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I'm looking for some advice. My kitty, Sadie is 15 years young. She is a loving angel at home with me...and with my immediate family when they are over. She knows and loves my mom and two sisters...Anyone else...she turns into a little pistol. ESPECIALLY...at the vet.
Here's my problem. This weekend...I felt a lump on her chest. It's under her fur...and it's large enough that I'm scared to death - and I need to have a vet look at her. The problem...is that she is SO nasty at the vet...that they basically just throw a towel over her to give her shots...and send us on our way. They can't even get close enough to examine her. (they've listened to her heart...but can't hear over the growling!)
So...what do I do? Will my vet "drug" her so that they can look at her? Last time I had her teeth cleaned...they put her out...and told me that it's dangerous for "senior" cats. I'm sooooooon nervous.
Last edited by BelizePlease; 10-26-2009 at 03:17 PM..
I agree with a cat specialist or maybe try a mobile vet that someone recommends so they come to your house. I LOVE my vet but I know my babies hate going and the stress on them stresses me out for them. I know many of us feel your pain....at least my dogs love to go for a car ride, the cats not so much. Best of luck to you, your baby is beautiful! Keep us posted.
You are not alone...many cats detest that visit to the vet and act accordingly. Since this is something that absolutely needs to be checked out, call the vet before hand and discuss this with them. They may suggest them giving you a mild sedative to give to your cat before your appt. Something to calm her down. I assume they have all her records on file? Or they may suggest something else. They would not put her completely under with the anesthesia as they did when they cleaned her teeth for the exam.
Our older cat is pretty good at the vet, at least he was last time until they, um, took a temperature that I'm not comfortable with, and I know what is going on and why they do it. He bit my hand pretty good on that trip. But we did get a towel around him and he was ok.
The problem...is that she is SO nasty at the vet...that they basically just throw a towel over her to give her shots...and send us on our way.
Sorry, but that's not acceptable. No way, no how.
Vets - but really more it's the technicians - must be of a level to be able to safely and effectively restrain a less than accommodating cat. If your vet cannot provide this level of service (which in my book is really the bare minimum because an animal needs to be fully examined at least annually) then you are doing your animal a disservice.
We have a cat that was a resident of a feral colony. Suffice it to say, she doesn't "do" vet visits. Planning for our annual trip is an exercise that makes the military look disorganised, that's how "bad" she is. What we found made all the difference was if I restrained her. Bad enough she had to go at all, but being restrained by a human she trusts (or at the very least makes the food show up on time ) made all the difference.
Also, it may not be about place. It may be about smell in which case whether you take the animal to a vet or a vet comes to you.... it will make no odds. Vets smell like vets.
If you are happy and confident in your current vet, then I'd suggest talking to him/her and discussing tactics. If you think you might use the opportunity to move on, then a feline-only practice would be a good option.
We've got one of those kinds of cats. Sedation really is the only way it works for him, and even the sedation is pretty rough- until the drugs wear off, he knows something is wrong with him but he can't figure out what it is.
It's not ideal, but it's the only thing that works for a cat who is sweet and loving at home, but gets scared and has gotten 'danger kitty' stickers on his chart at three different vets.
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) made all the difference. 
