problems at the vet

[i am pawsome]

Hi, I am new to this site. I thought I would ask any cat owners If their cat turns into a demon cat at the vet. I had to bring my cat to the vet and she turned into this snuggly/lovey cat to a monster cat once at the vet. Hissing, growling, howling. Is this normal, the vet had to put her to sleep for about 10 minutes to do an exam. Do you have any tips for also trimming nails?

 

[mservant]

Was this your first vet trip with your cat?  How old is she?

Cats will often find going out of their usual territory stressful, esp if it involves a trip in a car or other transport, not to mention the dreaded carrier.  Add to that any strange and scary smells and sounds in a vet waiting area, and then the surgery room, and the chances are most cats will be very frightened by the time the vet actually sees them and starts to get them out of their carrier.  If your fur friend has been unwell in some way and this was the reason for the visit this often makes their fear more pronounced because they are already out of sorts and maybe sense that something they don't understand is happening.  

Hissing and spitting and trying to paw and scratch are normal cat behaviours, and many cats will hiss and growl every time they go in their carrier, and then even more loudly and with more fear when being examined by a vet.  While veterinary staff can be very skilled at putting animals at ease, a very frightened cat can sometimes be beyond soothing.  Some cats may have had very unpleasant experiences with a vet from earlier in their life and if that has happened it may set in their memory and be very difficult to get past.  Cats memories are stored when the experience relates to survival needs and if they felt the vet had threatened them that badly any future visits could be deeply traumatic for them - and everyone who is around them.

It is unusual but not unheard of for cats to need sedation for even basic examination at the vet, even where the vet is highly experienced.  This was true of one of a tabby cat I used to live with.  She was a gentle ball of fluff who was fantastic with children and never had her claws out any time other than when heading for the vet.  As soon as she sensed she was going to the vet she became a wild monster you didn't want to be in a room with,  and once took a large slice out of a vet's hand despite being deeply sedated. It was pure fear and adrenalin that drove her behaviour. It was heart breaking to watch.  I took her to a vet surgery that handled stray and feral cats and they would sedate her in her carrier before any examination and then give her to me still sedated so she could come back round in her own surroundings because she was so stressed when there. She was exempt from any regular vaccinations usually needed for cats here in the UK and only went to the vet when she was really ill and the vets couldn't cover what was needed over the phone because the trauma of the vet visits would make her even more sick (she had a chronic bladder inflammation).

If you want to start clipping your cat's claws it is best to start with simply touching her paws, gently and for short periods initially and build up trust.  Wait until she is happy for you to gently hold her paw, move her digits and perhaps massage her paw pads a little, squeeze her digits so the claw will show and let you hold her paw like that.  Take  it at her own pace and don't rush in with the clippers.  If she is happy with you holding her when you do this then fine, hold her in a position it is easiest for you to have a secure hold of her and her paw but is protecting your hand / wrist should she take fright and try to bite you.  Have your clippers close at hand when you want to try and clip her claws for the first time so you can reach them easily without altering your grip.  If she doesn't like being held it can be easier clipping claws when your cat is resting and maybe sleeping / almost asleep. Just hold the paw you want to clip while she is laying confortably. You can clip one claw or one paw at a time as long as she is relaxed enough to let you continue.  You don't need to clip all claws or paws at once, just remember which ones you have done so you know which ones you still need to do and take hold of the relevant paw the next time you feel she is relaxed enough.

 

[i am pawsome]

Thank you MServant for your great advice. I greatly appreciate it.

Yeah, it was my first time bringing her to the vet for her yearly check up, and she is 4 years old and I recently adopted her from a friend about 8 months ago. She alsom jumped on the stove recently while I was cooking and I wanted to make sure she was healing nicely. She is, and the vet said that she wanted to check up on it in 3 weeks. Her behavior shocked me at the vet, but now I kind of feel better that it happens with other cats.


Thanks for the great advice with the nails. My cat got her nails trimmed last time at the vet, but I am goung to try to start next month when her nails are longer. I will keep you posted.

Thanks again for all of yoyr help and advice.

 

[mservant]

I just clipped Mouse's claws:  what a meowler!  LoL.   He lays in my arms and stays really still letting me clip all his paws but the meows he makes are so pathetic.  Honestly, tonight  you would have thought I was stealing and eating one of his favourite snacks right in front of him.  

   It reminded me though of the most important bit of the process - I do always give him a little reward when he has let me do something, so whether it's one claw or all 4 paws it would be a little treat so your kitty learns to associate the clipping with something nice.

Mouse is the same age as your cat. 

If your girl had a sore paw (or more than one) and she was taken to the vet she might have been even more scared than usual.  Hopefully she will not get as stressed again next time.   Is it so upsetting seeing them like that.  At least it sounds like you have an understanding vet.

 

[i am pawsome]

Yeah, the vet is very good. I really like her. I will definitely give treats when I try to clip her nails. I loom forward to seeung some pictures of Mouse. What type of cat is he?

 

[mservant]

LoL, thank you @I am pawsome.  There's no shortage of photos of Mouse around this site.  

  This is his 'Cat Page'  :  http://www.thecatsite.com/a/mouse    There are a few nice pictures there along with his little life story.   The Cat Pages are great fun to read and it would be lovely to see one for Dori on there too.  

    

I hope Dori takes to you handling her paws once she has recovered from her recent ordeal.   It always seems so much less traumatic to clip them at home than have to make more regular trips to the vet, esp when you have a cat like Dori who gets really stressed out when she's there.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

My Noodles is a handful at the vet.  One of the tech's is scared of her actually.

  She is not THAT bad (although she did bite the vet once when they tried to look at her belly without wrapping her up first).  The people who are confident handling her can do it with a towel.  Last fall I had to leave her to get a urine sample.  My stubborn girl held it for 25 hours before I ok'd a quick sedation.  

At home she is very different.  She can be grumpy; but the most she does is swat and give you dirty looks. 

  I will say that she wasn't always this bad.  She has developed some health problems in the last year and it's mostly increased since then.  

 

[i am pawsome]

MoochNNoodles, im sorry to hear your kitty is having health problems. I hope thatshe feels better soon. Yeah, Doriis perfectly cuddley once shes home. Now she is currently trying to eat some of my grapes im having for a snack. I wont let her eat them of course. Haha.