Unsuccessful Trip to Vets

[Blacktip]

So Eddi is due her yearly checkup. We live quite rurally and the vet we used have stopped their clinics in our village so is now a half hour drive away. We got her in her carrier and in the back seat with me. Her crying was heartbreaking to hear. She doesn’t miaow which seems to make it harder to hear. She was clawing and head butting the carrier and managed to break out. We stopped the car, calmed her down, back into the carrier and just came home and cancelled the appointment for now. Has anyone any tips as I assume she needs her yearly vaccine. We wondered about a soft carrier but worry about her ripping it with her claws. Thanks.

I’d have carried on and got it over with tbh, she’ll need to be traumatised again now. If she got out of a hard carrier then I’m not sure if I’d chance a soft. When was the last time she was vaccinated? I’d perhaps wait until the local vets are open again

Is the carrier secure?. What type is it.

I would also have carried on. Get a better carrier that she can't escapee from!

She was last vaccinated in March 2020. There is no local vet now. The one we use used to do a couple of surgeries a week but have stopped that completely now. I know I wish we had carried on now but it was so awful and I was worried about her breaking out again. Does anyone know of a really strong carrier.

Get a wire box carrier which secures with a rod at the top, we use them at CP, they are easy to get cats in (up to a point) and there is no way they can break out. Then grit your teeth and take her there, talking soothingly as you go. You may find she prefers being covered up in the carrier, or she may prefer to be able to see out.

It is one of those hard plastic ones where the door clips on and it was the door she burst through. To be honest it doesn’t look that good quality, her owner gave it to us when we rehomed her.

Perhaps a fabric one will be better as long as it’s strong. She’s not going to be able to unzip it.

I would agree with the wire box carrier, safest one out there.

I find spraying feliway around the car really helps mine. I wouldn't say they enjoy it but they don't seem to panic quite as much.

What a shame OP.

I'm always a bit jealous of other peoples' success with Feliway - it's never worked for any of mine.

My Bengal is a bit stressy in her basket, and my vet gave me a spray last year called Pet Remedy. It's just a little bottle, it contains essential oils, which did really help my girl. I sprayed a couple of squirts on her blanket and a couple on the basket's exterior and she was purring away in there. It's a weird smell though, kind of musky/earthy, but it definitely did make a bit of a difference. My vet sells it of course, but you can buy it from Amazon etc, the wee bottle is less than a fiver.

I've got a curved picnic basket style one. I don't see how the mist determined Houdini could get out if it.

I also found pet remedy more effective than feliway.

Have you tried leaving the carrier permanently out at home, and putting treats in it from time to time?

Mine aren't as bad as yours but I get their carriers out a week to 10 days before a vet appointment so they get used to them being around and it seems to help.

You can get carriers that are airline approved, they are bigger than normal carriers but very secure.

These are the wire carriers mentioned upthread fetch.co.uk/mdc-white-plastic-coated-pet-carrier-401454011?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIwaPny7vE7wIVkzUrCh1_Xgx7EAQYASABEgJiOfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
You can buy covers for them as well which help a lot of cats. You could just cover it with an old sheet/pillowcase either. Yes, to Pet Remedy too.
The plastic carriers often have plastic clips which aren't the sturdiest for a determined cat!

We had this problem with one of ours. He would get really distressed. He had a fabric carrier and he was pushing against the mesh so hard that he would have a raw, bloody nose by the time he got to the vet.

We got him one of those airline carriers in a large size (it was twice as big as the old carrier). He still meows but isn't nearly as distressed.

@Arbadacarba

Have you tried leaving the carrier permanently out at home, and putting treats in it from time to time?

Mine aren't as bad as yours but I get their carriers out a week to 10 days before a vet appointment so they get used to them being around and it seems to help.

This.

If the only association she has with the carrier is cars and vets then of course it's stressful. You need to build some positive associations

Thanks for all the responses. We did have the carrier out for a few days before and she had a good sniff at it but that was all. She is not a cat who is into treats or food unfortunately. Sometimes we have to put her right in front of her food to remind her to eat. I have ordered one of the wire carriers and some spray as advised. All advice is much appreciated as we are first time cat owners

Here she is 😺

Zylkene for a few days in the run up to the next attempt may be worth a try. You can get it on line from pet shops or Amazon. Doesn't work with all cats, but seems to calm most to a greater or lesser extent.

Oh she’s gorgeous! Our cat liked zylkene.

Ours were far happier in a large kittening crate than a carrier. You would then need to get her in a carrier to get from car to vets.

Aw she is gorgeous!

Yes I agree with zylkene for a few days or there is also another brand that your vet might stock along the same vein that’s very good (sorry, name is escaping me). You could also ask for a home visit but I presume the call out charge that far would be extremely high as you’d have to pay for their journey time to yours and back as well as consult fee.
She might be frightened but you will know she’s safe and secure if you get a wire carrier and she will soon be back home again. I would secure her cage in the boot with bungee cords or on the back seat using seatbelt to hold it in place, put a blanket over the cage and totally ignore her till you arrive. All the best with the next attempt.

Several thoughts

1. She is torti her tortitude means that whenever you do something that she objects to she will complain - this is the torti way.
2. Feliway and an L-tryptophan ( zylkene is one, nutracalm is another) containing product work synergistically together so have a greater effect than just one alone.
3. The cabrio cat carrier is the very best cat carrier out there, secure, strong and cats seem to dislike it the least. I see every kind of carrier there is and this is always the one I recommend.

What a darling! She looks big and strong too.