Angel at home, she-devil at the vet?

[danteshuman]

So my mom’s cat is a sassy but completely non aggressive angel at home but was trying to bite/claw the vet! She had to be held down under a baby blanket by a nurse so vet could quickly exam her & giver her vaccines!!!

I know we can’t train her to like the vet. She has her second vaccine visit in a month. The vet suggested next time she go first so that she won’t wind up her brothers.

Any other idea on what we can do to help Cami feel more relaxed at the vets? Do we need to buy one of those Hannibal lector cat muzzles or a cat bag for when she has to go to the vet in the future? Should we sedate her before her vet visit?

 

[ArtNJ]

I've only had this happen once (because of a "practice cat" getting into the exam room) so can't offer help from experience, but if you are just doing wellness/vaccines, how about a home care vet? Since you have multiple cats, it may not end up more expensive either.

 

[danteshuman]

We really actually love our vet! We have been taking our cats to her office for 20 years. (She has another vet working there.) Though I might suggest it if Cami gets any worse! I wouldn’t bother for my kitty and I don’t think she would do it for her three. (On the bright side, the three minions crawled all over every inch of that exam room, looking for a way to escape! Jackie kept trying to climb the blinds, so I stuck him back in harness do he couldn’t teach. Nick tried to jump onto the paper towel dispenser attached to wall but my mom blocked him multiple times!)

I do know they have a resident cat in that office that might have left his smell. However Cami was not aggressive to her brother or my mom or me. She was even kinda calm towards the vet until the vet shoved the thermometer up her but! Then it was war! She was so aggres the veg couldn’t even examine her teeth using one of those popsicle sticks. I’m thinking a sedative sounds better and better!

Would sedating her, keeping her locked in her crate and treating her last help her exam go better? Should we schedule her a separate exam? Since the boys are bonded, we would rather take them to the vet together. (All three kittens love each other but the boys are bff.)

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. You could ask the vet about a very small dose of Gabapentin given ahead of the vet visit. There are other members who have used this to help calm their cats before a trip to the vets. There are also OTC calming products you could try, but since she is OK at home, I don't know how you would go about testing them. Because not all work on all cats, experimenting is about the only way to find one that would work for her.

 

[Hellenww]

How about doing the rest of the exam and temp last?

 

[betsygee]

As FeebysOwner mentioned, gabapentin might be an option. I always had to use it on one my cats before vet visits.

 

[mommytobuck]

Try the gabapenten. However, with my cat that didn't work. You can train your cat to be in a soft sided carrier and that will help if the cat has to be sedated. Or you can try an at home vet but I think it is the person touching them that is the problem.

Personally I can't believe vets have not come up with a solution for this yet. My last two cats suffered from this and that is 25 YEARS!! If you can't get your cat medical care it is very stressful for you as owner and can be damaging for the cat. My cat just got smarter and smarter and more aggressive until he had to be sedated every visit.

 

[MissClouseau]

They say Feliway is calming for some cats. Maybe that on the way? If he gets interested in food maybe he can also get some food he loves but only at the clinic so he can associate that place with something good too. If he eats that is, I doubt he would have interest when he is this angry (for now)

If it helps in any way, for my Hima the clinic makes a whole lot of difference. She's super stressed at every clinic no matter what but it was significantly worse when I took her to a clinic that was located on a road so there was a bit traffic, and the clinic had quite a few animals inside. Her original vet is where she feels the least stressful and it's such a tiny clinic, located in a quiet side-street and it's so small the maximum animals they can have in there are less than 10. She also likes the vet tech there and so do I. At the other clinic the vet tech made the situation worse by how he grabbed her and petted her. There might other triggers apart from the procedures that maybe you guys can change for the better.

 

[Krienze]

Whenever we took CiCi to the vet, the vet literally needed to arm himself. He'd wear arm guards, a leather apron, and a mask. The cat was VERY wild whenever we took her in, and nothing seemed to really change that.

