Going to the vet with your cat

Is it a traumatic experience for you? For your cat? Does your cat vomit in the car or mess in the carrier? Cry all the way to the vet and back? Or is your cat okay with being in the carrier and going to the vet?

When we had to take Harley the first few times for his shots, ect, when he was a kitten, he didn't much like the car ride. He would just meow, thats about it. But when we had to leave him overnight for his neuter - he was NOT happy, and did NOT like any of the vet techs He sat in his kennel there & hissed at everyone, I felt so bad!

I have a feeling when we take him for his 1 year checkup in December... its going to be horrible - he's not a people person at all, so I know its going to be a miserable trip for the both of us

Davidson.... he doesn't so much mind. He's only been there once, and it was a good trip! He didn't like the car ride, but thats to be expected.

The only time they cry is when their in the car going the two minute drive to the surgery. Once their in the waiting room waiting to be seen their as quiet as a mouse, but they both manage to get under their blanket for safety

Mine cry on the ride to the Vet. Like Susan's cats, they're quiet once we're inside the building.

Charlotte has no problems finding her way into the pet carrier. She is quite nosey. However, after I close the gate, she becomes a VERY unpleasant, defensive and nasty cat. She hisses and growls and will even bite and slap at anyone who comes in contact with her. I tried rubbing vanilla under her chin and even inside the pet carrier. That didn't work. Also tried covering most of the pet carrier with a towel to give her more "privacy", but that concept didn't work either. I recall the vet told me to keep an eye out for her when I come home because she might attack me. Well, I knew differently about her behavior. After we got home, she returned to the loveable, sweet cat only I seem to know.

And sadly, when I take Izzie to the vet, they assume she's going to be a terror like Charlotte. In fact, she's very pleasant and very cooperative during the whole vet experience.

Two of mine pant a lot, one meows his sad little pathetic meow and the rest pretty much love to be in the carrier in the first place because I leave it out for them to sleep in or play in. Oh my stray has pissed all over himself both times when I had to take him to the vet and to get neutered at the mobile clinic.

My cat could care less about the car ride, and likes being in her carrier. She mostly looks around and sleeps. Only one single meow ever and that was the ride home from her spay when we hit a speedbump.

When we get to the office, the weird smells/unfimiliar setting frightens her, and she tucks herself into a ball on my chest while hiding her head under my chin and hangs on for dear life while shaking and shedding furiously.

On the table she's quiet, keeps her claws in, and tolerates the vet's proddings very tentatively. I have a feeling that she'd run and hide if given the chance.

Mine don't like the car ride at all. I changed vets to one just down the road so I could walk them there in their carriers, which works a lot better. They're much calmer about the experience. Once at the vet, they're both cooperative boys.

I have a friend whose cat is a sweetie, but he's traumatised by the car ride. He poops everywhere and yowls himself into a terrible state. She has to get someone to drive her while she holds the poor cat.

Mine do not like the car ride, but are otherwise ok. We do get a few "I don't like this" cries on the way (though usually not coming back). No peeing, pooing, vomiting, or anything else.

They behave themselves fairly well at the vets' - they like our main vet (there are three) and they like one of the others just fine too. I would avoid taking two of them to the third vet if at all possible, but would put up with it for the other two, who don't mind him as much as I do (they don't like rather than dislike).

I'm very fortunate. I can usually get them in the carriers though Lucy will fight me but a top-load carrier helps there. I have to make sure that the bedroom door is closed before I bring the carrier for Much because she will get under the bed and being a king size, I can't get to her. Still, she will do a disappearing act and I have to check the cabinets. Once I have her, she will go right in.

On the way, if I have Lucy and Carly together, it gets rather funny because all the way there is Lucy meow, then Carly meow and back to Lucy. Much will complain a little bit. No one has upchucked, peed or pooped.

Of the three, Lucy has the hardest time at the vet. Usually we will let her out and just run around the examination room. She hasn't bitten or scratched but makes it known that she is not happy. Much has been there a lot (she has UTIs 1 or 2 times a year, a growth removed and ultrasound for her kidneys) and is so quiet that everyone there loves her. Carly just loves people so she does well.

