Taking cat to the vet for the first time

[Cat0727]

So we recently adopted a cat and we are taking her to the vet this week. I am just wondering what the visit will be like & what to expect. I have a dog and when we take him for a check-up we have to muzzle him because he freaks out and to prevent him from biting in fear. How do vets preform check-ups on cats when they have teeth AND claws? I don't want to go in on Thursday not knowing what to expect...Thanks in advance

 

[Imzadi]

Do you have a cat carrier?

 

[MichelleVW]

I take my cats to the vet in a cat carrier and they are pretty good when they get their shots. They just chill usually.

 

[HeatherH]

Is your cat aggressive or skittish now? What is his/her temperament?

You definitely need a cat carrier, preferable one with a top load as well as a front load. Line it with a comfy blanket or towel. If your cat is combative, you may need help getting him/her into the carrier.

At the vet itself...honestly, most cats are FINE. I'm amazed at the treatments and procedures that my cats have tolerated VERY well at the vet's. I think they just know that this is for their benefit, plus the vet and vet techs do a great job of knowing how to handle a cat. NEVER an issue. I was even amazed at how easily one of my cats got back IN to the carrier (he was a problem getting in to it) until a vet tech told me "they are always better when they know they are going HOME." Yeah, I think he's right.

Honestly, I wouldn't worry about it, the vets know what to do. Just be sure you have your side ready with the right kind of carrier and making the whole experience of transporting as stress-free as possible for your cat. Good luck!

 

[Cat0727]

Do you have a cat carrier?

Yes, we do. Although when my dad took her home from the shelter she wouldn't go in the carrier though- the volunteer had to pick her up and drop her into it.

Is your cat aggressive or skittish now? What is his/her temperament?

You definitely need a cat carrier, preferable one with a top load as well as a front load. Line it with a comfy blanket or towel. If your cat is combative, you may need help getting him/her into the carrier.

At the vet itself...honestly, most cats are FINE. I'm amazed at the treatments and procedures that my cats have tolerated VERY well at the vet's. I think they just know that this is for their benefit, plus the vet and vet techs do a great job of knowing how to handle a cat. NEVER an issue. I was even amazed at how easily one of my cats got back IN to the carrier (he was a problem getting in to it) until a vet tech told me "they are always better when they know they are going HOME." Yeah, I think he's right.

Honestly, I wouldn't worry about it, the vets know what to do. Just be sure you have your side ready with the right kind of carrier and making the whole experience of transporting as stress-free as possible for your cat. Good luck!

Thanks! She's a sweet, sweet girl. When she hears noises from outside she'll run around the apartment and hide under the bed or couch. The most aggressive she gets is when she gives love bites, but she doesn't bite down hard.

 

[Imzadi]

You definitely need a cat carrier, preferable one with a top load as well as a front load. Line it with a comfy blanket or towel. If your cat is combative, you may need help getting him/her into the carrier.

Yes, this can't be reiterated enough. My cat LOATHES being put into a carrier.There was no way of pushing her into a front loading one. There were sounds that came out of her that no earthly creature could possibly make. She turned into Cujo, the cat.

My vet finally told me to get a top loading one, (where the cover comes off) and to place her inside. Luckily, the carrier I got, does both. So I can grab her, put her in, then place the cover over her.

Try to grab her and pick her up from behind. That's how the Vet taught me to do it.

The first time she was at the Vet, since she was so freaked out about the carrier, they gave me extra time to be with her in the room alone, to get her adjusted.

I set the carrier on the table and took the cover off. The Vet looked at her mostly in the carrier. But, Kitty actually came out on her own and she was fine. I made sure she stayed on the table.

She had no problem being put back in the carrier. I think she knew it was time to go home.

 

[christiane]

Most cats are incredibly well behaved. Leave her in her carrier while the vet talks to your about her history & any concerns you have. That way she can come out if she wants but can also stay in if she feels better that way. Your vet should ask lots of questions --diet/appetite, thirst, litter box habits, whether she goes outdoors etc.

While you are talking, your vet should be quietly observing her to see if she is frightened & may act out. Body language is very important in cats! Ears back are a bad sign! Of course, hissing,growling & striking are obvious clues.

If she is calm, she should be gently taken out her carrier. I agree about top-loading carriers, they are the best. A plastic carrier with a top that is easily removed or a Sherpa Bag are great. I hate seeing cats "dumped" out of front-loading carriers.

