Hello everyone!
I brought home a feral kitten home a little under a month ago (her name is Suki and she's about 12 weeks old now, and I've posted about her here before!) and she has come out of her shell a little bit! She will now play with me and let me sit right next to her when she eats, she will run out to meet me when I bring her food, and she will come sniff me (even without treats) but then retreat back to her bed to watch me for a few hours. I am so proud of her. She still hisses if I approach her too quickly, but she calms when I quietly tell her it's okay. She will eat in my lap if I hold her food bowl, but I haven't tried to pet her in weeks, I don't think she is comfortable with that. This is all great progress I think, but I am very worried because I need to take her to the vet for the rest of her vaccinations (she didn't weigh enough the first time I took her) and I know this can be quite stressful for cats, especially scaredy cats like Suki. I'm not too worried about getting her into her carrier, I leave it open and she likes to hide out in there sometimes. But I am terrified about how she will feel about getting a wellness exam. I am especially anxious about not being able to be there with her in the room due to Covid. I am very protective of her and I take her progress very seriously, so I've been researching the best clinics around me.
I'm wondering if you guys have any experiences with this and can share any tips on how I can make this trip less stressful for her? Thank you in advance
I brought home a feral kitten home a little under a month ago (her name is Suki and she's about 12 weeks old now, and I've posted about her here before!) and she has come out of her shell a little bit! She will now play with me and let me sit right next to her when she eats, she will run out to meet me when I bring her food, and she will come sniff me (even without treats) but then retreat back to her bed to watch me for a few hours. I am so proud of her. She still hisses if I approach her too quickly, but she calms when I quietly tell her it's okay. She will eat in my lap if I hold her food bowl, but I haven't tried to pet her in weeks, I don't think she is comfortable with that. This is all great progress I think, but I am very worried because I need to take her to the vet for the rest of her vaccinations (she didn't weigh enough the first time I took her) and I know this can be quite stressful for cats, especially scaredy cats like Suki. I'm not too worried about getting her into her carrier, I leave it open and she likes to hide out in there sometimes. But I am terrified about how she will feel about getting a wellness exam. I am especially anxious about not being able to be there with her in the room due to Covid. I am very protective of her and I take her progress very seriously, so I've been researching the best clinics around me.
I'm wondering if you guys have any experiences with this and can share any tips on how I can make this trip less stressful for her? Thank you in advance