Today is the start of Take Your Cat to the Vet Week!
Our Friend Jane Harrell from Petfinder.com created a Take Your Cat to the Vet Week public event on Facebook inviting pet parents to take the pledge to make sure their felines get the medical attention they need and deserve.
Did you know that there are 15 million more Cats ruling habitats in the United States than there are pet dogs? Yet Cats only go to see the Veterinarian half as often as dogs. Since Cats are in charge of their homes, this is part of the problem, our dislike for the cat carrier, the stress of travel, being out of our element, and worse yet not being in control.
Listen, we Cats need preventive care too and regular check ups can help find any health issues that might be sneaking up on us. This is super important, so Petfinder.com has provided helpful Tips for Taking Your Cat to the Vet. If you take a moment and peruse the tips, I think you will find them very helpful.
I, need help with learning to like my ~shiver~ carrier. So I read through Jane’s ” Get Your Cat to Like His Carrier”. Jane lists 10 tips to help ease cat carrier anxiety. These tips are helping too. Did you notice that I didn’t
Me, in my carrier. Don't I look relaxed?
shiver when I typed cat carrier that time?
My cat carrier is accessible to me most of the time. During the terrifying thunderstorm season, which is still going on, my carrier is open and ready in case we need to make a mad dash to the basement. When my carrier door is open, there is a nice soft blanket inside and usually one of my favorite toys, like Teenie Sardini. Sometimes when my parents aren’t looking I even sneak inside the carrier and take a little nap.
I will admit that I need more practice with the closing of the door, and being picked up inside the carrier. And then I will graduate to the walk around the block, and a short car ride while I am inside my carrier. I will tell you that being inside my carrier is not on the top of my list of things to do. But going to the Morris Veterinarian Clinic is very important for both my and my parent’s health.
It doesn’t help that Mercy is like an angel in his carrier either. He really just gets in the carrier and sits quietly until we arrive at the Clinic. He is a cat of few meows. Whereas I yowl and whine and foam at the mouth almost the entire time. There it is, I said it. Now I will make an effort to do better.
How does your Cat like going into the carrier and riding to the Vet’s office?
Fingers is perfect in his carrier. Nibbles sounds like he’s being beaten to death and will literally tear off his claws trying to get out.
Oh yes. I forgot to tell you that they like the carrier better if I put in one of my T-shirts that I have worn recently 🙂
Some of my cats are ok with the carrier, but some act like they are in a shark tank! Flip, flopping all over the place and yowling like they are being treated so unfair. Usually once they get in the truck (all seat belted in, they seem to relax a little and I just talk to them the whole time like I do when we are at home just relaxing. I even make up songs and stories to tell them. By the time we get to the Vet’s office they are quiet and very well behaved, most of the time. I always leave the big carrier out at home with a blankey in it too. The hardest part is when I have to take more than one at the same time, because if one gets “excited”, the rest usually follow suit 🙁
My Willow will take naps in her carrier —- as long as the door is off. The minute I put the door on the carrier, she’s invisible. I have to be sneaky to get her in the carrier and then she cries all the way to the vet, but once there she’s fine.
Poor Gracey behind bars! My guys hate going in the car, and being carried in the crate, though they are ok with the crate itself. At least you don’t have to stay in there for very long! skritchies and calming thoughts for you.
My Smoki howls and yells the entire time. Then, it escalates to growls once inside the vet’s office.
Once I am inside the vet’s office, I am extremely well behaved. 😉
I have one who loves the carrier, especially as a place from which she can spring out and attack the other cats. She used to go into it when it thundered or rained very hard, but now that we’ve moved, she has better access to Under the Couch and Behind the Cabinet. We have a smaller habitat now (overall; living space is about the same) so I guess the thunder and rain are much louder to her, so having multiple hidey places means the carrier gets left alone now.
When we use it for transport, we always line it with a clean towel so that they don’t slide around so much and in case of accidents. It doesn’t keep them from meowing for the entire 20-minute drive to the vets, tho. 🙁
Janet,
I understand. Sometimes I have an accident in my carrier either on the way to or the way home from the clinic.
Do you make sounds like none heard anywhere else????
Well, yes. And I get so worked up that I foam at the mouth. It is not a good thing. Very stressful on my parents too.