Upcoming Vet Visit, Advice Needed!

Moka

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I am planning to take Salem, my almost 2 year old "kitten", to the vet during their vaccine clinic day this Friday. I have planned it out the best I can, but I am really nervous. So, I guess I am here asking for some last minute advice or maybe just a little encouragement. I adopted Salem when she was only 4 1/2 weeks old after she was orphaned. It is just Salem and I in our little apartment. So, she has not been exposed to a lot of people and is essentially feral with anyone but me. She has not been out of our apartment since she was spayed more than a year ago. Since then, I have been the only to touch or even see her as she hides the second she hears to the front door open. I have no clue how she will act at the vet and to put more pressure on, the clinic is now charging an arbitrary "aggressive animal fee".:censored::eviltongue: I am worried about getting to the clinic in time to "reserve" a spot. This is a low income clinic and it is first come, first serve. They open their doors at 9 AM, but don't start taking patients back until 10 AM. So, Salem will have to be in her carrier for a while, in the waiting room filled with people and other animals.:cringe: I bought her carrier when she was a year old, thinking she was pretty much full grown. Nope! She is now 15 lbs! (Yes, she is a bit overweight. I plan to discuss it with the vet.) So the soft carrier is a little cramped. I have to use a soft carrier as I walk with a crutch and need something with a shoulder strap to carry her. I know soft carriers are not ideal for many reasons, but I just can't carry a hard plastic one with 15 lbs of cat shifting around in it. This brings another big worry. I already have a bad hip on my right side, but I recently injured the muscles in my chest on the left side. At the moment, I don't have full use of my non crutch arm. A family member will be there with us, but they won't be able to help much. I am the only one Salem is going to let touch her. . . and she weighs 15 lbs. 😨 Salem likes to koala 🐨onto me and bury her little face in my neck 🙈 when she is scared. I already know I am going to get shredded, but that does not really bother me. What does bother me is the feeling of betraying Salem's trust. She has no connection or trust in anyone, but me. Is she doing to hate me after everything is said and done? Is there anything I can do to not be the "bad guy"? Is there anything I can do to make this easier on Salem? I already ordered some pheromone spray (Feliway) and I made up a "diaper bag" with cat safe wipes and such in case of accidents. Salem is just so sensitive. I had to hold her down to cut out her first mat a few weeks ago. :sigh: I had no choice, but to gently restrain her as the mat was rather large, tight to her skin and she was not cooperating. After I let her up, she just sat there, totally shut down. 😢 After an hour, she finally moved and hid for the rest of the day. For the next 3 days, Salem was afraid of me. I could not pet her, or even walk in her general directing without her running away. She is mostly back to normal now. But, that incident makes me fear how she will see me when we get home. Heaven forbid she need a bath because she soiled herself in the carrier.
 

ArtNJ

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I was recently at one of these clinics. If it is similar then BE EARLY, as in say 10 minutes before the start of the period, minimum, so you are first or no worse than second or third. If you are not early, there will be a line and you will be hanging out in a room with other cats and dogs for potentially a while. I found it rowdier than a traditional vet's office, as a long line builds.

All of that said, it doesn't seem like you have much reason to expect aggression. There are a lot of fearful cats and most of them are pretty meak with vets. Conversely, I had a gentle, chill cat that went nuts when the practice cat wandered into the exam room - they had to use a towel to restrain my cat, barely did an exam and charged me anyways. My point is, you don't know how your cat will react yet, don't assume the worst.

All vets, or more accurately their assistants, are used to cleaning up carrier accidents. I would not try to do this on the road or in the car -- cat will escape you and cause stress. Leave it to the experts. Better for your cat that way -- would only stress both of you more to try and spare the vet techs this. I realize that maybe isn't the nicest, but . . . its part of the job; they wouldn't be a vet tech if this is a huge deal to them.

