- Joined
- Mar 24, 2015
- Messages
- 4
- Purraise
- 1
This may seem like a really dumb question, sorry!
I've had my 8 year old cat for about 3 years, and he has been taken to the vet once - right before I adopted him. Big Boy was around 18 lbs when I first got him, and still is around 18 lbs (18.5lb-19) now. He's just a very large cat, not quite over weight more like a little chubby with extra muscle lol! The vet told the foster that he was perfectly healthy and was good to go, got his shots, and he's strictly an indoor cat now - and his health is great. Nothing I see amiss.
The problem is, I feel like a TERRIBLE owner for not bringing Big Boy to the vet for a yearly check-up. But I feel like if I were to bring him to the vet, I would see...irreparable damage to his mental health and trust? I'm not sure if this makes any sense, but I feel like he wouldn't trust me, would not let me touch him, and probably wouldn't eat and will hide for like 4 months. This needs a little history...sorry if it's a bit too long.
Big Boy was a rescue cat, abused for about 2-3 years and was rescued by a foster. The foster had him for 2 years, and he got adopted out twice but the owners relinquished him because he took too long "fitting in" to their household. Then here I came!
When I first adopted him, he refused to even look at me, or let me touch him for 6 months. I honestly almost gave up. I adopted him along with his foster friend (completely different backgrounds though), and while he got along with the other cat, he did not adjust well AT ALL. He vomited frequently out of nervousness, and if I were to startle him in anyway on accident (closing doors too loudly, stepping too close to his comfort zone, rustling a bag), he would run away and hide in the closet, cabinet or his own claimed permanent living spot at the time, at his litter box.
He's a VERY sweet cat, and very hard to get him to trust you to even pet you. After 6 months, he came around and very slowly, and very nervously, let me pet him, play with him, and he is a fantastic little cuddler!
After about a year and a half, I had to go away to another state for about 2 weeks. My sister hung out with him for about 2 months with me at the house daily, so he got used to my sister very quickly. When I left him by himself with my sister after I left, he freaked out, vomited, and ran out side the house. I ended up doing a U-turn and coming back, finding Big Boy all dirty, lost, and confused, and scolding my sister. I had to leave, so I went away again, and when I left my sister told me he had vomited out of nervousness almost every day (I told her that you need to pet him before she goes to bed, and when she did that, he stopped vomiting). At first I thought his vomiting was a medical issue...but he never vomited when I was with him (only during the first few months I had him). Only if I leave for over 24 hours in the house, he would always vomit once. Not sure how he does it, or if he forces him self to do it, but I always come back to my house within 24 hours so he hasn't vomited in a long time (only occasional hair balls).
He also liked to sleep on top of my sister, and for a 18lb cat...it's a bit unsettling if you aren't used to it. Turns out she shooed him away at night and that action alone took him ANOTHER 4 MONTHS for him to trust me enough to get on top of me again.
Then I moved once more, and during that time he refused to get out of the top of the refrigerator for about 4 days, coming down only to eat.
Then I moved again, and he hid underneath the bed for about 2 months. Recently, I got a new couch and he didn't want to even go into the living room for about 6 days, only staying in the bedroom. He would peek his head out the door and look at the couch, turn tail and run away again!
He also HATES being alone, once I took my other cat, Old Boy (13yrs old now), to the vet and when I came back, I heard him YOWLING in the house by himself. He is a VERY quiet cat, I rarely hear him meow, if maximum, once a week when he's hungry and it's a very soft "mew". When I used to live in a 2 story house, when he was downstairs with Old Boy, he would be fine, but then when Old Boy came up stairs to hang out with me, Big Boy would yowl SO LOUD, as if he was searching for both of us. Usually Old Boy, upon hearing this, would quickly go back downstairs and Big Boy would immediately stop, or I usually need to peek downstairs for me to reassure him that I, or Old Boy is still here.
If I were to take him to a vet, I would like to put both of them in like a...Kennel or something together when I transport them (they do amazingly better together in the big dog kennel then separated in a small carrier)...but I'm nervous about taking him to a vet. He seems perfectly healthy to me, eats well, sleeps well, plays well, and his litter box looks great with fantastic poop. But I would like to get him a yearly checkup...but I am too nervous that he is NOT going to take it well, given his past history on his inability to handle stress and change.
