What Is Your Cat Like At The Vet?

[Frank123]

I'm just curious as to how your cat(s) behave at the vet. I'm not talking about emergencies or urgent visits when the cat may be in distress, but rather routine visits.
A few weeks ago I took my cat to the vet for a general wellness exam. I had taken her a few times when she was a kitten for exams, tests, vaccinations, and to be spayed. She was always well behaved and calm on all occasions and in fact during one visit, one of the staff members commented how she was the best behaved cat they had all morning.
However, with the last visit I was concerned because now she is a full grown adult and might put up more of a fight now. Also the fact that she has a fear of strangers, I wasn't sure how she would react to strangers poking and prodding her and sticking needles into her.
All that concern turned out to be unfounded. She did put up a struggle when I put her in the carrier. Once she was in she started crying and clawing at the front gate to get out. However, after a few minutes in the car she finally calmed down.
At the vet she remained calm and still while the vet and her assistant examed her.
And she didn't even react when the vet gave her two injections and drew blood from her.
Even the vet noticed how calm she was and said that how they usually have to deal with angry cats when giving injections.
So I'm curious to hear stories about your cats.

 

[vince]

Mine sound like yours: The ride to and from the vet's is the bad part. All of them seem to be very calm in the office. They don't even cry when receiving an injection, although my newest, a six week-old, put up a fuss having her nails clipped (I don't trust myself clipping those tiny nails).

I have had a hiss or two from the others on returning home, which I attribute to non-recognition. That wears off in 45 minutes or so.

 

[Kieka]

The ride is always the worst part. The boys are fairly easy to get in carriers, Rocket thinks I am trying to kill her. All the cats meow the entire way to the vet and are quiet on the way home.

Nightfury is a perfect angel as long as his human, my Mom, is there. If she is not there he is nearly impossible to handle. The one time I took him without her he clawed me and climbed to the top of the cabinet in the office.

Link is generally a good boy as long as I am there. He will let the vet poke and prod him to a point. Then he will slam his tail on the table in warning. My vet usually listens and gives him a break. The few who don't get a bite for their lack of attention. He will usually listen to me and settle if the vet needs to push him past comfort. Link acts completely confident and relaxed at the vet but I can feel him shake so it is more an act. He usually walks around the office with mild curiosity and will go easily back into the carrier when it's time to leave.

Rocket becomes an "armpit kitty" a very tight little ball of fluff. She doesn't react to any poke or prod from the vet and fights moving out of the ball. At first she curla up in my arm, hiding under my hand, but usually at some point she will jump back onto the floor and try to get in the carrier.

 

[LTS3]

Both cats are more or less calm for the vet. There may be some hissing while the vet is squeezing their bellies or giving an injection, Leroy more than Emma. At the most recent visit a few weeks ago, Leroy made himself right at home on the scale. He lay there for a good 10 minutes while the vet tech went to get the vet. He didn't like it when the vet took him off Then he got comfy on the exam table while it was Emma's turn to be examined. Usually Leroy examines the exam room, poking his nose everywhere. One time he explored the sink. The faucet has one of those sensors. Leroy triggered the sensor and fled when water came out

 

[Lari]

Once I get my girl into the carrier she freezes, which means she's really quiet and compliant in the car and at the vet.

I hear my bf's cat is more of a fighter, but I've never taken her to the vet so I don't have eyewitness testimony.

 

[Erin80]

They're both ok. They meow some on the way, but hardly at all on the way home. Binx doesn't like needles...he knows what they are (he had a rough beginning of life and is familiar with needle pokes unfortunately), so he jumps as soon as the vet comes near him with a needle and we need a vet tech to help hold him (he doesn't get aggressive, just tries hard to get away). Other than that, they're both good.

 

[DreamerRose]

Both of mine go into the carrier with no problem. Once at the vet, it's different. Lily is calm and alert, but Mingo turns into dervish once the vet comes in. A vet handled him very roughly when he was about a year old, and he's never been the same since. He hisses, swats, attacks the vet. The only way they can examine him is to sedate him, and that costs $200, so I usually skip that and they give him his shots in the carrier.

Mingo doesn't forget people he doesn't like. My son Paul picked him up, flipped him over, and cradled him like a baby the first time they met. Mingo hates that and has attacked Paul ever since when Paul is around.

 

[molly92]

Wendy lets everyone in the building know she is here and not happy when we walk in! Very loud and insistent meow! She's very good once we're in the room. She purrs a lot to calm herself down, but you can tell she's scared because the fur starts flying off. She is arthritic so she'll give a squeak when she's moved around the wrong way, but overall very compliant. She just had her blood pressure taken and they commented that most cats really hate the cuff but Wendy was very patient with it. But her purring was so heavy that it kept messing up!

