Question Of The Day, Sunday, December 9, 2018

[maggiedemi]

Last time Demi went to the vet, he just froze in fear. That was a lot better than what I expected, I thought he would freak out and claw us or the vet, but he was fine. My cats aren't afraid of their carrier, so I have no problems getting them in it, they don't associate it with going to the vet.

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

Simon honks the whole way there, is fine with the vet, and sleeps all the way home. (Our vet is about 20-30 minutes away.) We were there with him last week. He was fine until someone brought in a very curious German Sheppard. Simon hates dogs. He tried to get out and attack the dog.

Tara is okay for the ride and at the vet. Sometimes she gets upset, but that is rare.

Evangeline acts as if she is being abandoned and is upset until she gets back home. She was abandoned at some point and lived near where my son works. It took him more than a year to get her trust, so I can understand why she gets upset.

Willow is okay, but she does cry a bit. She likes our vet, though.

Fennimore is fine the whole time. He has his moments here and there, but he is pretty laid back about the whole thing, especially if music is playing.

Freya is a beast. A small, wild beast who scares the vet tech.

Astrid acts as though we are torturing her for the ride. She is okay with the vet, although she does not want to come out of the carrier.

Silas wants to look out the window when we drive. I do not let him, for obvious reasons, but I do take him out of his carrier when we first get to the vets so that he can look around while we are in the car. He really likes it if we face the street so he can look at cars.

Estella is a brat. She has escaped the carrier countless times. On one trip, she got out four times while we were on the high way. I now tie the zippers shut. In response, she rams the sides in attempt to knock it over.

it's sounds like your cats have a good variety of reactions to 'going to the vet's'!!! awesome!!

our Punky doesn't want to come out of the carrier either!

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

It's very easy to put Missy in the cat carrier; she sometimes sleeps in it, since it is located under my desk.

View attachment 265723

I usually walk to the vet practice (5 minutes walk).
As soon as we arrive in the vet's waiting room, she starts showing signs of stress.
She doesn't like the vet and when she sees him, she refuses to come out of the carrier. The vet always has to drag her out. Once on the exam table, she starts trembling. Fortunately the vet can examine her relatively well and she doesn't bother about the shots. She has never scratched or bitten him. When the exam is over, Missy rushes into the carrier and can't wait to be home again.

your Missy does very well being put into her carrier as well as on the walk to the vet's, but she's stressed at the vet's, doesn't like the vet, refuses to come out of her carrier, and trembles on the exam table -- though does allow the vet to examine her!!! it sounds like your girl gets through the vet appointments really pretty well!!

awww, Missy looks so comfy, relaxing in her carrier!

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

Taking our 5 to the vets usually involves some bloodletting on our part, a symphony of plaintive meowing on the way there and in the waiting area, and more on the way home, at which time they all head for the bomb shelter for a couple of hours.

your cats really don't like 'going to the vet's'!!! i can understand that!!

i've been very lucky, to avoid 'bloodletting' with my cats. only once did that happen, and only because my little Snick had gotten to the point where she could no longer tolerate the vet's.

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

They both do terrible. They aren't like Willie though who had to be sedated every time I took her to the vet. Maisie is very skittish and doesn't trust anyone touching her (including myself) so the vet is her worst nightmare. Remy also doesn't like people touching against his wishes. My parents' cat, Kirby though, purrs every time he's at the vet. He accidentally swallowed a needle last year and was still purring when I took him in.

your Maisie and Remy struggle with 'going to the vet's'!!! poor babies!!

oh my!!! i'm glad Kirby made it through swallowing that needle!

 

[NY cat man]

your cats really don't like 'going to the vet's'!!! i can understand that!!

i've been very lucky, to avoid 'bloodletting' with my cats. only once did that happen, and only because my little Snick had gotten to the point where she could no longer tolerate the vet's.

In many ways our cats are quite tame, but when it comes to putting them in their carriers, it seems like they revert to their feral origins.

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

My Domino howls through the car ride and hates the waiting room. He’s a white cat and his ears get bright red due to stress and his heart races.
Once he is in the exam room he slowly calms. Then when the tec and vet come he’s all purrsonality. He makes sure everyone remembers him.

while your Domino howls through the car ride and hates the vet's waiting room, he does slowly calm down once he's in the exam room and his purrsonaility shines with the tech and vet!!! most excellent!!

our vet's have recently started having the tech's put their hand over cats heart area, when they come in the exam room (prior to the vet) to get some updated basic info and weigh cats. i know that our Dude gets very stessed and his respiration rate become increased.

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

Zoe is the best. She hunkers down in the carrier like she's scared but handles the drive and the visit pretty well.

The two boys, Rico and Ozzy, yowl during the drive like they're being murdered, but behave once they're in the office.

