Advice on anesthesia prep

I recently adopted a 5-year-old male, and at his "intake" visit with my vet (the day I brought him home), the vet suggested a teeth cleaning in a couple of months. My problem is that I know I will have to withhold food that morning, and this guy goes NUTS at mealtimes. My former cat used to get upset when her food dishes weren't there, but she was more passive and just complained a little. This boy is totally different. Even though he has food available at all times, he is used to being fed first thing in the morning, and he vocalizes, jumps around, and generally goes crazy until I get his plate down.

Anyone have any advice about how I can deal with him that morning? It will be HOURS before I can take him to the vet (we get up very early). I fear that the minute he sees that his dishes are gone, he'll go crazy. I've thought of trying to keep him in the bedroom with me until it's time to get him into the carrier, but, again, he's used to eating when I get up, so I'm sure he'll go nuts in the bedroom if I try to keep him in there.

tbh I would just shut him in the bedroom and ignore his protests - better than him vomiting and choking under anaesthetic! There's not an awful lot you can do to distract a cat that attached to his food (my Jacob is the same, goes absolutely bonkers if his meal is 2 minutes late) so I would just make sure he is safe and leave him to complain - it's for his own good even if it is distressing to listen to!

I agree with Epona. If you feel it's going to be too horribly bad, talk to your vet. They may take him in the day before and keep him overnight. We do it all the time at the hospital I work at.

THANKS for both of your excellent suggestions. I'll probably choose to confine him that morning until it's time to leave. Although it would be better for ME to bring him the night before, I want to spare him that stress, especially since he spent a month in a cage at the shelter. I think a cage at the vets would be too stressful for him.

I hope everything goes okay for your kitty and you. It sounds like a fairly short visit and minor procedure, so hopefully your kitty will only be there a little while and then right back to his normal routine.

Nobody likes the dentist.

Also I bet they'll let you be there when he's waking up out of anesthesia, I'm sure your voice will be very comforting to him, and then he won't be sitting there in a lonely cage wondering where he is.