How does your cat behave at the vets?

[GalileoHumpkins]

I took my cat to the vet on Friday for his yearly check-up, he got weighed had his vaccinations etc. I gave him Gabapentin beforehand at the vet's request because he gets extremely stressed and can be a bit hissy.
I felt afterwards that the vet made a lot of snarky comments about what a horrible cat he is, asking if we dared to touch him at home, how lovely and sweet other people's cats are, does he terrorise us etc. He's a lovely little lad, he loves a cuddle and smooshes his head in our faces to get kisses. He sleeps on my pillow at night and purrs so loud.
Is everyone else's cat a perfect angel at the vet or is it natural for them to be a bit scared and defensive? I should add he's never physically injured the vet, just hissed and tried to get away from her.

We’ve always had easy peasy time at the vet with our two. Until injections last week. Dear me! Eko was fine until our gorgeous vet said he was a bit tubby and needed to go on a diet. And then it got dangerous 😁
He got really angry and hissing and trying to bite. He’s literally never behaved like that in his life. He’s a total pudding.
Now there were dogs and cats in the waiting room which may have stressed him out but I really do think it’s a little coincidental it was immediately after the D word was mentioned 😁

When I first took Woody as a young kitten, he strolled of the cat box and flopped compliantly on the table, purring his head off. The vet cooed over him and admired his beautiful whiskers, I stood there feeling like I was interrupting a beautiful moment between two lovers 😲

Ours growls and that's it. He even growled while licking treat off vets hand. He's 6 months and due to get castrated. Last week one vet told me I should get him done soon to sort his attitude out. He didn't growl when he first went but I guess he learnt he will get something done he doesn't like so now growls. He also doesn't have this "attitude" at home. This is first time he has seen this vet and I'm hoping not again. All others have been very slow and try to calm him.

It’s normal but there are some vets who just don’t like cats.

My cat is very well behaved at the vet. She lets them examine her, administer eye drops, vaccinations and so on, no problem at all.

It's a whole different kettle of fish at home when I'm the one attempting to examine her and give eye drops etc. It just took me about a month to cut some dried poo out of her fur. 😐

Ours wails her head off the minute she is in the carrier, and has on occasion even weed in the box, but in the actual vet’s room once she’s out of it she is surprisingly fine. I usually get DP to take her and he always complains about her fussing, but had to go myself last time and was amazed how good she was on the table, even when she got the injection. The vet said she was very brave, unlike me who (inexplicably) started crying!

Mine are very chilled and gentle anyway. But Cheddar tried to get her head under the scales, as she thinks we can't see her.

One plays dead and won't budge out of his carrier, and makes you drag his listless heavy body onto the table. The other one comes out with a bit of a nudge. Then proceeds to mark me and makes a fuss of me, and looks at me as if to say please don't let them put me down.

I recently registered my tiny old girl who looks like a kitten at a new vets and they wanted to take routine bloods. Even with two of them they couldn't get near her. And she is truly the most friendly, affectionate and attention seeking ball of fluff you could meet.

My 19 Yr old cat is fabulous at the vet
I do feel some vets are scared of some of the animals
I was positively enraged when a vet after faffing on for 15mins taking his blood pressure decided he needed to go to other practice as they had different equipment .They didn't I asked .
She stayed behind his back end at all times while telling me he was now blind .
I asked her if she wanted to actually look into his eyes .she blanched
Ahh to this day it still irritates me
Next vet thought he was gorgeous as he purred away and let her examine him completely
There honestly was no difference in my cats behaviour in both visits
I did make a complaint .

That's not very nice, a vet shouldn't be bothered by a bit of hissing. Zara just cries (she's a baby) and Bibi becomes a rock of passive resistance. She's a big cat and just hunkers down and solidly refuses to move, to leave the carrier, to get on the scale, etc, whilst giving absolute death stares. Seriously, if looks could kill. She went for her booster last week and the vet thought it was funny.

I think mine is too thick to realise she is at the vet, she likes to wander around investigating things, wanders over to sit on the scales, sniffs the ultrasound machine, looks out of the window.