Your vet should do a complete head to tail exam & take all of her vital signs. After the exam, they should tell about any abnormal findings & discuss what care she needs during the visit as well as future preventive health care.

If your cat is very frightened but is generally co-operative an experienced vet should still be able to do a good exam with perhaps a towel covering her or an assistant holding her. There are also kitty muzzles which are cover the eyes & mouth (with a hole for the nose) which are easy to place & work quite well.

If your cat acts out to the point she may hurt someone, a cursory exam will be done & your vet may suggest sedation to complete the exam. Another option would be to take her home again & try another day perhaps giving her a sedative at home a few hours before her appointment. This is rarely necessary.

Some vets just aren't good with cats & can elevate the cats fear. If you find this to be the case, find another vet who is good with cats.

Good Luck!

 

[Cheshire Figment]

When I am taking the cats to the vet, a day or so before I will put an "H" harness on the more skittish one (who hides). This is the one with two separate but connected loops, one around her neck and the other around the body just behind the fron legs. I will hook a neon pink four foot lead to the harness.

Then when I have loaded one cat in the carrier I am able to find her. Also, she does not realize that I can grab the lead and gently pull her along. Have you ever tried to get a cat out from under the middle of a king-size bed, even using two people? Since the loop for the lead is on the back side of the harness, behind the shoulders, the pull is on the body and not the neck.

And at the vet, if a cat has a problem the technician will wear a pair of heavy leather gloves that go back to almost the elbow to protect hand and arms from claws.

 

[puffkin]

My one cat absolutely loves going to the vet. She purrs and carries on. She loves the attention. She will let the techs carry her all around to "visit". It is a very large practice with lots of employees, so a visit with her takes awhile I honestly don't know why they all like her so much, but she gets tons of attention and eats it up. That being said, she HATES the carrier. We used to have a front loader and it was awful trying to get her in there. As soon as we opened the door, she bolted out. Now I have a soft one that the sides fold down. I just fold them down and stick her in the middle and quick bring up the sides before she can jump out. Works much better

The other cat is terrified of the vet. She loves the carrier and is hard to get out. When she does get out, she tries to bolt. When I hold her she just shakes. I hate taking her. She will let the vet examine her, but she is a nervous wreck.

Definitely go with a soft sided carrier that you can fold down or a top loading one!

 

[supercarrie]

We brought home two young kittens about four weeks ago. So far they have had several trips to the vet (once for their initial consult, and twice each as they ended up with a bacterial infection, and once this weekend for their vaccinations).

Not sure if it is their young ages, but although one of them HATES being in the carrier in the car (while the other relaxes and sleeps on his blanket) they both do very well at the vet. Both of them love sitting in the vet's arms as he gently checks them over. Even getting the vaccinations wasn't too bad. The drama queen yelped a small amount but didn't claw or freak out, and the other one just sat there calmly.

Our first consult consisted of having their vitals checked, and lots of discussion about eating and sleeping habits, food, behavior, etc.

 

[LiLIrishChick63]

i have 3 cats and none of them have ever bit or scratched the vet. one time when one of them was a kitten they took their temp and he didn't like that at ALL and he bit ME, but they've always been pretty good at the vets. they're usually too scared to do much else but just sit there lol.

good luck!





eta: for those of you who have problems with the pet carriers, have you ever thought about a harness and leash for your cat? i know it sounds silly, but we do it for one of my cats. he doesn't really like the carrier, he enjoys the car ride and seeing everything so we have a little leash and a harness we put on him so he can look around but not bolt away from us.

the vet loves seeing it when we come in, they think it's cute having him on a leash. espically since he's so small, he's only 9lbs(and he's fully grown, that's as big as he's gonna get).

 

[Imzadi]

eta: for those of you who have problems with the pet carriers, have you ever thought about a harness and leash for your cat? i know it sounds silly, but we do it for one of my cats. he doesn't really like the carrier, he enjoys the car ride and seeing everything so we have a little leash and a harness we put on him so he can look around but not bolt away from us.

My kitty LOVES driving in a car without the carrier. She meows the whole time in a car if she's in a carrier. But one of the problems is getting her from my apartment into the car. She wouldn't be able to handle being on a leash in an exposed area.

Second problem is that once she's looked around & explored the car, she wants to curl up in my lap. It wouldn't be (much of) a problem if the car didn't have an airbag. But, no way am I letting her sit in my lap with one.