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My cat growls at the vet. In this state, if a cat hasn't had its rabies shot and it bites someone, it -must- be euthanized and tested for rabies. That's state law, and a vet's office can be shut down for disobeying the law. And so - as a precaution, my vet "towels" my cat before doing any bloodwork. (She hasn't had a rabies shot since I got her over 11 years ago; she's an indoor cat.) It has an immediate calming effect on her. That's how she is at home too though. She is usually at her most calm when she's under the quilt on the bed.
The vet says cats, like many animals and many people, feel most comforted when they're being hugged. Toweling gives that sensation.
They submit to the exam and take their medicine, shots, blood draw, x-rays, or whatever they need, and nobody gets upset, causes trouble, or puts up any serious resistance.
Six of our nine are ex-ferals, which amazes the doctor because they are so domesticated.
She asked how I trained them.
I told her I used the traditional cat training method but with a smaller whip, and chair.
Ella didnt like going in her carrier or the car ride but when she got to the vet she let them do anything to her. When the vet left the exam room Ella just stayed on the table.
I told him dont worry she will stay there and she always did hahaha
Poor Gracie. She has to go to the groomers to get her claws clipped about every 6 weeks and she is not a happy camper. I have to put an absorbant pad that covers the entire bottom of her carrier because she has her...er...accidents from fear.
One time when the vet was going to examine her for her yearly checkup, she did something I had never seen a cat do at the vet's. The vet went to put her hand on Gracie's ear and Gracie cringed and I mean cringed as though she were waiting for a blow. The vet was surprised. I was surprised. Gracie stayed in cringe postition for a second or two. The vet then began petting and talking to her so she relaxed.
Later the vet said she thought that was a sign that someone had hit her from time to time so seeing the hand coming from the side towards her head made her think she was going to be struck. I have had Gracie for 11 years. She was surrendered to the shelter as a stray who was wandering the streets. Possible someone was mean to her for her first two years. She may have been responding to an old memory of something bad.
When we got home, she was given extra treats and love.
I also once had a Siamese kitty who would hyperventilate in her carrier in the car on the way home from the vet. But as soon as we were within about five blocks of our house, she would stop and perk up her ears and stare intentely out the window. I think she somehow knew she was near home although she had never been out of the car and out of her carrier in that area.
Amber cries in the carrier, but once out on the table she's usually silent and fairly compliant, although sometimes some hisses. At worst there have been scratches.
my parents cat puss pus was banned from the vet at 6 months old, the vet came to us for rabies and "emergencies" but otherwise his bhaviour made him not suitable for the vet. (we took him for his neuter, they took him told us all would be fine and off we whent...that afternoon we come back to get him, hes growling in the carrier like a wild beast, the examination room had gouges in the plaster walls that hadnt been there that morning and the vet cme in with his arms bandaged up. followed by the vet tech who also had various "patches", theyd had to put him in the bird box in the end just to sedate him enough to get him under.
since then we do vac at home on him...
Tempi growls...alot...she doesnt like being restrained (heck even touched) by anyone but me, i can do anything need to but other people even try to pet her and they get a hiss...BUT shes managable...i think shes more vocal than anything else...
Willow...she loves attention in any way shape orform and a trip in the car means shes geting attention lol. she actually sems to like the vet as long as they rub her chin and scritch behind her ears!
Poor Gracie. She has to go to the groomers to get her claws clipped about every 6 weeks and she is not a happy camper. I have to put an absorbant pad that covers the entire bottom of her carrier because she has her...er...accidents from fear.
Wow, why put her through such obvious trauma every 6 weeks? Why not just learn to clip them yourself? I don't think I could ever torture a cat by dragging her to the vet every 6 weeks, just to get her claws clipped. That's just insane.
If you dragged me to the doctor every 6 weeks to get a manicure against my wishes, I'd pee on your car seat too.
my parents cat puss pus was banned from the vet at 6 months old, the vet came to us for rabies and "emergencies" but otherwise his bhaviour made him not suitable for the vet. (we took him for his neuter, they took him told us all would be fine and off we whent...that afternoon we come back to get him, hes growling in the carrier like a wild beast, the examination room had gouges in the plaster walls that hadnt been there that morning and the vet cme in with his arms bandaged up. followed by the vet tech who also had various "patches", theyd had to put him in the bird box in the end just to sedate him enough to get him under.
since then we do vac at home on him...
Tempi growls...alot...she doesnt like being restrained (heck even touched) by anyone but me, i can do anything need to but other people even try to pet her and they get a hiss...BUT shes managable...i think shes more vocal than anything else...
Willow...she loves attention in any way shape orform and a trip in the car means shes geting attention lol. she actually sems to like the vet as long as they rub her chin and scritch behind her ears!
My friend had a cat who was so aggressive at the vet that she was also 'banned'. The one and only time she had an exam they only managed it by spraying ketamine in her mouth while she was screaming (this is a very outdated technique that would probably never happen today). She ended up living to almost 22 without any vet visits until the final one. She was also tiny...it was kind of funny how incredibly vicious she was.
Wow, why put her through such obvious trauma every 6 weeks? Why not just learn to clip them yourself? I don't think I could ever torture a cat by dragging her to the vet every 6 weeks, just to get her claws clipped. That's just insane.
If you dragged me to the doctor every 6 weeks to get a manicure against my wishes, I'd pee on your car seat too.
I think it would depend on the situation. My cats MUST have their claws clipped very regularly. I live with my mother, who is elderly and has a very poor immune system. She actually just got over a very bad infection from a cat scratch. Since declawing is not an option and they pull off soft paws, they have to get clipped. Luckily I can do them both easily at home (JJ I can do by myself, Robin will bolt so I need a holder), but if I had they would go in even if they hated it. It's better than rehoming them or having them hurt my mother accidentally. Some cats also have nails that grow faster than typical and can curl under.
The vet went to put her hand on Gracie's ear and Gracie cringed and I mean cringed as though she were waiting for a blow. The vet was surprised. I was surprised. Gracie stayed in cringe postition for a second or two. The vet then began petting and talking to her so she relaxed.
I'm not saying this to scare you, but have you tried handling Gracie's ears since? Does she react like this at home, and if so more in one ear than the other? My Heather was okay about handling her ears her entire life, but she developed a brain tumor when she was eleven. One of the major signs that really started to make me suspicious was she started acting like contact with her left ear really hurt. The tumor was putting pressure on the nerves.
It could be many other things, not necessarily a tumor, but if she's doing this consistently and didn't in the past you might want to get the ear canal checked.
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