5 Month Kitty + Bad 1st Vet Visit :/

[ellymqueen]

Hello all,

So, I adopted Luna a week ago yesterday and took her to the vet Saturday for her rabies shots and wellness visit.  She was fine in her carrier with the bigger dogs in the waiting room but ... when the male aide held her for the vet to examine her she lost her cool.  So much so she started with a low growl to full on his and then to straight up kitten roaring with claws fully extended. It was about a full five minute ordeal recovering her. First the towel was tried, then a new aide came in with a net, then a third aide came in to soothe her.

Luna was on a straight up rampage. Hair standing on end and did everything to escape.

My concern: putting her collar on for the next visit when she is spayed.  

Thankfully, Luna was totally fine (playful, staying near me, running and launching into my curtains) when she got home but I do not want to traumatize her when she is dropped off for the surgery.

Any ideas or suggestions? Am I overreacting?

Thank you!

Luna Bird.jpg

• ellymqueen
• Feb 6, 2017

 

[miagi's_mommy]

Even the most sweet tempered pets hate the vet, just like we don't like going to the dentist or doctor. I don't think you are over reacting at all, she's your baby. She should be fine at the vet for her spay. do you pick her up the same day? She is a beautiful kitty btw!

 

 

[hellomisskitty]

I do gave a suggestion, one that will require some coordination with you vet: contact them and explain your concern of Luna 's reaction at the last appointment and ask if they would consider prescribing a dose of Gabapentin to give to Luna prior to bringing her in. Gabapentin is a medication given to humans and cats for anxiety. I give it to my cat before vet visits as she really struggles with going to the vet and it just chills her out so she doesn't care that she's at the vet.
What I don't know is if Gabapentin can be given prior to anesthesia but your vet will know that!

If your vet does not want to give an pre-sedation, post on this thread and I'll give you some other tips but given the magnitude of Luna's reaction, I'd really suggest checking if she can get some Gabapentin on board before you take her in.

 

[kittens mom]

If possible find a vet that is a member of the American Association of Feline Practitioners.

http://www.catvets.com/  

What a pretty kitty.

 

[Primula]

Buy a can of Feliway. Follow the directions on the can. It will tell you to spray the cat carrier 15 minutes before you leave. Feliway can also be sprayed when you are in the consulting room. It really works!

 

[ellymqueen]

Even the most sweet tempered pets hate the vet, just like we don't like going to the dentist or doctor. I don't think you are over reacting at all, she's your baby. She should be fine at the vet for her spay. do you pick her up the same day? She is a beautiful kitty btw! :heart3:  

She gets dropped at 12:30pm then I pick her up after about three hours.

She is such a great personality! She is exciting and lively without being too rambunctious. I really don't want her to lose that spark and fun spirit she has because of bad vet visits.

 

[hellomisskitty]

She won't [emoji]128522[/emoji] Cats live in the moment. Even after one especially traumatic vet visit due to an illness, my Kitty remains as sweet as ever. Usually once Kitty gets home from the vet, she's like nothing ever happened! I, on the other hand, remain stressed out for quite a bit after returning home [emoji]128580[/emoji]

 

[kittens mom]

She gets dropped at 12:30pm then I pick her up after about three hours.

She is such a great personality! She is exciting and lively without being too rambunctious. I really don't want her to lose that spark and fun spirit she has because of bad vet visits.

Tomorrow marks two weeks post spay for my babies. They came home fine and both are just as loving as ever.

 

[hellomisskitty]

I read a great article the other day about reducing anxiety in cats for things like vet visits:

http://www.catster.com/lifestyle/cat-behavior-health-tips-how-to-free-of-anxiety

The suggestion about training your cat to associate their carrier as a secure, safe place is a good one and there is minimal little effort required. I leave my cat's carrier out all the time and she loves it so much, she often naps in there. My vet has noticed how Kitty feels very secure in her carrier and will keep her in it for as much of the exam as possible (the top half of this carrier comes off). The positive association Kitty has with her carrier does help her when at the vet. It also makes me feel better knowing she's as comfortable as I can make her.

Please check in and let us know how everything goes for Luna's spay [emoji]10084[/emoji]️

 

[Kieka]

Is the vet a cat only practice? It could be she is reacting to the dog smell if not. Or she just doesn't like the particular people. I'd look around for a cat friendly vet or one who uses a specific room for cats only. That way you can see if it is a reaction to the dog smells or the vet experience in general.

I am a smidgen suprised of the vets reaction. My vet left the room when Fury freaked out and gave him some time to calm down before coming back in. He was good enough to finish the exam but she said that if he hadn't been she would have given him a mild sedative and left him alone for it to set in before finishing.

