If I offer to stay with my cat for a ga will they think I’m mental? He is seriously big and feisty.

[Fluffycloudland77]

Last time he needed a ga for a blood test because sedating him wasn’t enough when he was in the crush cage. He’s a big cat and a Bengal who is not afraid to get scratchy bitey if needs be. My 6’3” dh can’t contain him, he’s a strong animal. I have more success with him.

He needs another dental and because he’s 10 a liver/kidney function test. If I offer to stay while they do it do you think they’ll let me?. He’s a highly strung cat & I think it would help.

I really don’t like him having so many ga because I worry he won’t wake up.

I doubt it... My eldest needs sedation for blood tests and any other procedures as well. We tried initially with me holding her but the vet is really safety-conscious and won't do anything if she thinks there's a real risk of her/the nurse or me being bitten. My previous vet was the same - she seemed more worried about me getting hurt in fact, maybe insurance issues for their practice if an owner complains? I put my cat into a crush cage for them these days as she lets me handle her and then they sedate.

And there are probably all sorts of insurance and health & safety reasons to not allow owners present for procedures.

Anesthesia carries a risk of course but it's generally considered very safe and routine.

It's a perfectly sensible request, especially if the vet has met Asbo and wants to keep his skilled surgeon's hands to help other animals drive his smart new jag.

They can always boot you out if they need to.

Don't you worry for a moment - Asbo will be absolutely fine. It would take a full on ISIS attack over the city to make a dent in the lad's unquenchable zest for life.

The vet is insisting I stay with ddog ....

Many practices now encourage owners to stay with the pets while they are sedated as it leads to less stress and a better recovery.

Could the vet give you some oral sedatives to give him in advance to take the edge off?

Sedatives don't work on asbo, he needs a ga to be manageable.

I didn’t mean replace the GA with oral sedatives, but give the sedatives in advance when he is home and calm. They will relax him a little bit and make the blood taking and the administering of the GA easier. It’s the sort of thing we do with horses that are needle phobic, but of course it doesn’t work with every animal.

They don't work on asbo. He is unmanageable without ga.

Ask the vet in advance whether they would prefer for you to stay and help manage him, or not. In my experience, it depends very much on the individual vet and the support they have at the practice - one vet we used was very competent at cat wrangling with a nurse who came a close second. Another vet was obviously a dog person and their nurse didn't seem to realise that scruffs are pretty useful at time...

Fluffy I would do it.but do you want me to ring Nurse Lee and ask him? He's had Mr C on the slab so he knows about The Spirited Cat (size XL).

Fluffy, can I ask for tips on you get Asbo to the vet's in the first place? My older cat is 15 now and needs a routine check up - we've missed these year on year as we can't get her into the cat box. She goes into full angry fight mode and it's not safe for anyone to continue trying.

The vet has given me sedatives for her but they just don't work.

It's getting ridiculous. Luckily she's fine and healthy with good teeth, but she needs her check up and jabs.

@Fluffycloudland77 you can only ask. Our vet reckons that our presence makes his job more difficult. My cat would need a GA for anything more than a quick jab, we can't even do his clip his claws.

@AutumnCrow perhaps it would be worth investing in a new cat carrier. Make it comfy with a towel / old jumper / blanket, chuck a couple of favourite (small) toys in it and leave it in a 'snnoze' area so that he gets used to it.

Our cat carrier is always out and the cat sleeps in it. We've managed trips to the vet and my cat treats it as a safe place. My cat is enormous, strong, and very feisty.

@MrsCatE we have a lovely big cat carrier and I'll try leaving it out with toys and a blanket in it. I've tried before with just a blanket and it didn't work - she effectively went to live under a cupboard - but it's worth trying again. Thank you for replying.

It takes two strong adults to put flea treatment on this cat. Who'd have thought an older, female, spayed car could be so incredibly powerful?? She uses claws, back feet, teeth and all her shoulder strength to resist being held.

From my experience they would let you stay for the sedation and when the animal is coming round if need be but not for the actual procedure itself. In our practice cats are not put straight under GA without some form of sedation first (usually ketamine).

