Ours cry on the way to the doctors office but is completely calm once we are there and on the way back.
He was returned back to the adoption center a few times. I wonder if he’s traumatized from that and is afraid he’s getting out up for adoption again but he’s calm once he realizes he’s not.
One of my previous cats used to get so stressed in a carrier that he would pee in it. Then, he’d have to get a bath afterwards, making the whole situation even worse for him and us. My partner did some research and bought a couple of soft sided carriers that didn’t look at all like hard ones the cat was used to. We unzipped all the sides, decked them out in blankets that smelled like our cat and then liberally sprinkled them with treats. Within a couple of days, our cat had come to think of these as cat houses instead of carriers. When he needed to be zipped up in it, he was docile and willing. He thought of it as a safe space, and it helped lower his stress levels when he was taken outside the house in it. Those carriers are now constantly in use as cat houses in our home. It was truly one of the best cat tricks I ever learned!
Our cat would get so stressed when I tried to put her in a carrier that she would attack me. I still have a scar on my left arm where she bit me hard enough to sink her canine teeth all the way in. I had to cancel the vet appointment that day because I was bleeding profusely and the cat was hiding somewhere in the house.
After that I bought a soft carrier, too. Mine is called “Cat in the Bag” or something like that. It’s literally a canvas sack with a zipper, a carry strap, and a head hole with velcro adjustment. I just pop it over her head, adjust it to fit, then zip her up. She’s contained but her head is out and she can look around freely. She still doesn’t like it, but she doesn’t freak out and go into fight mode.
I moved and took my cat to a new vet near my new house. That vet was not great with him, kind of rough, and we could hear dogs barking constantly, so he was already stressed before the vet even started.
I’ve never seen that cat so upset. But I got him home, he left the carrier, went a few steps, and flopped on his side, and I knew all was forgiven.
I never took him back to that vet - I ended up taking him to the previous vet instead. Much longer drive but they were already familiar with him and his issues, and were much better with him, so it was worth it.
When we adopted another cat, we started using a different vet local to us that we still use (the first cat passed away years ago).
Getting my cat in her carrier is a nightmare. Shes kinda big and gets frightened really easily. Shell be yowling murder as soon as I manage to put her in the carrier. I used to be able to trick her to get in on her own with treats, but she wised up and snatches the treat and runs out… so I have to pick her up and drop her in, which only makes her more angry.
Try rolling her up in a blanket and put her in head first. We use this on our big boy, and ut works like a charm. Sure, he’s mad and yells about it, but once he’s in he relaxes.
Everyone tells me similar experience with taking cat to a vet. For me, vet is actually the lightest part, but the transport and putting cat into a case is a nightmare, no matter where we go.
A way of getting a cat into a carrier I’ve found is, wrap the cat in a blanket and then have someone else go get the carrier, so they don’t know what’s happening until it is too late
That was the only method that really worked for my first cat - an enormous stray. So now I do it by default. It seems mean, but it doesn't hurt them and any method that takes less time I think is less traumatizing. I hope?
Same. Once at the vet, shes chilled out, if a bit scared. She mostly tries to hide or get off the vet’s table. But getting her in the carrier in the first place, goddamn. I hate it. She puts up such a fight.
for me it’s getting the calico into the carrier. once they’re in it’s cake. the tortie even walks around in the vets office and both of them are so calm for the vet
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