My cat is still not quite herself since having her first vet visit yesterday.

[brian77]

She is seven months old and doesn't do well with strangers. I took her to get started on shots and to schedule a spay.She started out okay the girl took her out to weigh her and she was fine but when the vet came in she became very stressed which I'm sure is not uncommon. She recieved her rabies shot and out the door we went. They didn't even examine her like I thought they were going to do. Long story short we came home had a surprise visit from a friend and she was very aggressive toward her. I had to put her in my room and shut the door.This morning it was business as usual morning wakeup purring kneeding on my chest and then curling up and going to sleep,all is well. I get home from work and she is a little skiddis . Dies she just need a little time or should I be concerned?

 

[riley1]

I am surprised that they did not look over your cat at the vet.  Cats generally get quite upset going to the vet & are wary that you will take them back for a few days.  I would not be concerned unless this behavior persists.

 

[tobilei]

My boy gets VERY distressed at the vets. He will growl and hiss and hide out in his cage (he had a rough first 12 months and it's set up a bad pattern I'm afraid).

When we get home the cage gets taken into a room that has been sprayed liberally with feliway and he spends about 20 minutes to an hour in there depending on his mood. Usually one of us will sit in there with him so he's not alone. He gets something to eat and then he gets let out to the rest of the house.

When he has to go the cage gets sprayed with feliway and he's only handled as much as is absolutely necessary. He gets covered with a towel (the carry cage does) while we're out as this helps them to feel safe and secure.

Give it some more time. I'm sure she'll come around. It can take a week or so for them to calm right down again.

 

[fyllis]

My boys actually do great once they are at the Vet's. It is the car ride that gets them stressed a bit. They only ride in the car once or twice a year, so it is a whole new ballgame for them. I contribute it to the vibration, bumps, and sounds of traffic etc. that make them leery. The whole time I am driving, I have to reach my right hand back and place it on the carrier door so they can smell it. I also talk to them the whole way to comfort them - mind you, I have a 45 minute drive into the next state to get the the Vet. 

I do what I can to keep them comfortable and distracted in the car - using FeliWay in the carrier beforehand, placing their cat blankie in the carrier, no radio or added noise in the car, keeping my window and the right rear window cracked open a bit to provide fresh cross-ventilation through the car and, of course, the talking and giving them my hand to smell. Kricket usually settles down fairly quickly, but the last time we went, Keeker huffed and puffed the whole way and even peed in the carrier. Poor baby!

Once they get home, they either stay in for a while or they hop out of their stroller and go about business as usual. And I go about my usual routine.   

Cat's respond to things differently, just as humans do. I think the way the human responds has a barrier on how the cat responds. They can sense your anxiety and frustrations. Also, depending on how the cat was domesticated (introduced to humans) will effect their behavior. I treat my cats very similar to the way I treated my daughter when she was little. I don't make a big fuss about 'going to the doctor'. 

There are also the different smells (dog and cat pheromones) at the Vet that might linger on you and your clothes after getting home. You might want to make a habit of showering and washing your hair when you return from the Vet's and bury your clothes in the hamper.

A cat's short-term memory is about 16 hours. Long-term memory can last about 10 years.

At this point, I would just go about my daily routine and not make a big deal about it. Why she became overly aggressive with your friend could have been triggered by ... who knows what? I don't think it was actually your friend, herself, that affected your cat, but the fact that she was already stressed - possibly more by the car ride than the actual Vet visit - and an unexpected visitor added to that. I don't think it was anything personal.

By the time you read this, she has probably already returned to 'normal'.

Regarding the visit itself, I would question what the visit actually entailed.  While it might seem that all that happened was that she got her weight and a shot and you were out the door, the physical exam itself can be performed through more observation than actual hands-on (which limits additional stress to the cat). 

Did the Vet handle or touch your cat at all? 

Forgive the long post, but I was a nurse for many years and I was always used to doing a 'head-to-toe' exam on my patients. Like I did with my daughter, I compiled a full list of everything I want checked and I review it with the Vet and mark everything off the list as it is performed.

I also take a list of questions I want to discuss regarding diet, behavior, or anything else that might come to mind. That way, I don't get half way home and say, "Oh, crap! I meant to ask about that!". 

During a routine wellness check the Vet should be asking you about  your cat's diet, exercise, thirst, breathing, behavior, habits, litter box habits, lifestyle (indoors or outdoors), and general health. 

While talking with you, s/he should be observing/inspecting your cat's level of alertness and interest in its surroundings.

General body condition - whether your pet has an appropriate body weight and body condition.

Condition of her coat - looking for excessive dryness, excessive oiliness, evidence of dandruff, fleas or other parasites, excessive shedding, or abnormal hair loss. 

Checking the skin for oiliness, dryness, dandruff, lumps or bumps, areas of abnormal thickening, etc. 

Looking at the eyes for redness, discharge, evidence of excessive tearing, abnormal lumps or bumps on the eyelids, how well the eyelids close, cloudiness, or any other abnormalities.

