Nervous about going to the vets

[Canwegetanothercat]

Vet appointment today at 3:30 for my two cats and I have stomach ache I feel so nervous about it. There’s nothing wrong with them, they’re just going for check ups, vaccinations and some flea and worming. But it’s the stress it causes them. It’s the thought of trying to get them into their carriers. One of my cats is very big so we have a foldable large carrier which is meant as a travel crate. So that’s less stressful than trying to squeeze him into a smaller space while he’s fighting me, but still it’s not easy and I’m worried I won’t be able to get him in. And then listening to them cry in the car on the way, I hate them being in distress. I know it’s necessary to go but I feel so much anxiety about it knowing that they’re stressed out.

The clinic is a 15 minute drive away. I’m just basically wanting some people to tell me that my cats will be fine and they won’t hate me and they won’t be traumatised! I know this, but hearing from other people who have cats that also despise the vets and get very stressed will ease my nerves a bit. It does them no good for me to be anxious as they may pick up on this. Is there a way for me to make this easier for them?

I am a vet my own cats act like this when they have to go into the clinic, they the act like princesses in the clinic lapping up the attention room. They cry all the way home and then ignore me till their next meal!

How is the best way to get them into the carrier? My cats are a lot bigger than they were when I first got them. Once I had to cancel a vet appointment because I just couldn’t get boy cat into it and he kept escaping from my arms. I’ve heard to wrap them in a towel so they can’t wiggle around… is this ok to do?

I put the carrier on the floor on it's end with the opening facing up and drop the cat in.
Ours hates the car and and vet and it is stressful but she's fine once we're back home and has had a sulk and some treats.

Top loading sturdy carriers make it so much easier, like this: https://amzn.eu/d/fq7dxN6

They won't be traumatised, and it has to be done, just provide their favourite treats when you get home to say sorry!

I wrap mine in a towel and load them in feet first if they don't cooperate. Then remove the towel and shut the lid at the same time, lol.

Wrap them in a towel so they can’t do the flying squirrel with their back feet. And don’t worry about the trauma. They will be fine, just talk to them and let them hear your voice. Then treats and apologies when you get home.

Mine wail like they are being murdered en route. I must admit it's never bothered me as I just felt it's what cats are like.

When we get there cat 1 does her best world's saddest cat. She has to be prized out of the carrier and whimpers.

Cat 2 marches around confidently like he owns the place, puts up with the vet examining him brilliantly and then decides he is fed up and resorts to ultraviolence. At this point the vet gives up and decides he's healthy.

Wails again on the way home but forgiveness is fast.

Have you checked to see if there's a mobile vet in your area? We have one and he comes out in his pet ambulance and you can just carry them to it on the drive. It's so much less stressful. We even had our boys neutered this way so they could recover at home on the sofa and not in stressful cages surrounded by other animals.

But I'm sure they will be fine. It is so stressful though.

Does your vet do home visits? I used to do this for one of my cats who just so stressed. It's pricey, but worth considering.

I could have written this exact post about 9 years ago when I adopted my first ever cat. I'd always had rescue dogs before so the vets wasn't a big deal.

I was absolutely traumatised the first time I tried to get my cat into the carrier and that was after trying to catch him. He picked up my vibes and hid in a hidey hole where I could barely reach him. After that came the short car journey which seemed to take half my life as he cried pitifully. It was beyond awful and I was shaking.

Now I stand the carrier on end and load him in feet first. It was a revelation. It hasn't stopped him from trying to hide though and obviously he still cries horrendously on the way to the vets but you've just got to harden your heart. Honestly, I'm the biggest softy but if I can do it you can too OP.

Elton is a very sickly cat, so spends half his time at the vets. He now hates it and after a few episodes of ultraviolence (love that phrase) we now have to dope him up on Gabapentin. This takes some of the feist out of him, but also means he's off his tree (literally!) for about 24 hours. I hate the whole process but it has to be done. Would also recommend a top loader by the way - I don't think we could transport him any other way.

After a few run ins with my hyperthyroid cat when she needed bloods, I'd just take her in and ask them to put her straight in the zip up bag.

A few vets would be 'Oh no, we don't want to do that except as a last resort!'

They soon learned.

Cat was far far less stressed just going straight in the bag and muzzle, bloods done in seconds and out, than prolonged cat wrangling, attempts to wrap her in a towel and then eventually putting a livid cat in a bag.

To get in the carrier I use the towel wrap and reverse her in all wrapped up like a burrito. Ideally you want a carrier where the top half comes off completely, so in the consult room you can just take the top off and the cat can remain in its own carrier/blanket base if it prefers and you don’t have to drag them out while they cling on to the inside of the box…

There are cat friendly vets - they might only see cats as patients, or they might have things like a separate waiting room/consult room (ie away from dogs) - and often the vets and nurses will have done extra training to handle cats sympathetically.

No cats love going to the vet to be honest, but if your cats get really stressed (salivating/vomiting/aggressive) then your vet can prescribe some pre visit sedatives to give the night and morning before which will help, and travel sickness tablets if needed.