then lifted and swung around with no escape. Using a towel will block out anything your cat can see whilst transporting them.
The travelling
Once your cat is in a secure carrier we then have to think about how well they travel. We can again try using the Pet Remedy or Feliway spray in the car to see if that helps. Keep your cat in a secure place in the car; a place where they’re not going to be sliding around when you turn a corner. Keep the car quiet, no loud music. I always think another big thing also is to never open the cat carrier, the last thing you need is a loose cat!
We have arrived
I think it’s always worth looking on your vet’s website or asking when you make the appointment, “do you have a cat waiting area?”. If you find this out at least you know where to go once there. When walking into reception this is definitely the time to keep the towel over your cat’s carrier. They may have to walk past some scary big dogs, no doubt they will hear barking dogs but it is better when they can’t see them. Keep them covered at all times.
Cats don’t like being left on the floor; they feel quite vulnerable. Often in cat waiting areas there will be a designated seat for your carrier which allows them to be off the floor. Use this! Some vets may also supply a towel that you can place over your carrier if you haven’t already done so. I would also say never leave your carrier on the floor whilst talking to the receptionist; a dog could easily walk by and have a good sniff at the carrier. This is never a nice experience for the cat trapped inside while (in their eyes) a large predator sniffs them.
Seeing the vet
Many vet practices now have a cat only consult room. This helps reduce stress because they can’t smell any other animals like dogs and it is often at the quieter end of the consult rooms. Often the vets will have a cat friendly advocate, which means someone who has completed a ISFM cat friendly course – their role is to encourage and promote correct handling and restraint to again minimise stress. When it is time to get your cat out the carrier, place your towel on the table. Often some vets may supply a towel that they have sprayed with Pet Remedy or Feliway that can be placed on the table.
Correct handling is to NEVER open the door and haul your poor cat out! Once in the consult room and the doors are shut, the vet will then allow you to open the carrier and while you have a chat about your cat’s health see if your cat will wander out of the carrier by themselves. It is not helpful to open the door and drag/pull your cat out, this creates unnecessary stress. If they don’t want to come out by themselves then I would undo the whole carrier and lift them out the top.
When the vet examines your cat they will often prod and poke around them, some cats are fine with this whilst others don’t like it. Sometimes extra help is needed by a nurse to help hold them. This is fine if they have to do this, this is what the nurses are on standby for.
What if my cat has to stay at the vets
Most practices these days have cat friendly wards. This means that any cats that are hospitalised are kept in a different area to dogs. These areas are often quiet, have minimal activity and are therefore relatively calm and low-stress. In practice there are measures we take to help cats stay calm and stress free. These are;
Having a quiet cattery
Noise can distress cats, keeping any noise to a minimum is ideal, this is another reason why they need to be away from dogs as they are often noisy. Playing cat friendly music, has also been found to be ideal.
Having kennels that don’t face each other
Cats don’t want to be looking at other cats they aren’t very social animals, so having a kennel set up where they can’t see each other is ideal.
Providing hidey holes
Often cats like to hide, or bury themselves under a blanket. The cattery at my practice uses foot stools as hidey holes. We place them at the back of the kennel, place a blanket over them then the cat can decide on if they wish to hide or sit on top of them. Any cat that is nervous can now hide away from the world.
Suitable bedding
Vet bedding is always the first option, but blankets can also be put in if they like to hide.
Pet Remedy or Feliway plug ins
The Pet Remedy is always up and running in our cattery, to try and create a relaxing smell in there for cats.
The kennels are never placed on the ground
The kennels are either at waist height or eye level as cats don’t like being low on the ground. They should also ideally not have a metal bar door. These are often nosey when you shut them. Having a thick plastic door is ideal, it just helps them feel safe, blocks out some sounds and prevents the spread of any diseases and at the same time does allow them to see out. They’re also a lot easier to keep clean!
Correct handling and restraint
Some cats are quite happy to be handled whilst some others can be quite feisty. Often cats aren’t going to be happy about being prodded and poked who would be! They don’t understand it is for their own good after all. Cat friendly practices especially try to always practice correct handling techniques to help keep cats calm, but we’re increasingly seeing this across all clinics. This involves no scruffing, approaching cats slowly, giving them plenty of fuss, using pheromones. If they are a bit feisty and need more restraint, then measures like using towels to protect us from those sharp nails can be used and it doesn’t cause much stress. If handling is too stressful there is always another day to try again.
When cats stay in the hospital they are never left alone, there will always be a kennel nurse who is looking after them so never worry if your cat has to stay in. Often any cats that are quite stressed and anxious won’t be kept in any longer than needed.
Conclusion
So, the stress starts at home with the carrier, the transporting, but as vets and nurses and owners there are measures we can take to help reduce stress. If your cat gets very stressed and anxious about the whole experience, then do talk to your vet. They are there to provide advice. Some cats are much better with some sedation before they come into the practice which you can give at home, this is if they are very stressed and really do need to come in, not every stressed cat needs this. Your vet can discuss this with you.
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