Hannah is quiet on the trip but then turns into a little hellion once she's there. She hates being poked and prodded. My vet had to get out the heavy gloves to get her back in the carrier last time because Hannah turned into a little monster. You'd never know she only weighs six pounds.

your Zoe does extremely well, Rico and Ozzie are quite vocal on the drive to the vet's but are good once they're in the office, and while Hannah is quiet on the way to the vet's she doesn't like being poked and prodded and 'turns into a little hellion' once she's there!!! that sounds like a good variety of reactions!!

...sending your Hannah gentle scritchins...

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

When we first adopted Carleton I had to practically put on a coat of armor to get him into the carrier. However, it's much easier to get him into the carrier now. Our vet is so calm and compassionate that she even combs him before the official exam. He doesn't seem to mind the extra attention unless she tries to clip his nails.

at first, your Carleton was very difficult to get into his carrier, but he's much better now, and your vet is very calm and compassionate with your boy!!! that's great!!

i've got two sizes of cat carriers here. while our DeeDee prefers the small sized carrier, both Dude and Punky like the larger carrier.

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

Mizu is a trooper. Doesn't mind the drive much and is very cooperative at the office. Raja will cycle through 8 million pathetic "meows" on the 5 minute drive, be stoic at the office and nearly hyperventilate on the 5 minute drive home. Once home, she'll take a long nap to recover.

your Mizu and Raja have very different reactions to 'going to the vet's' -- Mizu is pretty calm and very cooperative, while Raja is quite vocal on the drive there, stoic at the vet's office, and nearly hyperventilates on the short drive home where she will take a long nap to recover from the whole experience!!! excellent!!

our Punky pants on and off during the ride home from the vet's. i think it may be the thought that she's on her way back home, and the whole 'to do' is almost all over with.

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

I've had a few cat that couldn't even GO to the vet because they were just...intense. And by intense, I mean flat out insane.

The cats we have now, so far, have been surprisingly excellent. I was shocked when Queen Bee (who hasn't seen a vet in YEARS) was so sweet and good. I really thought she'd try to re-arrange the vets face, but she didn't.
I think a big key is us. If we're sitting in the waiting room, nervous as heck and are nervously chatting to them while jiggling our feet and hands around because we're just SURE they're going to murder the vet, bad things can happen. If you can be cool, respond to growls or hisses without yelling or shrieking, this kind of calms things down.

while you've had a few cats that could not handle going to the vet's, the cats you have now are really very good with the whole thing!!! very nice!!

yes, that's true!!

 

[RajaNMizu]

your Mizu and Raja have very different reactions to 'going to the vet's' -- Mizu is pretty calm and very cooperative, while Raja is quite vocal on the drive there, stoic at the vet's office, and nearly hyperventilates on the short drive home where she will take a long nap to recover from the whole experience!!! excellent!!

Raja probably doesn't realize the next stop IS home. Maybe she's thinking "oh no, now what???" It's really the pathetic meows that get to me the most though.

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

Raja probably doesn't realize the next stop IS home. Maybe she's thinking "oh no, now what???" It's really the pathetic meows that get to me the most though.

i hadn't thought of that, and that makes sense!!

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

Both cats are fine when I put them in the carrier.

Monet meows and growls non-stop in the car. Cassie is quiet.

At the vet..
Cassie is an angel. She hangs out and lets the vets do whatever with her. She does not even protest with the thermometer up her tushy.

However.. Monet turns feral. and I mean FERAL. Hisses, growls, howls, snarls, hisses, bites, claws- everything. The vets usually have to sedate him to run checkups on him. This new vet refuses to sedate. so the tech had to don long sleeved thick gloves and towels to hold him down long enough for the vet to at least get a look at him. This was a strong tech and he had a hard time managing Monet.

that "Sleep with one eye open" look.

vets don't believe me when I tell him he's NOT feral, really a sweet snuggly boy.

while your Cassie does very well and is really laid back, Monet does not react well to 'going to the vet's'!!! poor Monet!!

...sending gentle scritchins to your sweet boy...

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

Both of mine go in the carrier with no problem, and they are relatively quiet on the way to the vet, 5 minutes away.

Lily is apprehensive in the exam room, but is so easy going that the techs and the vets have no problem handling her.

Mingo, however, is a cat of a different color. Last time (fourth visit), he hissed at the vet when she opened the door. She refused to even try to take him out of the carrier. She stabbed him with the needle while he's still in the carrier, and weighed him in it, too. She offered to sedate him to do a full exam, but I declined. Next time, I will let them do it because he has a lot of wax buildup in his ears that's driving him crazy.

The second time I took him in, a different vet handled him very roughly, and in spite of clouds of Feliway and leather gloves, he reacted like a wild animal and nearly shredded everyone in the room. He hasn't forgotten it and reacts the same to all vets now.