You can buy a larger soft carrier, 2 cat size, although you may still get some of the shifting that you are trying to avoid. I have a hard 2 cat carrier, and yes, there is a ton of shifting when a single cat is in there. I find it easier overall, but I'm a large dude and can handle the shifting. For you, my belief is that you are correct and it would be too much. Unless you can find one with wheels???
 

jcat

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Since there will certainly be a wait, try to get there well before the doors open so you can get a seat in a corner or at the end of a row of seats to reduce exposure to other pets (they're only going to make her more nervous). Take a light towel or pillowcase that you can drape over her carrier and make her feel safer. Vets and vet techs are quite used to dealing with scared pets; let them handle her when they offer to.
 

amandag1

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You can try to spray the carrier with feliway spray to calm her. If she is really really anxious, ask the vet about gabapentin which is a sedative in some higher dosages for cats.
Are there any home vets that could come to your home to check Salem?
 

di and bob

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i really don't think you will have too much to worry about. My cats sound exactly like yours and will literally hide for days after company. She will be so paralyzed with fear at the clinic she most likely will be compliant and totally unresisting, like my cats. My husband and I tried three times to cut out a mat, we eneded up defeated with blood running. He stood on the table at the vets and they shaved his rear end with a trimmer when I took him in for shots! My cats hide for a while when I bring them home, but are fine in a few hours. She will be so gretaful you brought her home from that terrible place , she will forgive you quickly! (wipes are a good idea, two of mine soil themselves too! Bring a plastic bag to put them in.)
 

PushPurrCatPaws

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Hi Moka Moka - :hugs:

I hope your hip and injured muscles feel better soon!

I live near a vet that has a first come/ first serve business model, and I do know that there is often a rush of people and pets when the place opens at the start of each day. It can help to not come right at the start of the day but, rather, several hours later after that first initial rush and mayhem. We often go at 11AM-2 PM and the wait times often are less. You could try coming at maybe 11-11.30 AM? versus coming at 9 AM to wait for that 10 AM start of the vaccine day at your clinic? It might be worth considering. But it can certainly be a roll-of-the-dice, no matter the time you go, with this kind of first come/first serve situation.

And sometimes the vet techs allow us to be put into an exam room early, to await the vet in a room and not in the busy waiting area. That might help you and Salem, too.

Another tip I would have is to keep Salem in her carrier up until the vet or vet techs take her out for the vaccinations/exam. She might feel 'safer' in the carrier up until that time.

My cat is bossy and assertive at home with me when I try to examine her, sigh, but is very docile at the vet. I always stay right beside her when she is being examined by the vet or techs. Good techs and vets will appreciate your involvement in trying to calm your kitty. But I know it can be a hard thing to go through; they can get so scared at the vet!
 
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Hellenww

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My advise is for you. When your in the exam room pull a chair next to the exam table so you aren't uncomfortable and can be there for Salem. Usually the vet tech does the initial check and vet comes in after. Rather than putting Yoshi back in the carrier I can keep his back end on the table and he can hide his head in my neck until the vet comes in.
 
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Moka

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I was recently at one of these clinics. If it is similar then BE EARLY, as in say 10 minutes before the start of the period, minimum, so you are first or no worse than second or third. If you are not early, there will be a line and you will be hanging out in a room with other cats and dogs for potentially a while. I found it rowdier than a traditional vet's office, as a long line builds.

All of that said, it doesn't seem like you have much reason to expect aggression. There are a lot of fearful cats and most of them are pretty meak with vets. Conversely, I had a gentle, chill cat that went nuts when the practice cat wandered into the exam room - they had to use a towel to restrain my cat, barely did an exam and charged me anyways. My point is, you don't know how your cat will react yet, don't assume the worst.

All vets, or more accurately their assistants, are used to cleaning up carrier accidents. I would not try to do this on the road or in the car -- cat will escape you and cause stress. Leave it to the experts. Better for your cat that way -- would only stress both of you more to try and spare the vet techs this. I realize that maybe isn't the nicest, but . . . its part of the job; they wouldn't be a vet tech if this is a huge deal to them.

