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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

My cat

19 replies

spring2011 · 13/01/2011 23:43

Im sorry if this is the wrong place to post but ive put it in the pet section but the response there is very slow and need some feedback, also just put in the chat section as very tired and thought it was was this forum im new and heard AIBU has alot of traffic.

Ok here goes

My cat is having his booster injection in a couple of weeks and I am shitting myself, he is six years old, a couple of times he has been ok but the last few times it has really stressed him out,

Getting him into the pet carrier is a job in itself but once we get to the vets he completly freaks,

He is such a gentle lovely boy at home, he still pads and licks me, my clothing, even a quilt or blanket if im under it, anything that is close to me,

Last time when the vet went to give him the injection he went for the vet, she jumped back and demanded he had a towel was put over his head, I just feel so bad putting him through it but I know I have to,

He didnt come near me or the kids for days after, Do I put him through this every year or not? He rarely goes out so what are the chances of him getting the diseases this booster offers immunisation against?

OP posts:

charliesmommy · 13/01/2011 23:46

Going out once is enough.. I would take him and get the injection done. Is there a mild sedative you could get from the vet to give the cat before taking him perhaps?

Ladyofthehousespeaking · 13/01/2011 23:50

I think they definitly sense when you're nervous so just stay as chilled as possible- what I do is take the carrier out the night before so it has time to accept it being there, and get a piece of chicken/ham to lure cat in with.

But tbh your vet doesn't sound very nice- s there a different one near you? Our vet is really nice and makes a massive cuddly fuss of the cat and them goes in really quickly with the injection

Original poster

spring2011 · 13/01/2011 23:59

I am not sure, last year when we went the vet did mention that he had freaked previously but didnt suggest a sedative or anything,

As soon as we got him out of his carrier, which was a struggle in itself I tried to reasure him and he scratched me, He was shaking, the minute the vet went near him he went for her so she demanded a nurse come in and cover him with a towel.

I feel so bad as he is a soppy git, I dread this time of year.

Its also hard getting him into the carrier, I got it out a few days before and put treats in it but he wont go near it, it took 3 of us last time to force him into it.

OP posts:

Original poster

spring2011 · 14/01/2011 00:00

there are about 5 different vets at our surgery not sure thats the right word or not but you just get who is on at the time

OP posts:

MadamDeathstare · 14/01/2011 00:10

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster

spring2011 · 14/01/2011 00:26

They also do a general general health check up ( weight, although he is a big boy, teeth and all over body check) he seems ok with that but the minute they try to inject him he freaks,

I was really suprised last time as he scratched me quite badly and i was shocked at the vets reaction, My son came in with me and he was very shocked, both at the way my cat and the vet reacted,

Its booked fot two weeks on friday so I will have to go as Will do whatever it takes to help him but it isnt gonna be easy,

OP posts:

AngusOg · 14/01/2011 00:28

There's a spray thing you can buy from the vet that mimics the queen's hormones and is supposed to make cats calmer. Maybe this would work if you sprayed it on the blanket in the carrier?

I tried it in a house/ country move. It worked for the first 160 miles... then I had to stop and find an emergency vet for a sedative to take me through the next 570 miles!

LaraJade · 14/01/2011 00:35

My cat actually has 'aggressive' on her records at the vets!! I have solved the yearly vaccination-and-check-up issue by getting a cheap carry basket from wilkinson. You can unclip it so the top lifts off and the cat stays in the base snuggled up to a familiar blanket. A towel over the cat's head really works. It would be crueller if the cat got ill from missing vaccines. Mine caught a serious lung infection - had to stay in vet hospital, cost 600 quid, and was distressing. Is ok now. Good luck.

whatkatydidathome · 14/01/2011 00:38

feliway is the name of the hormone. He needs the injections. Loads of cats die from the diseases that they vaccinate against. Will the vet come out?

igetmorelovefromthecat · 14/01/2011 00:57

I got told (by a vet) that once you have had the first lot of jabs yearly boosters are completely unnecessary as the cat is protected for life. Though you could run into problems if you need to use a cattery.

If you do want to get them done then try and find someone who can do it by coming to you, there are plenty of mobile vets etc.

dikkertjedap · 14/01/2011 01:24

A few years ago it was in the news that vets made a lot of money out of unnecessary annual boosters for cats. Not sure how to find this article now but was reported in several newspapers and possibly also the BBC website. Does anyone else recall this?

dikkertjedap · 14/01/2011 01:38

here

onceamai · 14/01/2011 05:51

I have the same problem with my cat. Our vet is lovely and she always has one of the nurses in with her. I take an old fleece of mine and wrap him up in that as I take him out of his basket at the vet and they then swaddle him in a towel so he can't scratch and it's all very low key. Forewarned is forearmed.

BaggedandTagged · 14/01/2011 05:58

My vet said once every 2 years is fine (except rabies which although it doesn't technically need to be done every year, is required for immigration by most countries so if you got your cat rabies tested and innoculated because you move a lot, you need to keep the jabs up to date or Kitty's off to cat jail).

onmyfeet · 14/01/2011 06:36

I agree on buying some Feliway. You can use it from when you buy it until after his shot. It will not hurt him, my vet suggested it for our old cat. Our cat would freak out at the vets, the assistant wore big leather gloves and would wrap her in a towel.
www.vetuk.co.uk/feliway-products-c-1
You can also get Valium for cats, from your vet.

mathanxiety · 14/01/2011 06:49

I have to wear oven mitts and an old thick jacket to wrangle my cat into the laundry baskets we use to get her to the vets (she won't go into the cat carrier without a heckuva fight) and she's meek as a kitten (some kitten other than her obv) when we get there.

minnisota · 14/01/2011 06:57

The other thing you could try is Zylkene. It's a stress reliever, I used it on mine when they kept getting cystitis and it did the trick.

You would need to start giving it a couple of weeks prior. You can get it from the vet or it's cheaper from www.viovet.co.uk/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=zylkene
It's non prescription (as not a drug) one a day.

Agree also with Feliway.

I was told 15 months tops for boosters...
HTH

Original poster

spring2011 · 14/01/2011 07:21

Thankyou all for your comments, I will call the vets today and ask what they suggest,

I am going with my sister, she has 3 cats and we get a discount by getting them a all done together, one of them is my cats brother and he is no problem at all,

I will also get his carrier out today so he has a couple of weeks to get used to it being around, He slept on my bed last night which he hasn't done for ages, He usually leaves my room once I turn my light off, I think he knows I was talking about him,

OP posts:

theevildead2 · 14/01/2011 08:12

It won't help you when you get to the vets, but if you leave your cat's carrier box out all the time with the door open and a shiny new blanket (maybe some catnip on it?) it might be nice for him to get used to being comfortable with it so you don't have to shove him in when you go to the vets.

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