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All My Children Discussion Group
I have a problem! Our cat, Sweetie, MUST go to the vet. We've never had her to the vet because she was a feral stray when she began hanging around here about a year ago. She does not socialize with other people, is terrified of everyone except us, and fears entrapment. However, we placed a trap in the laundry room, sprayed it with cat nip spray, and tossed in some toys that were also sprayed. Surprisingly, she will go in and retrieve them. These have been practice sessions to determine if we could get her to go into the trap.
Since she'll require surgery, she's allowed no water or food after midnight. She would go to the vet the next morning. We're not allowed to sedate her to calm her. I'm terrified that she will injure herself in the trap because she may go berserk in there once she's actually trapped. My daughter just had the same thing happen with an adopted kitten and the poor thing slashed it's paw, tore out nails, injured it's throat, and had an abdominal hematoma.
What if Sweetie goes berserk and possibly hurts herself? Will all of this be too much trauma for her? Btw, I'm not the person who brought her in the house. I planned on trapping her outside but Mr SB somehow got her inside the house and she has never wanted to go out again. Surprise! She's now afraid of the outdoors!!
We use Feliway plug ins and cat nip spray to try to relax her. It helps, but this poor cat is never going to be normal. It's sad to see how emotionally fragile she is. Makes us wonder what happened to her. Sorry if I rambled. I'm ready to pull my hair out.
Any advice????
I agree with I & B that the soft sided carrier is a godsend. My baby MamaMia was a feral stray when I took her in and I pretty much did what Ingy suggested and eventually got her used to her carrier with treats and a towel inside which she used for a bed for the longest time. Before she became diabetic had has less frequent trips to the vet, she was pretty good about going in the carrier. She's not as good now, but once in, she settles down relatively quick.
About the prozac, please do ask your vet about that. My girlfriend has a hypersensitive cat and travel to and from the vet was a nightmare. Her vet gave her a script for liquid prozac and she gives it to her kitty the day before in a very small dose and it has made a world of difference. It wears off the following day and it is a less traumatic experience not only for her kitty but for her as well.
Good luck Songbird! Let us know how it goes.
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Songbird, all three of our cats (we found them under our porch when they were tiny kittens) hate being taken to the vet or to the boarding kennel (part of the vet's complex) where we placed them for a couple of vacations just after we adopted them. They apparently didn't do well in the kennel; one kitten, my favorite, would eat almost nothing while he was there.
We eventually stopped boarding them or even taking them to the vet altogether, which we know is not a good idea. So I am benefiting from the suggestions you get here. The idea of a soft carrier seems absolutely brilliant to me. And I may also ask the vet about trying Prozac or another ant-anxiety drug for pre-visit.
This place is pretty terrific, isn't it? Good luck with Sweetie . . . stray, even feral, cats can be the most wonderful critters in the world!
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I feel for you, Songbird. Wendell was apparently feral before we adopted him and he seems to be capable of bonding with people only to a certain extent. Like you, we had a hard time getting him into a cat carrier for vet trips in the beginning. (He still doesn't like it but at least he complies.)
I have a few suggestions for you:
1. Consider a soft-sided carrier as opposed to a hard carrier. That might reduce the chance of injury to Sweetie if she acts-out at being confined since there are no metal doors, hard surfaces, etc.
2. Keep the carrier someplace where Sweetie can't help but pass by it multiple times a day. Make sure the carrier door/flap is always open. Place toys or treats inside at the far end. Whenever you see Sweetie enter the carrier, praise her. If she'll allow it, reach in and pet her a bit. The idea is for her to associate the carrier with positive things.
3. Place a small pillow or cushion, a folded up towel or a small blanket inside the carrier to encourage Sweetie to think of it as a bed. She may get comfortable enough to hang out or nap inside the carrier. She needs to think of the carrier as her private, personal space.
4. [Except for occasions when she's allowed no food before a vet visit] after Sweetie enters the carrier and before you close the carrier completely, drop a treat inside so Sweetie gets a reward for being confined. Then give her another treat in the car and one more inside the vet's office. She shouldn't need any treat for the trip home as she will already be motivated to get back to her normal environment.
5. You might also consider putting Sweetie on Prozac or some other medication that will help her cope in general. We ultimately placed Wendell on Prozac (a tiny dose) and it has made a tremendous difference. I only wish we had put him on it sooner. He is much calmer (but not sleepy, sluggish, or ''drugged'') and his personality is sweeter because he is no longer constantly on the defensive. He is much more playful now and generally speaking just a happier, more comfortable cat. Our vet thinks that eventually, Wendell can come off the medication completely but for now the Prozac has helped take the edge off for him. Consider talking with your vet about what options might be appropriate for Sweetie.
Good luck to both of you. Sweetie is fortunate to have a mom who is looking at things from her perspective and trying to find solutions instead of just getting frustrated with her. Let us know how it goes.
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Songbird, can you let her stay out (of the trap) overnight with no access to food or water and then get her in the trap in the morning just before you have to take her? If she's anything like my cat it will be a mostly sleepless night for you as you listen to her complain, but I don't think you'll get much sleep anyway if you're worried about her hurting herself in the trap. This will be a difficult experience for her (and you) but hopefully once she's home she'll forget about it pretty quickly.
Good luck!
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