What should I do?
I've had my 8 year old cat for about 3 years, and he has been taken to the vet once - right before I adopted him. Big Boy was around 18 lbs when I first got him, and still is around 18 lbs (18.5lb-19) now. He's just a very large cat, not quite over weight more like a little chubby with extra muscle lol! The vet told the foster that he was perfectly healthy and was good to go, got his shots, and he's strictly an indoor cat now - and his health is great. Nothing I see amiss.
The problem is, I feel like a TERRIBLE owner for not bringing Big Boy to the vet for a yearly check-up. But I feel like if I were to bring him to the vet, I would see...irreparable damage to his mental health and trust? I'm not sure if this makes any sense, but I feel like he wouldn't trust me, would not let me touch him, and probably wouldn't eat and will hide for like 4 months. This needs a little history...sorry if it's a bit too long.
Big Boy was a rescue cat, abused for about 2-3 years and was rescued by a foster. The foster had him for 2 years, and he got adopted out twice but the owners relinquished him because he took too long "fitting in" to their household. Then here I came!
When I first adopted him, he refused to even look at me, or let me touch him for 6 months. I honestly almost gave up. I adopted him along with his foster friend (completely different backgrounds though), and while he got along with the other cat, he did not adjust well AT ALL. He vomited frequently out of nervousness, and if I were to startle him in anyway on accident (closing doors too loudly, stepping too close to his comfort zone, rustling a bag), he would run away and hide in the closet, cabinet or his own claimed permanent living spot at the time, at his litter box.
After about a year and a half, I had to go away to another state for about 2 weeks. My sister hung out with him for about 2 months with me at the house daily, so he got used to my sister very quickly. When I left him by himself with my sister after I left, he freaked out, vomited, and ran out side the house. I ended up doing a U-turn and coming back, finding Big Boy all dirty, lost, and confused, and scolding my sister. I had to leave, so I went away again, and when I left my sister told me he had vomited out of nervousness almost every day (I told her that you need to pet him before she goes to bed, and when she did that, he stopped vomiting). At first I thought his vomiting was a medical issue...but he never vomited when I was with him (only during the first few months I had him). Only if I leave for over 24 hours in the house, he would always vomit once. Not sure how he does it, or if he forces him self to do it, but I always come back to my house within 24 hours so he hasn't vomited in a long time (only occasional hair balls).
He also liked to sleep on top of my sister, and for a 18lb cat...it's a bit unsettling if you aren't used to it. Turns out she shooed him away at night and that action alone took him ANOTHER 4 MONTHS for him to trust me enough to get on top of me again.
Then I moved once more, and during that time he refused to get out of the top of the refrigerator for about 4 days, coming down only to eat.
Then I moved again, and he hid underneath the bed for about 2 months. Recently, I got a new couch and he didn't want to even go into the living room for about 6 days, only staying in the bedroom. He would peek his head out the door and look at the couch, turn tail and run away again!
He also HATES being alone, once I took my other cat, Old Boy (13yrs old now), to the vet and when I came back, I heard him YOWLING in the house by himself. He is a VERY quiet cat, I rarely hear him meow, if maximum, once a week when he's hungry and it's a very soft "mew". When I used to live in a 2 story house, when he was downstairs with Old Boy, he would be fine, but then when Old Boy came up stairs to hang out with me, Big Boy would yowl SO LOUD, as if he was searching for both of us. Usually Old Boy, upon hearing this, would quickly go back downstairs and Big Boy would immediately stop, or I usually need to peek downstairs for me to reassure him that I, or Old Boy is still here.
If I were to take him to a vet, I would like to put both of them in like a...Kennel or something together when I transport them (they do amazingly better together in the big dog kennel then separated in a small carrier)...but I'm nervous about taking him to a vet. He seems perfectly healthy to me, eats well, sleeps well, plays well, and his litter box looks great with fantastic poop. But I would like to get him a yearly checkup...but I am too nervous that he is NOT going to take it well, given his past history on his inability to handle stress and change.
What should I do?
