When we adopted Lucky last year, it had been over seven years since we’d brought a new cat into our home. In that time, we’d changed our focus from travel writing to pet writing and, with that, learned an all-new appreciation for the many things that we can do in our lives to keep our cats both healthier and happier.
I’ll be honest: through the years, our cats have hated going to the veterinarian’s office. Even our cats who never went to the vet for anything more than routine visits hated the visit, starting with the cat carrier and going all the way through the car rides to the office visit.
This post is sponsored by Merial, a world-leading animal health company, providing a comprehensive range of products to enhance the health and well-being of pets, but all opinions are my own. Please see below for additional disclosure.
And while it is painful to see our cats stressed, it is even more unfortunate that the difficulty that many people face taking their cats to the vet means that cats receive far less veterinary care than their canine counterparts. Sadly many owners forgo vet visits–including immunizations, especially for indoor cats–due to the challenge of taking the cat to the vet.
But immunizations and vet visits are a vital part of keeping your cat healthy. In 2013, nearly 500 domestic animals within the United States contracted the rabies virus, and cats accounted for more than half of these cases.1
Merial, the maker of PUREVAX® Feline Rabies vaccines, is encouraging cat owners to ensure that their cats are vaccinated against rabies infection. Is your cat overdue for his immunization? Take a moment and make an appointment with your veterinarian.
And, it is also a great time to help your cat become more relaxed regarding vet visits, making it easier on both your cat and on you. Here are five steps we took with our cat Lucky after his adoption to set him up for a lifetime of more relaxed vet visits:
- Show your cat that the carrier is a safe place. If your cat only sees the cat carrier as it’s brought out on the way to the vet, he’ll associate the carrier with stressful times. Leave your carrier out and open. Hide toys and treats inside. Make it a great place for a nap with the addition of a crate map. Once your cat is relaxed around the carrier, consider feeding him at the carrier door or inside the carrier itself.
- Reward your cat upon crating. Don’t turn the act of crating your cat into a rodeo. Wrestling your cat into the carrier will only result in extra stress for both of you (and probably scratches for you.) Make crating a game. Toss treats in the carrier. Use a wand toy to encourage your cat to jump in and out of the carrier. Pick up your cat and place him in the carrier just for fun, not related to any vet visit.
- Make the car ride a fun time. Does your cat only see the inside of the car when he’s headed to the vet? It doesn’t have to be that way! Once you’re comfortable crating your cat, take him out to the car, secure the crate with the seatbelt, and enjoy a little drive, even if it’s just around the block. Talk in a happy tone to your cat so that he can associate car rides with fun.
- Make a trial run to the vet. The first time Lucky visited the vet, he never left his carrier. I crated him up, drove him to the vet’s office, walked inside and placed the carrier on the counter, and made an appointment for the visit. The receptionist talked to Lucky and he enjoyed the attention. We left and when we came back the next week for his visit, it wasn’t a new, scary place but the place where the nice lady had talked with him previously.
- Stay calm and get those immunizations. When we get stressed, our cats pick up on it so our sense of calm can go a long way toward keeping our cats calm. Do everything you can to keep yourself calm during the drive, wait, and vet visit, from your tone of voice to your breathing. Consider spraying the inside of your cat’s carrier with artificial pheromones to mimic the scent of a nursing mother cat, a way to help your cat feel safe and secure.
Keep your cat healthy and happy, the best way to honor the bond between you and your feline family member!
Merial partnered with bloggers like me for its PUREVAX Pure Protection program. As part of this program, I received compensation for my time. Merial believes that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words.
Sources:
1 Dyer JL, Yager P, Orciari L, et al. Rabies surveillance in the United States during 2013. JAVMA. 2014; 245 (10):1111-1123.
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