At home, he doesn't like to be handled, but he's a big teddy bear when he comes to you.

your Lily and Mingo both do fine going in the carrier and on the short drive to the vet's, Lily does really well with the vet, while Mingo has had a bad experience with a vet!!! excellent!!

my cats have remembered the negative experiences they've had with vet's, too. and handling cats roughly, isn't a good idea for a vet.

..sending some gentle scritchins to your Mingo...

it might be something to consider, to have your boy's ears cleaned, if he doesn't allow you to clean them at home. the wax build up could potentially cause an ear infection to develop.

my Mickey was prone to wax build-up in his ears, and developed an infection. after treatment of the infection, which involved a steriod cream put in his ears daily, i cleaned his ears on a regular basis -- to avoid another infection and daily cream. my boy really didn't like the ear cleanings, but i always told him that that was much better than having to have the steroid cream daily.

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

Thankfully most of my kitties do wonderfully - they are friendly, relaxed and comfortable at the vet, purring, cuddling and enjoying the attention the staff lavish upon them even during their spay and neutering surgeries. I even got a couple of notes that said how so and so behaved wonderfully and was such a joy to have.

Awww Yeah Proud of my babies! Even joke around and call the vet "The Spa" now. *Le Humblebrag*


The only one who is apprehensive is Liffey, which is not a surprise and understandable since she is the one with the feral background. I was nervous the first time she went to the vet since she was only ever comfortable with being around me, and wasn't sure how she would have reacted with a bunch of strangers and first trip outside the house. Thankfully she did well and was compliant, but her body was tense and had a wide eyed look throughout her whole face.....

Liffey: "Seriously hooman mom what the fruitcake "


The vet and techs were very gentle and understanding throughout her visit! And I'm happy that she did so well during her first visits considering; including her own spay surgery. No hissing, stretching, struggling etc

your cats all do really very well with the whole 'going to the vet's' thing, even Liffey who is apprehensive, but compliant!!! very nice!!

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

Our last cat, Jamie, was known as "the cat from hell" at the vets' office. Mowgli, in contrast, is a little angel that will actually stretch out on the examination table. He's bad in the car, though. He wails both ways.

your last cat, Jaime, didn't react well to 'going to the vet's', while your Mowgli is very much at ease in the vet's, but wails on the car drive there and back!!! great!!

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

Mooch is fine in the car but not a fan of being handled. Noodles isn't either. Thankfully our vet makes house calls so we just do that for annual check ups.

your Mooch is fine in the car, and both Mooch and Noodles aren't fans of being handled!!! excellent!!

that's great that your vet makes house calls, and that your girls do well with it!

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

Oh boy! I swear all I have to do is think about calling the vet and Amber disappears. I call the vet from work to make Amber's appt and when I get home that night, she's gone. Completely. She doesn't come out to eat, she doesn't show up period. It's like she doesn't even exist. She knows. I don't know how, but she knows. One time I made an appt for her and she didn't show up for a week. She stayed completely under the couch. She probably did come out for water during the night when we were in bed, but that girl did not eat for a week. Five minutes after her vet appt had been scheduled when it was too late to get her down to the doctor, she showed up in the kitchen and said, "Hey! I'm hungry here!" Brat.

We bring the carriers up from the basement and Mollipop hops right in. One night at the vet, I got her out of the carrier. Put her on the scale to be weighed. And she backed off the scales and walking completely backward, climbed up on me all the way to my neck where she turned around and hung on for dear life. She completely backed up on me. She's hilarious. Ever see those pictures of cats hiding in the sink in the exam room? That's Molli. She even crawled into an open drawer one night. We've gotten to the point where, after she's weighed, the vet examines her in my arms. It's easier that way. Thermometer and everything. The rabies shot. She won't let a vet tech touch her. It has to be me. I croon to her the entire time. "It's OK. You're mama's baby. I love you, baby girl." She does spit when the thermometer shows up. Every single time.

It's truly a mad dash to get Tabby in a carrier. "I have claws! I know how to use 'em!" We always win, but we bear the scars and it really is a struggle. Once she's at the vet, she's fine. Because of her ear mite infestation when she was a kitten and she first found us, she's used to putting up with a lot, bless her heart.

Ms. Pepe is OK and so is Muffin. They do the carrier thing with no trouble. They're both pretty laid-back.

On the way down to the vet, we listen to the cat-symphony. Screaming, crying, whining, yeowling. You name it, we hear it. After they're all done at the vet and we're on our way home, the car is completely silent. None of them say a word.

But we sleep with one eye open for a good week afterward.

your girls have a variety of reactions, and all join in the 'cat-symphony' on the way to the vet's and are silent on the way back home!!! awesome!!

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

Last time Demi went to the vet, he just froze in fear. That was a lot better than what I expected, I thought he would freak out and claw us or the vet, but he was fine. My cats aren't afraid of their carrier, so I have no problems getting them in it, they don't associate it with going to the vet.

your cats are fine getting into their carrier, and do pretty well with the vet!!! most excellent!!