You can buy a larger soft carrier, 2 cat size, although you may still get some of the shifting that you are trying to avoid. I have a hard 2 cat carrier, and yes, there is a ton of shifting when a single cat is in there. I find it easier overall, but I'm a large dude and can handle the shifting. For you, my belief is that you are correct and it would be too much. Unless you can find one with wheels???
Thank you for your suggestions and sharing your past vet experiences. It helped. I will get there as early as possible for sure. I like the idea of a carrier on wheels. I might start looking around to see if there is something like that online.
 
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Moka

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Since there will certainly be a wait, try to get there well before the doors open so you can get a seat in a corner or at the end of a row of seats to reduce exposure to other pets (they're only going to make her more nervous). Take a light towel or pillowcase that you can drape over her carrier and make her feel safer. Vets and vet techs are quite used to dealing with scared pets; let them handle her when they offer to.
I added a towel to Salem's diaper bag. Thank you.
 
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Moka

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Hi Moka Moka - :hugs:

I hope your hip and injured muscles feel better soon!

I live near a vet that has a first come/ first serve business model, and I do know that there is often a rush of people and pets when the place opens at the start of each day. It can help to not come right at the start of the day but, rather, several hours later after that first initial rush and mayhem. We often go at 11AM-2 PM and the wait times often are less. You could try coming at maybe 11-11.30 AM? versus coming at 9 AM to wait for that 10 AM start of the vaccine day at your clinic? It might be worth considering. But it can certainly be a roll-of-the-dice, no matter the time you go, with this kind of first come/first serve situation.

And sometimes the vet techs allow us to be put into an exam room early, to await the vet in a room and not in the busy waiting area. That might help you and Salem, too.

Another tip I would have is to keep Salem in her carrier up until the vet or vet techs take her out for the vaccinations/exam. She might feel 'safer' in the carrier up until that time.

My cat is bossy and assertive at home with me when I try to examine her, sigh, but is very docile at the vet. I always stay right beside her when she is being examined by the vet or techs. Good techs and vets will appreciate your involvement in trying to calm your kitty. But I know it can be a hard thing to go through; they can get so scared at the vet!
Unfortunately, the clinic only runs from 10 AM to 12 PM and it fills up so quickly that they will often stop signing in patients well before 12 PM. No matter what we are going the end up waiting for a while. I would feel awful if we could not get in and I had to do this to Salem again on another day.
Thank you for your suggestions! I will keep her in her carrier until the last possible moment. If I am one of the first people in line, I will ask the vet techs if we can wait in the exam room. That would definitely make a difference.
 
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Moka

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Everything went ok considering. We were at the clinic for 3 hours even though we were second in line. That clinic is a hot mess. But, Salem did very well. She was beyond stressed though. She "stress purred" a few times. I have NEVER heard anything like that from a cat before and I hope I never do again. 😨 It sounded more like choking or gurgling, than Salem's normal purr. He temperature was also quite high, probably due to all of the stress as well. She seems to be back to normal for the most part. But, she did vomit an hour ago. I am not sure if it due to her ordeal or a direct reaction to the vaccines. Is that something I should be concerned about? I will not be able to call her vet until Monday. . . :(
 

MissClouseau

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Everything went ok considering. We were at the clinic for 3 hours even though we were second in line. That clinic is a hot mess. But, Salem did very well. She was beyond stressed though. She "stress purred" a few times. I have NEVER heard anything like that from a cat before and I hope I never do again. 😨 It sounded more like choking or gurgling, than Salem's normal purr. He temperature was also quite high, probably due to all of the stress as well. She seems to be back to normal for the most part. But, she did vomit an hour ago. I am not sure if it due to her ordeal or a direct reaction to the vaccines. Is that something I should be concerned about? I will not be able to call her vet until Monday. . . :(
I hope Salem feels better soon! They say side effects like digestive issues, lethargy, a little fever are not unusual after vaccination. My cat gets super stressed at the vet as well and gets a health issue from the stress after every vet visit -- usually dental issues flare-up or a digestive problem. I started to give Fortiflora probiotics the day at the clinic, maybe also the next day, and a multivitamin vet approved of. And boiled turkey/chicken as a treat which is her favorite.
 
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