Aggression At Vet!

[hmorton92]

Hey everyone,

This past weekend we took our two to the vet for their rabies and distemper needles.
Callie, our girl was great and just took it. Theo, our boy just turned into the most aggressive thing I have ever seen... You would honestly think we trapped a mountain lion in a little room, he was running around, jumping on everything, making the worst sounds I have ever heard.... and even that is saying it lightly..
We ended up not being able to get his needles, so we let him back in his carrier and took him to the car and he was fine.
This cat is amazing at home, has such a great temper but as soon as we get him out of the carrier and the vet even looked at him, he was just done with the whole situation.

We made an appointment with a female vet at a different office, that he has been to for his neutering in hopes he will accept it there and they want us to give him some gravol (small dosage obviously).


I am wondering if maybe because he is a male vet?
Has anyone experienced this before and any suggestions on what to try?

Thank you!

 

[susanm9006]

Some cats just go insane at the vet, any vet. Best thing to do is to ask the first vet if she can prescribe a pre visit tranquilizer to calm him. Most vets won’t do this if they haven’t seen the can so that is why I would stick with your original vet.

 

[hmorton92]

Our first vet didn't suggest much of anything at all. They said they can try sedating him but, they would still have to try and give him a needle, which he won't take.
Our secondary vet is familiar with him too, they want to try helping first as they have females in the office instead of male only. And in the past, the females have been able to handle him.

 

[ArtNJ]

I suppose your theory is possible. My guess, however, is that he saw or smelled another animal that he interpreted as an enemy. It could probably happen at any vet, depending on which animals are in proximity to your cat or left powerful smells nearby.

 

[DreamerRose]

Mingo is exactly like that. Last time I had him in, they gave him his rabies vaccine while he was still in the carrier. It's one of those small, soft ones really meant for a tiny dog. The vets can't examine him without sedating him.

I'm sure his aggression is due to all the unfamiliar smells at the vet's office. I had Lily in last week, and Mingo hissed and growled at her for thirty minutes after we came home.

 

[hmorton92]

Mingo is exactly like that. Last time I had him in, they gave him his rabies vaccine while he was still in the carrier. It's one of those small, soft ones really meant for a tiny dog. The vets can't examine him without sedating him.

I'm sure his aggression is due to all the unfamiliar smells at the vet's office. I had Lily in last week, and Mingo hissed and growled at her for thirty minutes after we came home.

I am so glad that we aren't the only ones with angry kitties, not that I'd wish it on anyone! I am hoping that the vet appointment next Friday will go better with the girl vet, if not..... At least they are indoors only.

 

[basschick]

you're not the only one.

we had a small feral cat (rescued when abandoned at birth from a 25+ plus feral colony) who attacked a vet tech at pet emergency so fiercely that she had to get 16 stitches. they were unable to do any tests without sedating him.

we found a vet's office that was cats-only, only one of the staff was a man but there were 3 female doctors, 3 female office people and 5 female bet techs. a couple of the women would spend time talking to the more agitated cats in the calming room, which was a dimly lit room, soundproofed so their more upset patients couldn't hear other cats. it really helped. they were the first vet's office who managed to deal with him.

 

[LTS3]

You may want to ask the vet for some sedatives to give at home prior to a vet visit. Gabapetin is usually prescribed. Give one in a Pill Pocket about 2 hours before the visit. That will pretty much zonk the cat out for a few hours.

Cats do seem to behave differently for different vets. My previous cat didn't like the regular vet very much but was a complete wet mop for the dental vet Emma is fine with the regular vet (a male) but a hissing, spitting, growling beast the first time she saw the cardiologist (a female) I'm going to request a different cardiologist for the next visit. I don't know if cats just pick up on personality, tone of voice, etc or if they seem to have a gender preference.

 

[danteshuman]

Our sweet 10 pound kitty turned I to a mountain lion at the vet! They had to restrain her with two of those metal stick things with a loop on the end of it ..... and she was still fighting. She was the only cat I knew who got the red ‘bites’ label on her vet file! The vet was a cat vet and said she was nothing compared to a panther (he used to work with big cats.) Oddly enough my mom boarded her at a vet for a week and after that she was sweet as could be to all vets.

I would ask and try that pre vet sedative pill though!

 

[inkysmom]

My Inky I found feral and adult. I couldn't touch or handle him for the first few years . My mom and I somehow got him cornered in her bathroom and into a carrier and I got him neutered and his vaccines at a low cost place. When I picked him up, even groggy from the anesthesia, it took several vet techs to give him a dose of wormer.

Years later he became sick with diabetes. I'd made some progress, I could pet him occasionally and I'd wake up with him on the bed sometimes but he wasn't fully tame. I brought him to a vet because he was sick. I'd gotten him into a carrier after locking him in the bathroom overnight. I'd tried all these treats and cans to lure him in the carrier and nothing worked. Finally in desperation I simply picked him up and shoved him gently in and quickly closed the door. We we're both so surprised that it worked.

He quickly turned into a panther at the vet with strangers handling him though. Took several people.
I eventually tamed him and he needed tons of vet care. I changed places and they couldn't believe he'd ever been scary because he got so tame, sweet and loving. Complete change once he grew to trust people. But it took years.
My other cat Tiger lived up to his name at the vet. He had an inner or middle ear infection once and while I was warning the neurologist that he didn't like being restrained and could bite, she didn't believe me. She was examining him at the time and telling me how sweet he was. I said he's very loving but be careful he bites without warning, not liking the look in his eye. As she continued to ignore me as a hysterical idiot, confident that she knew best, he suddenly bit her hard. No warning but the gleam in his eye that I knew very well.

She wasn't happy and he got a bite label on his chart after that. Vets really need to listen to owners.

I had another cat that was a feral kitten that was very skittish, Emerald. She has to stay for an eye infection. I told then very clearly that she was very fast and would bolt and escape at any opportunity and to be careful handling her and opening her cage. She'd also flip out medicating and jump straight at your face, fun.
The hospital staff assured me they were professionals and had it under control. A few minymin later I hear an alarm "loose cat!". Through the door I see Emerald streak by at the speed of light and a bunch of frantic staff rushing to both corner her and close doors to contain her. I wonder who's face she got to get loose.

There are traveling vets that will go to your house. You have to pay a travel fee but it may be worth it.

My younger horse had a complete phobia of needles for years after a bad experience when he was only a year or two old. What eventually helped him was the vets simply hid the needles and petted his neck and distracted him from feeling the actual shot. They'd approach him and make absolutely sure he couldn't see the needle, prepare beforehand out of his sight. Then pat and slap hos neck to distract him and give the shot fast. You can imagine how hard it is to do anything to a frantic thousand pound animal who's thrashing, running and spinning and determined to escape.

 

[hmorton92]

Thank you everyone for help!!! It's very helpful reading everyone's comments. Gives me hope!