Cat Restraint for Vet Visit

[Lms0229]

Firstly, I don't want to use a cat restraint, but I am having to come up with a restraining solution as an absolute last resort.

My cat Trax is a Turkish Van Kedisi cat. He is very bonded to me and views others as enemies. This is the only naturally occurring domesticated cat breed, but it is ingrained in them to not care for strangers. My cat will go from the most loving and calm cat to pursuing a neighbor in our yard. He very much has a dog pack mentality and only loves his immediate family. He has traveled all over the country with us and goes swimming and everything, but the one thing he can't stand is the vet.

This cat is very well muscled, a very solid 16# with no fat, very strong and is 3 feet in length from nose to tail tip. Last time I took him to the vet he became incredibly dangerous to us and himself. I am needing recommendations on a good solution (And no this isn't going to take behavioral training to fix when this is a character trait of his breed....they do not like strangers and will seek a fight instead of retreating.) Has anyone used a cat restraint for a cat this large or larger? What brand? Is there something better than a restraint bag in your opinion? Muzzle?

Thank you

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi
You could use a muzzle but of course that still leaves his other weapons very active, and I'm not familiar enough with the bags to know if one would do the job. Even if someone were to recommend one it still would be your call to see if you think it would hold up under the onslaught of his seriously motivated claws, clipped or otherwise. .. .. unless you put claw caps on -- unless those won't hold up either?

Have you talked to your vet about a calming product?

 

[LTS3]

Few cats like going to the vet. The vet can prescribe a mild sedative that you can give a few hours before a vet visit to mellow the cat out for a few hours.

Would a mobile vet who does home visits have the same effect on your cat?

 

[Kflowers]

Tranquilizing is a good idea. If you use it, try it on a day you are not going to the vet. Some cats are relaxed by the tranquilizer, some are made more aggressive, some are not affected at all. With mine the tranquilizer the vet offered (long ago) paralyzed my cat's back legs. This did not relax her. They don't use that one anymore, so your odds are good, just try it before you depend on it.

Other options -

You might think about the grooming bags. But if you do get a size bigger than you think you'll need. When I ordered the large for my cat who was similar in size and muscles to your description of your cat, it didn't work. I couldn't fight him into the bag and I could fight him into small carrying cases. At the time, which was a long time ago, I was told that was the biggest size they had. I looked at the grooming bag on Amazon and if you work from measurements, you might get one you could get him into. Unlike other cat bags, the grooming one is supposed to be made where you can get parts of your cat out at a time.

With another who was more aggressive than the one above I ended up borrowing the squeeze cage from the vet on days when I wanted to bring. They knew my cat well; they gave him to me. All the staff in the big clinic remembered him for years after he passed. I would ask about the squeeze cage. If you get it, insist that they show you how to work it.

 

[Antonio65]

All types of restarints have pros and cons.

A bag would block his paws and claws, but would leave his head and mouth out. This might sound quite good, but a bag prevents the vet from performing a complete visit, like palpating the cat's abdomen or auscultating his heart. Furthermore, forcing a cat into a bag is a stressful operation, and the cat might be growling for the whole time, and be aggressive when he gets out of it.
You couldn't put him in the bag at the vets' because he would be aggressive already, you should put him in the bag before leaving home, but then he should stay restrained for the whole trip and waiting room.

The muzzle is much better, I think, because it gives a cat much less stress. You could put the muzzle on shortly before you get out of the car when you're outside the practice/clinic. A cat is blinded by the muzzle, so he can't see what's going on around him, and can't fight what he can't see. The muzzle also keeps his mouth shut while still allows him to breathe. But it wouldn't allow the vet to inspect the mouth, teeth and eyes, if needed.
The muzzle is what I used with one of my cats in the past.

Never tried the mild sedative, so I can't tell, but I have heard, too, that some cats have an opposite reaction to it.