Transporting Cats to the Veterinarian
Cats are most comfortable with the familiar, and need time to adjust to the unfamiliar. Many cats dislike going to the veterinarian, and that starts with the difficulty of getting the cat into the carrier. If we can make this step easier, the entire veterinary visit will be less stressful.
What Type of Carriers are Best?
The best carriers are hard- sided carriers that don’t collapse inward on the cat. Scrunch up a medium sized towel and place it in the carrier so that your cat can burrow under the towel. We recommend also covering the carrier with a towel, but leaving a small window so that your cat can look out of the carrier, if she would like to. A lot of cats, however, feel less anxious if they do not see out of the carrier.
Helping Your Cat Become Comfortable with the Carrier
The goal is for your cat to learn to associate the carrier with positive experiences and think of his or her carrier as a safe place.
Make the carrier a familiar place by leaving it in a room where your cat spends a lot of time. This should be done months ahead of the visit if possible.
Place a towel or other material in the carrier to make it comfortable for her.
Routinely place treats, catnip, and toys inside the carrier to encourage her to spend time in the carrier.
It may take days or weeks before your cat starts to trust the carrier. Give rewards to encourage positive behavior. For example, if your cat is sitting in or near the carrier, reward her with a treat, affection, or play.
Getting an Unwilling Cat into the Carrier
If your cat needs to go to the veterinarian right away, and is not yet accustomed to the carrier, the following may help:
Start by putting the carrier in a small room with few hiding places, such as a bathroom. Bring the cat into the room and close the door. Move slowly and calmly. Cats can sense our anxiety or frustrations, which may cause them to become fearful or anxious. Encourage the cat with treats or toys to walk into the carrier.
If your cat will not walk into the carrier, and your carrier has an opening on the top, gently cradle your cat and lower it into the carrier. Another option is to remove the top half of your carrier while getting the cat to go into the bottom half, and then replace the top.
Other techniques that can be used if previous ones have failed, is to put your cat into the carrier back end first or to even put her gently in a pillowcase before placing her in the carrier, leaving the end of the pillowcase open so that she can get out of the pillowcase once in the carrier.
Anti-anxiety medication
Sedatives often do not cause cats to be sedate, but rather take the edge off.
Prescription Medication
We recommend gabapentin. Although not a true sedative, it often works well and is one of the safest sedating medications. Gabapentin should be given 2 hours ahead of time for an adequate effect.
Natural/Alternative to Sedatives
Zylkene capsules (Should be started one week beforehand for full effect).
http://citycatpharmacy.com/product/zylkene/
Composure treats
http://citycatpharmacy.com/product/composure-bite-sized-chews-calming-support/
Rescue Remedy