Abby is completely silent. When it is time for her exam, the vet always comments about how she is scared "stiff". She is silent the whole way back home, and then rips out her fur for at least a week after

Originally Posted by rosiemac

The only time they cry is when their in the car going the two minute drive to the surgery. Once their in the waiting room waiting to be seen their as quiet as a mouse, but they both manage to get under their blanket for safety

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Same with me Susan....they cry all the way there, but then go silent and try to hide once they're there.

Bit cries all the way to the vet, the whole time we are in the waiting room; he then cries some more when the vet tech takes him to be weighed. Yet, when my vet is actually able to fish him out of the carrier he stops crying, curls up in the vets arms like she is his best friend, and purrs.

Scratch just has a look of sheer terror and shakes.

Clio meows LOUDLY non-stop the entire ride in the car and is a sweetie in the office.

Sam meows a bit in the car, and is very interested, but jumpy in the office.

Pru is totally silent in the car, and is very quiet in the office, a true feral, keeping quiet and trying not to be noticed.

They all run when they know I want them in the carrier. Clio has to be shoved in, Sam is like Houdini, he's out before he's in, and Pru has a wicker carrier with a grate over the opening that is also her safe place at home, so she doesn't put up a fight. It's just finding them in the first place, because then it's a game of hide and seek.

Well as I have 3 appts in the next 3 weeks....
It takes about 17 minutes to drive to vet's office
Ox the oldest-usually I withhold food that morning so there aren't any presents in the cat carrier-never works through as he usually pees. He isn't too bad in cat or at vet.
Grizzly isn't too bad-she will meow a little on the way there, pretty good in office and silent on way home.
Bobber-scared of carrier and as she doesn't like strangers its not a happy time -tears out of carrier once I get home!!
Bakker meowed a little bit the way there-wasn't too bad at office though.
The vets I see moved to a new facility this summer so this will be a new experience for all of them-they have exam rooms specially for cats!! We will see how they works!!

The boys are pretty well behaved. They complain about the car ride, but they're pretty calm at the vets, and everyone comments on how well-behaved they are.

No Trauma. At all.
They both just sit there as usual, and expect nothing but the best to happen.
No crying. It's like nothing really ever happened.

Scratch has no problem going in the carrier, but coming out is a whole different story. She doesn't really cry in the car, but when she's getting examined she presses up against whoever is closest to her, and sheds like crazy.

Um, he was crying once in a while but did not throw up. His hair was all over the car.

Sammie, just crying the whole time cause she is a big baby.

Rocket loves going to the vet. They love him too. No matter what they do to him he still loves them, (unless it's he last vet we had. She was horrible and I hope she never passes her internship! )
Luna doesn't like going to the vet but she is quiet all the way there and back. No messes in the carrier either. She's not a people person though and will hide by me the whole time she is being examined.
Isis is the same as Luna in respects about people, but she is ver vocal in the carrier and only peed in the carrier in it once after going to the vet with my MIL and her puppy.
Twig hates the vet and will growl and hiss at her. He's very vocal in the carrier both to and from the vets office. he's never pottied in the carrier though.
I've never had a bad experience with my normal vets but with any of the interns they've recently seem to have, I've had nothing but bad experiences.
Being so protective of my cats, when they do something I dislike I'm instantly angered like for example, the first intern I dealt with asked me if Rocket was a Siamese. I was not happy right then because if you don't know your cats, how are you going to heal mine?
The second one made Rocket SCREAM and try to get away from her when she was cleaning his ears and checking him out for a URI. He did not like her from the get go when he came out of the carrier he crawled up on me instead of going to the vet like he normally does. To top it off, she didn't have either cats medical records out like the normal vets do so she didn't even know what cats I had and what meds they'd been on before etc. Recently though I noticed that my normal vet is not being very nice anymore to us and that's got me concerned. My MIL had a falling out with her about her puppies and when we went in with one of our cats, I was trying to show her where our cats lip was swollen and she snapped at me that she couldn't see with my fingers in the way. What the heck? I was only trying to show you where I had seen the problem. So a second later she tells us it's allergies and gives her a shot and basically shoves us out the door.
Time to find a new vet I think. I didn't want to change vets this late in my cats lives. But I have to do what's best for them.