Prepare your cat for veterinary visit

Many cats are unfortunately afraid of veterinary clinics and that makes us cat owners anxious. So what should you do to take your cat to the vet in the most comfortable way? In this article, you can find recommendations to consider when taking your cat to the vet.

To understand your cat, you must look at things from the cat’s perspective.

1. He is hugged (or worse, caught) from her territory, then finds herself in a small box. Since she was a baby, she hasn’t liked this box much. Because every time she enters this box, there are things that stress her (vaccination, examination, travel, etc.)
2. The box is usually located in a noisy car or in a crowded journey on public transportation. If there is a dog on public transportation, it stresses out your cat even more.
3. Your cat arrives at the veterinarian clinic at the end of the trip. There are also many different animal scents here which is an another stress factor.
4. As if your cat weren’t stressed enough from the examination, now a stranger examines her and touches the places she doesn’t want touched.

Actually, when you look at this story, it wouldn’t be right to blame your cat. Even though each experience is quite stressful, the stress level rises as they all come together.

How Should You Take Your Cat to the Vet?

First of all, you should definitely take your cat in a carrying box. This is the safest and most accurate method for your cat. If you carry your cat on your lap, there is a high risk of fear and jumping from your lap. At the same time, it will not be protected from other animals in its environment, at the same time, your cat can attack and hurt people and animals around him in times of stress and fear.

Choosing the Right Carrying Bag

The carrying bag should provide your cat with a safe environment on the way to the veterinary clinic. With the right carrying bag, it is possible to reduce the stress of this journey.

When choosing a carry bag that will be used for a long time, some factors should be considered.

1. It is important that the carrying bag is easy to clean.
2. The bag should be large enough for your cat to move or lie in comfortably.
3. Ideal bags are strong, light, waterproof and have a door wide enough for the cat to get in and out of easily.

Whatever carry bag you choose, you should place a towel or a small blanket on the floor of the carry bag. In this way, your cat will both have a comfortable environment and minor accidents that your cat will experience while going to the veterinary clinic will no longer be a problem.

“It’s also very important that the cat box opens from the top. Thus, you can easily take your cat out of the box in the veterinary clinic.”

Things to do during the trip

The cat, who does not want to go to the veterinary clinic, is also very stressed during the journey. But first of all, the safety of the cat must be ensured. It is important that the carrying case is placed securely inside the vehicle. One of the last things you want is to experience a cat escaping from its bag while traveling. If you suddenly brake, make sure the cat’s carrying bag does not fall. It is quite risky to take your cat to the vet in the car without a carrier bag or box. During the journey, you should avoid hard braking, sudden acceleration or sharp turns.

Tipp: Cats mostly want to hide and don’t want to be stared at or startled. So covering the carrier case with a towel can prevent visual stimulation. This allows cats to significantly reduce their stress.

Arrival at the Clinic

With the presence of other animals’ scents at the vet, the hardest part is often arriving at the clinic. To reduce this a bit, you can make an appointment for relatively quiet times of the day. Even calm cats can be aggressive at the clinic since it is a place where you are out of control. Unfortunately, you have little control over how your cat behaves.

Sedatives can be helpful to patients suffering from such complaints, so ask your veterinarian for a recommendation. If your cat already show aggressive attitudes towards your veterinarian, please inform your veterinarian before the veterinary visit.