We tried bringing comforts from home with us, like a toy she cuddled with, a wash cloth with our other cats smell on it, etc. That seemed to help settle her down when we were in the waiting room, but she'd freak out the second she was out of her carrier again.

 

[basscat]

Our little angel of a tabby turns into the likes of "you can't imagine" at the vet. I laughed the 1st time the vet told me he would have to be sedated to do a blood test. When I saw it 1st hand, I was FLOORED!! Never seen a cat THAT mad.
Now that's a 12lb tabby.....
The big one is just as bad. But, he's been that way at the vet since day one, so it was no surprise. However, he can flat out clear the waiting room. Nobody knows what's back there behind closed doors. But when he starts screaming....people leave. Sometimes, I consider following them

 

[Silver Crazy]

The big one is just as bad. But, he's been that way at the vet since day one, so it was no surprise. However, he can flat out clear the waiting room. Nobody knows what's back there behind closed doors. But when he starts screaming....people leave. Sometimes, I consider following them

Gibs vet and assistant

.

 

[mommytobuck]

I don't really understand how you guys can make light of it. I guess your cats don't get hurt every single time they go? Mine does. I think it is a disgrace. If you are going to hold yourself out there as someone to treat an animal you should be able to do it without sedation. But IMHO they don't because it is easier for them (and allows them not to take a lot of time with the cat) and that is a disgrace. Think how many people don't get cats because of this? I know I won't after this cat. Talk about cruelty.

 

[amethyst]

I'm not sure it's possible for you, but side from the things already mentioned, some vets will let you bring your cat in when it's quiet in the office for non appointments just to desensitize them to the vet office. You bring your cat in, maybe get weighed or something at most and eventually pets or treat if/when she is calm enough. Nothing bad or scary happening, not forced to do anything, no pokes or being held down, vet doesn't touch them or may not even see them. It can take several visits, but for some cats it can help.

Most times people only bring their cat to the vet for shots or if something is wrong (so either way unpleasant handling and jabs), so cats just associate going to the vet with unpleasantness and can actually start getting worked up on the drive to the vet, then explode when they get there.

 

[FeebysOwner]

I don't really understand how you guys can make light of it. I guess your cats don't get hurt every single time they go? Mine does. I think it is a disgrace. If you are going to hold yourself out there as someone to treat an animal you should be able to do it without sedation. But IMHO they don't because it is easier for them (and allows them not to take a lot of time with the cat) and that is a disgrace. Think how many people don't get cats because of this? I know I won't after this cat. Talk about cruelty.

I don't know where you are located, but it might be a good idea to look for another vet. Not all vets are inconsiderate and less-than-helpful when dealing with cats. I have to believe you could find one in your area that has a bit more compassion than apparently your current one does. If you are not sure where to start, have you considered talking to neighbors who own cats, or rescue centers, neighborhood web sites, etc. to get recommendations on vets they trust/use?

 

[DreamerRose]

Mingo is a terror at the vet. He was mishandled by one of the vets when he was young, and he's never gotten over it. The only thing they can do now is sedate him for a full exam. If he only needs a vaccination, they do that while he's in the carrier.

 

[basscat]

I don't really understand how you guys can make light of it. I guess your cats don't get hurt every single time they go? Mine does. I think it is a disgrace. If you are going to hold yourself out there as someone to treat an animal you should be able to do it without sedation. But IMHO they don't because it is easier for them (and allows them not to take a lot of time with the cat) and that is a disgrace. Think how many people don't get cats because of this? I know I won't after this cat. Talk about cruelty.

What? I busted my head open on a brick wall when I was four. No sedation due to fear of concussion. They STRAPPED me down to a table and stitched my eyebrow back together. Strapped down tight my head, chest, torso, arms and legs. Traumatic enough that I remember it... and screaming my lungs out the whole time.
Not a chance they could hold me still enough without sedation.
......This is my how my cat(s) are at the vet. My vet is well trained, experienced, and smart enough to know when sedation is or isn't needed without the need to consult those that aren't.

 

[mommytobuck]

Not a chance they could hold me still enough without sedation.
......This is my how my cat(s) are at the vet. My vet is well trained, experienced, and smart enough to know when sedation is or isn't needed without the need to consult those that aren't.