One of ours LOVES the vet! He’s a rescue who was brought in injured and I think understands that they help him. He completely sucks up to them, turns into a complete sap, flops all over them and gets alllll the fuss from them all.

The other is also a rescue and came with the notes “doesn’t love the vet, but the vet loves him!” And turns into a bit of a hissy nightmare.

This is mad to me because if you met my cats, they behave the exact opposite at home- the one that loves the vet is more likely to bite you and hiss and the one that hates the vet is a complete cuddle bug!

Thanks for sharing your kitty stories 😊
The terrifying beast has a follow up appointment in a couple of weeks with the same vet, after that I'll take him somewhere different.

Cat 1: Stressed but remains friendly and allows himself to be handled. Heart rate high, ears down but completely compliant.
Cat 2: Won't get out of the carrier, you have to take the top off. Won't sit still to be weighed but allows checks and vaccines. Doesn't hiss, growl or anything (and she was born feral)
Cat 3: Cuddles vet to death
Cat 4: Aloof but tolerant and lets it all happen

They're all different. Cat 1 and 2 are tricky to catch and put in the carrier at home but neither will ever try to scratch or bite. Cat 3 and 4 can just be picked up and put in the carrier.

Cat 1: happily gets in my car, visitors cars, neighbours cars. Very placid and easy to get into cat box. Fine on the table, once he’s found his bearings likes a little explore.

cat 2: hides if cat box is out. Yowls as though being murdered in the car. Flattens herself to the table. Requires vet and vet nurse to deal with her. Sulks for at least a day post vet visit.

my mum’s cat is bloody Houdini and it takes 3 of us to get her in the box. Fine at the vets then willingly gets back into box. Sulks and has protest poos once home.

So our two cats used to be ok, to the point of purring and lying down on the table for strokes. A few months ago they went in for a dental and I don’t know what happened, but one had to be sedated - I took him recently for his routine jabs and he turned full on feral - trying to kill the vet! He ended up being forcibly pinned down in a towel in his carrier and I heated in the bum rather than the scruff and the vet said he’s not welcome back unless I sedate him first! She was really rough with him and called him a little bugger, angry cat etc.

i think we need a change in vets because he never used to be like this, he’s the most friendly cat you could meet! I don’t know how to go about changing vet - do I just turn up at the new one and make an appointment?!?

Oh I'm so sorry he had such a scary experience, bless him. Just ring a different vet and make an appointment, I don't think it will be a problem.

You win!

Do you plan to tell them why? A genuine question, I don't know if I would be bold enough. My little love is terrified at the vet, glues himself to the table, tried to slide off so I have to block him, poor love. Of the 3 vets he has seen at the practice, two were obviously much more comfortable with cats, the 3rd was okay, not unkind or anything, but I always ask for an appointment with one of the other two. My chicken-out answer is that they have seen him more often so are familiar with his history, when really it's because of how they are with him..

When I first got Eric vet was so scared, he did injection and was afraid to do his chip. He was a 10year old feisty male. I offered to hold the cat and brave vet managed to chip him. Don’t know how he copes with aggressive dogs.
later found a calming spray for his carrier and it has certainly helped. Also noted he has never been bad to a fe,
male vet. Your vet sounds like he is in the wrong job

There are three vets at my practice. They're all good and able to soothe stressed cats but one of them is simply amazing - when I get him, my big scared tabby just cuddles up to him like he's known him forever. Some vets just have the magic touch.

Mine is ridiculous at the vets. Rolls over purring for tummy tickles, tries to curl up on the scales, gets all behind the vets computer etc if allowed, miaows her head off. Refuses to get back in her basket to go home presumably because she's having such a great time.

Cat One has a red flag warning on his file. They get out the welding gloves to check him over. Never has any vet or nurse said anything negative about him though they all seem relieved when it’s not him in the carrier. ☺️

Your vet sounds completely inapt. A good, empathetic bet wouldn't say those things to a paying customer.