Edmonds Veterinary Hospital Cat Care

Some cats will travel willingly with little complaint....most cats do not. They don't like change, they don't like the motion and they don't like that carrier. The carrier is often stored in a garage or closet so our cats don't get anxious. Given that cats like things the same, this is the opposite of how we should expose cats to travel.

Here's some suggestions and links to help cats be more comfortable with transportation:

Traveling made easier-Click here

Choosing a carrier-Click here

Other suggestions-Click here

Cats are taken to the vet less frequently than dogs. That doesn't seem right.

Top Five Tips for Calming Cats (Shared from the Catalyst Council website: www.catatlystcouncil.org)

Keeping Cat Veterinary Visits Stress-Free ? For Everyone

For some cat owners and veterinarians, cat veterinary visits should earn them hazard pay?but it doesn?t have to be that way. Here are some simple tips that can make the experience less like ?Dirty Jobs? and more like ?Dream Jobs.?

For Cat Owners:

1. Make your cat travel-savvy. Get your cat used to traveling. Start them at a young age for your best results.

2. Make the carrier your cat?s ?home away from home.? Make it a comfortable resting, feeding or play location. Keep the transport carrier out and accessible in the home, not just when you?re taking your cat somewhere.

3. Let them play ?peek-a-boo.? Let your cat have a hiding place in the carrier by placing a towel or blanket from your home inside the carrier, and drape another one over part of the carrier. Using a familiar blanket or towel from home can also provide your cat some comfort while at the veterinary office.

4. Mix it up. Think about it ? would you be happy getting in the car if every car trip meant a trip to the doctor?s office? Mix in some fun trips, or maybe a social visit to the veterinary office just to get a treat or two.

5. Travel light. If you don?t feed your cat prior to travel, you?ll make it less likely to get motion sickness. Plus, if it?s a little bit hungry, your cat might be more interested in the treats your vet has to offer, and it could make the visit more pleasant for your cat.

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What Kind of Carrier?

Click here for a video on carrier training for cats

The carrier on the left has latches which make it easy to remove the top.

The carrier on the right has a twist type 'screw' that is easier to remove than the traditional type screws

Soft sided carrier such as the one to the right are nice because they typically have several ways for a cat to get in and out of the carrier.

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Other Helps

Food: Withholding a meal may be helpful in preventing motion sickness during a trip. A hungry cat may also be more easily enticed out of the carrier once arriving at the veterinary office.

Feliway Spray: This is a pheromone based spray that is a natural way to help calm an anxious cat. Spraying a towel 30 minutes to an hour prior to travel can help to make the visit to the veterinarian go smooth. Feliway is also used to help with some behavioral problems such as scratching and inappropriate urination not related to urinary tract infections.

CatNip: Catnip should be used carefully and you should get to know how your cat reacts. For some cats it will distract them, some will become hyper or more agitated.

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