That is a rare occurrence. Most humans, even children, go willingly to the doctor. Cats don't and vets on the one hand tell you to come in for every stupid thing and then on the other... can't handle the cat when they come in. I think that is a disgrace.

I mean if it is just a money issue perhaps we could work out a fee where they answer my questions WITHOUT a visit but they never want to discuss that and go with the old... I have to see the cat -- when that is bull. I can send them a video. To the extent this is a "industry" wide thing I see that it might not be a regular vet and they have to toe the line, I don't get any compassion from vets at all... won't talk to you unless you come in or we visit you at home. I need a pill that is out of the ordinary, too bad, shove the pill down the cat's mouth or watch your cat suffer. So sick of them expecting me to pill my cat or shove liquid down there.. YOU SHOULD HAVE A SOLUTION THAT A CAT WILL TAKE.

]Mingo is a terror at the vet. He was mishandled by one of the vets when he was young, and he's never gotten over it. The only thing they can do now is sedate him for a full exam. If he only needs a vaccination, they do that while he's in the carrier."

That is probably what happened to my cat. He was perfectly fine until he was about 3 and now the vet is so terrifying he fights to the death. Even when the vet comes to the house they are all business and can't take 5 minutes to say hi and try to let him know they like cats. My cat is good with me and he will let me do a lot because I work with him. I talk him down, I stop when he gets upset. I give him treats, I keep trying. I talk to him and tell him I really want to do it... and eventually he gives in. I understand they can't stay all day but the vet shows up in the scrubs it has seen a zillion other animals in (the smell freaks the cat out immediately because he doesn't get freaked out with guests to my home) and then they don't try to say hi or anything just start chasing. What is the point of that. Seriously? The point literally seems to be that if they walk in the door of my home they can charge me. Doesn't matter if they get to examine him, they want to charge.

I don't know where you are located, but it might be a good idea to look for another vet. Not all vets are inconsiderate and less-than-helpful when dealing with cats.

I have canvassed a lot of them enough to know that they are that way. Lets assume I wanted to find out -- how exactly can I do that without a visit to the vet? So it really is the chicken and the egg situation. They all want an initial exam before they will even talk to me and getting an initial exam at this point will do harm to my cat. And there is simply no solution for this, other than to just not go to the vet.

 

[danteshuman]

Well my mom is against sedating Huff&pPuff/Cami But is going to take her in first, by herself to see if helps. I will bring up the gabapentin again if she gets worse & also the vet can reassure her that one low dose of gabbapentin will not hurt her precious baby.

 

[dkb817]

My last cat was the sweetest girl to myself and my Mom (and to some degree, my dad prior to his passing, but he approached her like she was a rabid animal LMAO) - but as soon as she got to the vet? Holy creature of nightmares, Batman.

Every vet visit required sedation - which cost a small fortune with the frequent vet visits for megacolon, but was mandatory. We tried paying even more to get the vet to come to our house, and Ally STILL hated every single second of it (the vet ended up bringing a tech with gloves that were meant for eagles/raptors but for protection from my girl) During one of her last visits, prior to being sedated, the new vet warned his tech not to mess with my cat. Tech didn't listen and wound up needing stitches at the local ER (thankfully the vet took ownership for the mishap and outside of needing to recheck my girl for rabies a few days later after quarantining her in accordance to county guidelines, everything healed up okay).

 

[mommytobuck]

Every vet visit required sedation - which cost a small fortune with the frequent vet visits for megacolon, but was mandatory. We tried paying even more to get the vet to come to our house,

This is something I question as well. They seem to go right for sedation and I have pet insurance but it is NOT covered. This is causing me to spend so much money whenever I take him in. I mean why shouldn't the vet push for that at the slightest resistance? It is easier for them and mo money. The gabapentin didn't work for my cat. This is why I get frustrated with the vet. They have zero alternative to that. Even though I know there are other drugs they don't want to give them because they are unsure of the results.