Autumncrow

I scoop ours in by cornering him in the ensuite and when he has to get in I use the door in my hand to push his bum in.

He has figured out standing up like a mere cat makes it a lot harder though.

I'm going to write to them. They clearly thought I was nuts when I cried dropping him off last time so my reputation is already tarnished.

We have to give the sedatives in the car park to ddog, and it's full ha for anything more than a vaccination (which takes two adult males to restrain) he hates the vet!

Smurf cat gets a special cuddle the morning of the vet appointment, it involves trapping her in the hallway with the doors closed so she has nowhere to go.

I put her in the carrier and head off as soon as possible, we use an empty room at the vets to get her ready and I take the top off the carrier, hold her close to my chest and hold all paws, a 2nd person puts her "special" tee shirt on her, head over first and then a quick scruff to let the tee shirt fall down covering back paws, secured around the back with several clips and the sleeves and it becomes like a straight jacket not tight enough to hurt her but enough to restrict the flailing paws and claws

While this is happening, one hand is loosely over her face, thumb and forefinger under her chin (like a muzzle) and her eyes covered.

While the vet examines her I keep her eyes covered the whole time as it keeps her calm, she is 13.5lb of paws, claws and teeth, they are the most dangerous not her lovely fluffy belly and fur

Her main freak now is when she is done and her eyes uncovered and she realises she is in the v-e-t-s and is happy to run into the offered carrier to escape.

As a result of this, she is OK and doesnt panic overall, when she needed GA she was given a liquid sedative when we got there, just me, 2nd person and her as it was given and then we went out and sat in the car until the vet was ready,

I went shopping until she was waking up and so the first thing and last thing she saw was me as I was sitting beside her (cos never been away - wink)

Yes ask if they will let you stay to keep cat as calm as possible, I also had a little bag for her with me as while coming around she soiled herself and carrier so changed puppy pad underneath and cleaned it out while she was cuddled, she also got her teddy and cuddly blanket for the journey home

Smurfcat is clearly a cat to be reckoned with! Asbo would be most impressed.

I have ordered him a personalised fleece for recovery. Baby blue with cerise stitching. He can take it with him on the day.

She is bigger than when this pic was taken, she is all cat.

When she got home, I brought out the treat food that she loves but I only buy occasionally - www.petshop.co.uk/Gourmet-Soup-Tuna-and-Shrimp-Wet-Cat-Food-40g?gclid=CjwKCAiA45njBRBwEiwASnZT53Vdip7r4uKRlBOsWlC1ZgN1Fqjc42iepV2im75HZoEhijdA_VepJhoCVUoQAvD_BwE

She really enjoyed it as had been fasting, she didn't want to go back to her normal Gourmet food - not spoilt at all

Love the name ASBO btw

She looks so innocent! Her tails magnificent.

Asbo is his non de plume. Cozietoesie gave it to him when he was younger.

You might want to google Curver carriers. They are large and really well designed with a hinged lid on the top and a sturdy carrier handle which locks into place - and a small flap to put your hand in to reassure as long as the cat isn't enraged!

It's very much easier and less stressful to get the cat in than with any type of hinged gate design.

Always much admired at the vets!

They look a little bit like those things you see babies being carried around in, but enclosed. It's made of that weave-effect plastic you get with other Curver items, so there a small spaces all around and the cat thus feels less trapped I think.

Mine hated the standard carrier but are much calmer in this and more manageable at the vets as a result.

They can be surprisingly strong and....loud can't they. The howls of outrage during a blood draw from one of mine penetrated the waiting room two floors above and made a fierce looking GSD tremble like a leaf!

Oh Fluffy, blue with cerise! you must have the fear a bit, but take heart. Even on MN GAs are safe.

well, safe for asbo, wouldn't like to say re the vet.

Sedatives don't work on me or Dbro either - it's cocaine and valium all the way. What about that?

just had a little bit of a second thought abt rec'ding a speedball for asbo. What do you think cozietoesie

Asbo is his non de plume. Cozietoesie gave it to him when he was younger

I had no idea. I thought he really was Asbo and I love the name!

He’s called Bertie.