Checking the ears for discharges, thickening, hair loss, or any other signs of problems, such as mites or other parasites or infection.

Looking at the nose and face for symmetry, discharges, how well he pet breathes, whether there are any problems related to skin folds or other apparent problems.

Checking mouth and teeth for for tartar build-up, periodontal disease, retained baby teeth, broken teeth, excessive salivation, staining or acne around the lips, ulcers in or around the mouth, etc.

All of those can be checked with very little handling of the cat. However, the Vet WILL need to do a hands-on exam as well which should include listening to the heart, lungs, and bowels with a stethoscope.

Other hands-on  checks should include: 

Feeling the pulse (which should be done in unison with listening to the heart).

Feeling the lymph nodes for swelling or pain. (these are in the head area, neck and hind legs).

Feeling the thyroid gland in the throat.

Checking the legs and feet for  looking for evidence of lameness, muscle problems, nerve problems, problems with the paws or toenails, etc.

And, finally, an abdominal exam - feeling in the areas of the bladder, kidneys, liver, intestines, spleen and stomach in order to assess whether these organs appear to be normal or abnormal, and whether there is any subtle evidence of discomfort.

Rarely is there any type of blood, stool, or urine samples obtained unless there is some abnormal discovery that might warrant it. Some Vets will recommend "wellness screening tests" and these vary depending on the overall health and age of your cat. They can detect subclinical or underlying diseases that aren't able to be detected with observation -- like Diabetes, Kidney disease etc. (Cat's can't tell us how they feel, so it is up to us as responsible pet owners to have them checked).

After all is said and done, any required vaccines should be given - including deworming.

I write down any information pertinent to the exam and add it to their respective files when I get home. That way I can compare info to their previous visits regarding weight gain, vitals, vaccinations, and any medications they might have been given.

Maybe I am over-protective, detail oriented, or even a little bit OCD, but I was taught in ursing school that if it isn't written down, it didn't happen! I take notes at every vet visit and if I have any questions, I have the necessary information in my hands so I can call the office and discuss my concerns.

I hope this helps.

 

[brian77]

Thanks for the feedback guys I really appreciate you taking the time to comment. She's getting back to normal. I'm still worried about her aggressiveness toward strangers though.
Would you reccomend the feliway diffuser?

 

[fyllis]

Thanks for the feedback guys I really appreciate you taking the time to comment. She's getting back to normal. I'm still worried about her aggressiveness toward strangers though.
Would you reccomend the feliway diffuser?

Is she aggressive with ALL strangers? And is she aggressive all the time? Is there something (some action by the stranger - reaching out to pet/touch her or direct eye contact/staring) that triggers the aggression, or are her actions unprovoked? 

Also could you describe her aggressive behavior? Is she hissing, growling, biting, running up to and attacking them? Or is she responding to their actions because she is interpreting it as a request to play and just swatting at their hand and nipping them? 

My DSH will leap at me when I am walking through a room and wrap all 4 legs around my arm and start biting me - but I have learned that this is his way of saying, "Hey! You've been ignoring me all day and I want some one-on-one play time!". I actually had a friend want leave the house because she thought he was going to get her! Then I showed her that he just wanted to interact and play and be included in our 'circle' - he was attention seeking - I got out some of his toys and he jumped and played and had fun for about 15 minutes, then curled up on the couch between us and promptly fell asleep! 

Depending on the purpose and level of the 'aggressive' behavior, I can't really give a definitive answer. 

In my cat's instance, I don't use FeliWay because it is just him being a cat; his way of communicating with me and telling me what he wants. Maybe I am more open-minded and tolerant than some would be, but I don't use pheromones to 'calm' him every time he gets wound up .... if I wanted a submissive and perfectly calm cat 24/7, I would buy a stuffed animal.

 

[tobilei]

My male cat suffers aggression issues. His are redirected aggression though and he gets angry when other cats come into our yard and takes it out on his sister and sometimes us. I have run feliway and it helped but wasn't 100% cure. He's on medication currently but it's not 100% either although most of the time things are fine (he's a problem child though, I wouldn't generally recommend medicating, for us it's been a last resort). Was she tense with the strangers before the vet or only since? It could be that she's scared and lashes out because they're frightening her, it could be territorial-that they're in her space...

As Fyllis asked, is it ALL strangers she's aggressive with?

 

[brian77]

Not everyone. She doesn't mind my brothe .

 

[brian77]

My male cat suffers aggression issues. His are redirected aggression though and he gets angry when other cats come into our yard and takes it out on his sister and sometimes us. I have run feliway and it helped but wasn't 100% cure. He's on medication currently but it's not 100% either although most of the time things are fine (he's a problem child though, I wouldn't generally recommend medicating, for us it's been a last resort). Was she tense with the strangers before the vet or only since? It could be that she's scared and lashes out because they're frightening her, it could be territorial-that they're in her space...


As Fyllis asked, is it ALL strangers she's aggressive with?