My other cat Delilah does the most pathetic little "mew!" I don't think she's quite as compliant as Wendy, but still pretty good. She doesn't usually bite strangers, just me! As soon as she gets the chance she tries to climb through the whole in the cabinet that's for the trash can, which she would never fit through, but she tries. She's also a nervous shedder. My vet is very good about using Feliway on everything, but I still always have to change shirts after a vet trip!

 

[goingpostal]

My one cat is pretty well behaved, she's very people friendly though. She hates car rides and hides motionless in the carrier or under a seat the whole way though. The Bengal loves the car and the vet didn't expect her to be overly well behaved lol, none of the Bengals they deal with are apparently. They are cat friendly and exotic animal/wildlife also so not an issue to them either way. She's only been there once and it was soon after I got her so we didn't have a bond yet and as she needed a spay and microchip anyways, they just opted to do all her exams while she was unconscious. Next year will be the real test.

 

[bodester413]

Bodhi is hard to get into the carrier and doesn't like the car ride there. Once he's in the exam room he just seems scared more than anything. He'll hide behind me on the bench in the exam room which just breaks my heart. He doesn't struggle too bad with the exam. I'll usually help hold him while they do the exam and give his shots.

The last few exams I've had the vet come here to the house. Those times he seemed upset that someone would come here and invade his territory. I didn't tell the vet but I think if it went on a much longer and he escaped the techs grasp we would have all been taken out within about 5 seconds.

 

[Gizmobius]

Both of them squirm and struggle and resist like crazy when it comes to getting in their carriers and, as mostly everyone else said, they scream a very loud duet the whole car ride there. Once we're in the room and the can leave their carriers, it's much better. Stevie is the curious one and she likes to explore the room and smell everything. Gizmo is a little more apprehensive. He'll explore a little bit but mostly likes to just stay in his carrier. Mine has an extender part that I put down for her him he can feel like he's "hiding" more.

Although one time Stevie did give the vet and assistant some sassy growls when she was getting her last vaccine. Although she does that to me when I clip her nails so I know she's just all talk.

 

[MonaLyssa33]

Maisie freaks out. She knocked a bunch of stuff off some shelves trying to climb to the top when I took her to the vet. Remy also freaks out, but he's a little more subdued. When I would bring my old cat to the vet she'd have to be sedated to even be looked at. My parents' cat, Kirby, purrs at the vet. He's the sweetest cat to ever exist though.

 

[BlueJay]

My kitten is super curious at the vet and wants to check it all out. She is happy to meet new people, but doesn't appreciate having her temp taken in her butt or things with needles. She does pretty well overall. We are working on car adjusting, she sometimes curls up and falls asleep now.

 

[jcat]

Mowgli wails in the car - also on the way home - and whines if he's in the waiting room more than 2 or 3 minutes. However, he's an absolute angel with the vet, actually stretching out on the examination table and relaxing. Our last cat was known as "the cat from hell" at the vets' office, which says it all. The vet techs refused to be in the same room. He was very difficult to get into a carrier; it normally took two of us up to half an hour. I can simply pick Mowgli up and plop him in.

I take a lot of shelter animals to the vets', and it's hard to predict how they're going to react the first time. A biter/scratcher might be perfectly docile, while a usually friendly, cuddly animal goes beserk.

 

[LisaT.]

Theo is really well-behaved when he goes to the vet. It's not too difficult to get him into the carrier, and he's great on the drive there too. He always wants to explore once he's in the patient room.
Windy hates the carrier. We've had to cancel appts and reschedule because I haven't been able to get her into it. She's pretty quiet on the drive there, and once in the room, she's pretty good. I think that's because of fright. My little girl doesn't like going to the vet!

 

[Elphaba09]

Being at the vet is not a problem for any of our cats Getting to the vet is another story! Our vet is about half an hour away, and some handle it better than others. Taking them one at a time is not as easy as two or three at once. They just do better when they have a friend or two.

Going from oldest to youngest:
Simon acts as if you have betrayed him in the deepest way possible. He does this sort of honking noise every once in a while and glares. On the way home, he typically sleeps and occasionally honks and glares just to remind you that you are the worst.

Evangeline is a sweetie-pie who is partially deaf and rather skittish. She cries the whole way there, curls up in a ball at the vets, and then cries all the way home. We tell her that we are not returning her to the wild with the coyotes, but it does not help.

Tara has an almost silent, warbling cry that has a high pitch to it. We swear she has a dog whistle stuck in her throat. Haha! She also has a crazy stare. If you do not look at her, you can almost forget that she hates you for taking her to the vet.

