Taking your cat for a check-up at the vet every year is important but doing so can be very stressful on you both. So how do you make the trip less stressful? First, we need to consider how our cats feel after being put into a carrier, taking a scary car ride, then arriving at the vet with strange noises, smells and scary strangers. Fortunately, there are a few easy steps we can take to diminish the fear of the trip to the vet's office.
1) Make the transport carrier a part of daily life. Keep the carrier out and accessible at all times. Keep a favorite blankie and some toys inside to encourage your cat to explore and rest inside. Now the carrier is a safe place familiar to your cat.
2) Train your cat to be a road warrior! Don't wait until you have to take your cat to the vet. Get your cat used to riding in the car beginning as young as possible.
3) Travel on an empty stomach. Like people, pets can get motion sickness too. If you avoid feeding your cat before traveling, you can decrease the chance that your cat will get carsick.
4) And finally, talk with your veterinarian. He/she is sure to have some tips on how to help calm your cat while at the vet's office.
NOTE: My mom had a beautiful ginger boy (pictured above) who was terrified of going into the carrier. We would give him a little bit of catnip ahead of time to relax him, and then gently place him in the carrier. It worked like a charm. I would caution that some cats get hyper from catnip and this method would not work for those cats. Experiment ahead of time to see how catnip effects your particular cat.
No comments:
Post a Comment