First Visit To The Vet!

[Torryh91]

Hi all!

So we adopted our 4 year old cat 4 weeks ago. We took her to the vets yesterday for a check up. She was not keen on getting in the carrier and after having to cancel cancel the first appointment we made, my partner had to resort to picking her up by the scruff as she cannot be picked up normally and you will get scratched to bits.

After taking her to vets she came back and spent the day hiding and would cower away if he went near her.

She has spent all of today running away from him too. Yet she seems pretty normal with me.
Is this normal for the cat to not trust someone this much? And if so what is the best way to get her to regain trust? And any tips for future vet visits?

Thanks in advance x

 

[Columbine]

Yeah, unfortunately this kind of avoidance is pretty common, especially with less confident or stressy personalities. Try having your partner take over all the feedings for a while, so she starts to associate him with good things. Interactive playtime is a wonderful way to rebuild confidence and regain trust too. Other than that, give her time and space. She needs to make the first move. She'll trust again when she's ready.

As for future vet visits, the best thing is to have the carrier out and open all the time. Make a comfy bed in there, and play games with it and your girl's favourite treat, until you can throw some treats into the back of the carrier and she'll put herself in.

The other option (which is the some I use - my vulture of a Labrador makes treat games/training impossible ) is to set the carrier up ready, but out of sight of the cat. When the time comes, pick her up and her straight in before she has chance to process what's happening My girl couldn't tolerate being picked up when I got her either. I just worked on picking her up for a second, then releasing her at random times in daily life. She's now a ton better about it, which makes all our lives a lot was. She'll never like being picked up (and won't be cuddled that way), but she has learned to tolerate it Patient perseverance pays off

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Oh, that is so very typical! It just takes time, patience, and letting her do it her way. The good this is, although she's spooked, it is a rare cat, indeed, who holds a grudge. Within a very few days, she'll be making amends.