Estella is a smart, loud cat. We have cloth carriers because they are easier for me to handle. We have to lock the zippers with a small padlock because she once got out of the carrier four times on the way to the vet. I was driving down the highway when my upset cat escaped four flipping times! I had to pull over, get her, and then put her back into the carrier. Our vet gave me some string to tie the zippers together. It held her, but, by the time we were close to our house, she had the string off and was working on the zippers.

Astrid, Estella's sister, is loud and vocal. The sound of her cries is almost enough to make me speed!

Willow makes some noise but is one of the best behaved at all times. She is our smallest adult cat, weighing in at 6.6 lbs. She cries a little to start, but it ends pretty quickly. If my (soon-to-be) daughter-in-law comes with me, Willow is perfectly happy.

Fennimore, Willow's brother, is the best behaved for just about everything because he is exceptionally laid back. (He is an 18 lbs lovey.) Yesterday did not fit his typical behavior. Fennimore sometimes licks all the fur off his belly, which, as we all know, can cause digestive issues. He has not been feeling well and is behaving rather sluggishly, warranting a vet visit. He was just sort of lying there, but, at one point, he uncharacteristically started getting loud. Then he peed all over. The poor vet got a pee covered tail in her face when she weighed him.

Freya is a beast. Getting her into the carrier, driving down the road with her, getting into the vets, having her examined, and then repeating the process to get home makes me want to up my accidental death insurance. She is a small 7 lbs beast with the face of an angel. (At home, she is a bit stand-offish but she is a sweetie when she wants to be.)

Silas likes to be in the carrier; however, he wants to look out the window. Obviously, I am not going to endanger him, myself, and others by driving down the road while holding my cat when there is a perfectly good carrier, so when we get to the vet, I take him out and let him look around before putting him back into his carrier. He just has a kitten cry now for when he does cry.

 

[Elphaba09]

This, by the way, is the hell-beast Freya. Look at how ferocious she is! (We have to hold her paws up and at arm's length to trim her claws.)

 

[yo0123yo]

I'm just curious as to how your cat(s) behave at the vet. I'm not talking about emergencies or urgent visits when the cat may be in distress, but rather routine visits.
A few weeks ago I took my cat to the vet for a general wellness exam. I had taken her a few times when she was a kitten for exams, tests, vaccinations, and to be spayed. She was always well behaved and calm on all occasions and in fact during one visit, one of the staff members commented how she was the best behaved cat they had all morning.
However, with the last visit I was concerned because now she is a full grown adult and might put up more of a fight now. Also the fact that she has a fear of strangers, I wasn't sure how she would react to strangers poking and prodding her and sticking needles into her.
All that concern turned out to be unfounded. She did put up a struggle when I put her in the carrier. Once she was in she started crying and clawing at the front gate to get out. However, after a few minutes in the car she finally calmed down.
At the vet she remained calm and still while the vet and her assistant examed her.
And she didn't even react when the vet gave her two injections and drew blood from her.
Even the vet noticed how calm she was and said that how they usually have to deal with angry cats when giving injections.
So I'm curious to hear stories about your cats.

It's absolutely a day that I dread when it's time to take my to the vet. As soon as she sees her crate, she knows what time it is right away and will run away from us because she doesn't want to go so usually what my father does is get a clean and soft pillowcase and he grabs her and gently puts her in the pillowcase, which is absolutely not dangerous at all, then we proceed and gently, safely lower the pillowcase with Kitty into the crate and we close the crate. She is so irritated on the car drive there that she's meowing loudly non-stop and clawing at the steel cage door of her crate that, at times, her nails actually begin to bleed from her attempting to pull or push it open.

To answer your question, once we get to the vet, sign in, and have a seat to wait to be called, she's all the way in the back of her crate and asleep. We used to use the good ol' throw treats or a toy in the crate and trap her as she goes in for it but she caught on to that, haha. But yes, going to the vet with my cat is a day I absolutely dread and do not look forward to. Haha sorry for the long post!! Have a blessed day, everyone!

 

[wombat]

My cat is always well behaved on the way to the vet- he just chills in his carrier like it's nothing. He's very well behaved at the vet's too- but usually halfway he gets scared and starts shivering. Poor thing!

 

[basscat]

He hates the Vet. So much so that he has put the fear of God in the staff.
To explain: The last time I left the vet, I was walking to the truck and heard a 2500lb bull out back, in squeeze pen, throwing a fit. Sounded like they had learned to harness weather and had a tornado penned up back there.
That doesn't really bother them, but, they are terrified of that cat.