I don't know how much I agree with the Feliway suggestion. I know some people swear by it but my cats have never shown any difference. I wouldn't spray the container and trap her in with it until seeing how she reacts. Maybe spray it at home first and see her reaction. Different people react to different things differently. I know for me a smell others like can give me asthma attack, I would imagine cats are the same.

That photo is still to die for. Too cute. [emoji]128525[/emoji]

 

[ellymqueen]

Is the vet a cat only practice? It could be she is reacting to the dog smell if not. Or she just doesn't like the particular people. I'd look around for a cat friendly vet or one who uses a specific room for cats only. That way you can see if it is a reaction to the dog smells or the vet experience in general.

I am a smidgen suprised of the vets reaction. My vet left the room when Fury freaked out and gave him some time to calm down before coming back in. He was good enough to finish the exam but she said that if he hadn't been she would have given him a mild sedative and left him alone for it to set in before finishing.

I don't know how much I agree with the Feliway suggestion. I know some people swear by it but my cats have never shown any difference. I wouldn't spray the container and trap her in with it until seeing how she reacts. Maybe spray it at home first and see her reaction. Different people react to different things differently. I know for me a smell others like can give me asthma attack, I would imagine cats are the same.

That photo is still to die for. Too cute. [emoji]128525[/emoji]

Thank you for this suggestion! I am still shopping for the right vet. So it helps to be able to ask the right questions. Cheers~ 

 

[ellymqueen]

Is the vet a cat only practice? It could be she is reacting to the dog smell if not. Or she just doesn't like the particular people. I'd look around for a cat friendly vet or one who uses a specific room for cats only. That way you can see if it is a reaction to the dog smells or the vet experience in general.

I am a smidgen suprised of the vets reaction. My vet left the room when Fury freaked out and gave him some time to calm down before coming back in. He was good enough to finish the exam but she said that if he hadn't been she would have given him a mild sedative and left him alone for it to set in before finishing.

I don't know how much I agree with the Feliway suggestion. I know some people swear by it but my cats have never shown any difference. I wouldn't spray the container and trap her in with it until seeing how she reacts. Maybe spray it at home first and see her reaction. Different people react to different things differently. I know for me a smell others like can give me asthma attack, I would imagine cats are the same.

That photo is still to die for. Too cute. [emoji]128525[/emoji]

Thank 

I read a great article the other day about reducing anxiety in cats for things like vet visits:

http://www.catster.com/lifestyle/cat-behavior-health-tips-how-to-free-of-anxiety

The suggestion about training your cat to associate their carrier as a secure, safe place is a good one and there is minimal little effort required. I leave my cat's carrier out all the time and she loves it so much, she often naps in there. My vet has noticed how Kitty feels very secure in her carrier and will keep her in it for as much of the exam as possible (the top half of this carrier comes off). The positive association Kitty has with her carrier does help her when at the vet. It also makes me feel better knowing she's as comfortable as I can make her.

Please check in and let us know how everything goes for Luna's spay [emoji]10084[/emoji]️

Thank you! So many awesome, kind people on this site. I still have some time before her spay to make sure she is in the right hands.  Worse comes to worst, there is a mobile ASPCA truck that spays on the 18th of this month in my area.  I never want to worry about my baby-kitty when she's at the vet. Same as I never worried about my now adult children at the pediatrician! 

 

[sargon]

 
If possible find a vet that is a member of the American Association of Feline Practitioners.

http://www.catvets.com/  

What a pretty kitty.

I'll second that. I take my cat to an  AAHA and feline practitioner accredited practice, and you can tell the difference.

 

[ailish]

I want to second the cat friendly practice and crate training. I adopted Ailish in August and she had done a lot of traveling in the crate, but she didn't like it. If I got the crate out she would hide. So I started feeding her in the bottom only. I did this for a number of weeks and then put the top on and fed her that way. Another couple weeks and I started putting her in it through the top and then shutting the door. Then I give her a treat and when she is calm open the door immediately. She is now pretty good with the crate, however, I am going to start taking her for short car rides in it that don't end at the vets. I want it to be a safe place for her because in June she will be visiting my sister while I go on a 10 day trip. I am hoping that by then when she is nervous at my sister's she can feel OK in the crate.

 

[kittens mom]

 
I'll second that. I take my cat to an  AAHA and feline practitioner accredited practice, and you can tell the difference.

That status is very important to the vets and the clinic. I also found out that the VCA requires double the continuing education hours that our state mandates and my vet takes in almost twice what the VCA requires. That might be a question to start asking when you contact a clinic. When I had horses I used a horse veterinarian not someone who was small/large animal. I wanted someone who handled horses all day every day because diagnosing animals involves a lot of intuition and knowing what questions to ask. I now feel that a doctor that sees cats under the AAFP is more likely to see something before other vets. Just the use of cat safer vaccines make it worth it.