Question about taking semi feral semi strays to vet

[CatManSeeksCatGirl]

Hi. I have half a dozen kitts left from when my MOm passed iun Jan, 2018.
They have all semi domsticated themselves. or rather, they come on in, eat, have fresh
water and plenty of furniture to sleep on. But several have never been to the vet. My question is,
what can I or indeed a veteranarian do to make these kittys more easy to deal with before
stuffing them into a cat carrier. Is there anything that can be done? can a Vet prescribe some
mild tranquilizers to make the kittys more plyable before I try to cart them off to the VET?
thanks for any comments or feedback!.....................Catman Bill

 

[poolcat]

If you explain the situation to your vet, s/he will probably give you gabapentin. It will sedate a cat for several hours and make them easier to handle. I've read that giving a dose the night before the vet visit and one an hour before leaving the house works better than just one dose. Your vet will tell you how much to give each cat... it's based on their weight.

 

[CatManSeeksCatGirl]

If you explain the situation to your vet, s/he will probably give you gabapentin. It will sedate a cat for several hours and make them easier to handle. I've read that giving a dose the night before the vet visit and one an hour before leaving the house works better than just one dose. Your vet will tell you how much to give each cat... it's based on their weight.

wow. gabapentin. good idea. and thanls for the reply. I very much appreciate it! the kittys were my Moms. she passed in 2010, and there were 20 kittys. she wasn't a crazy cat lady, whatever that means. just didn't have the heart to turn away any critters who needed a bite to eat and some water. I have 6, that's what's left after 13 years. anyway, thanks very much! I will call the vet asap. cheers, be well, and see you 'round the forum!

 

[poolcat]

Good luck at the vet. Hope all the kitties get clean bills of health!

 

[shadowsrescue]

Gabapentin doesn't sedate cats, it just makes them woozy and easier to handle. It works for some cats and not for others. The problem is many vets will not prescribe it if your cat has never been seen. Also it can be tricky to administer. The liquid is horrible tasting. The capsules are big and if you empty them into food it is very bitter. You can get it compounded into treats or smaller tablets.

I have 3 former feral cats living in my house. I moved in 2018 and brought them to my new house to live strictly inside. They are still very difficult to handle. One time I just a mobile vet. That was easiest. The next 2 times I used gabapentin. I used it the night before and then again about 3 hours before the appointment. Be sure appointment is early in the day. One of my cats was super easy to handle and easy to get into the carrier after 2 doses of gaba. He did great at the vet. One of the other cats did not respond to gaba at all. He was a mess. So while gabapentin can work great it can be individual for each cat.

If you do give it, the cats must be kept in a safe place. It makes them very woozy almost drunk like. They need to be kept away from stairs and places they try to jump. It usually starts to work in about 60-90 minutes and stays in their body for about 6-8 hours. It also depends on the size of the cat. The standard amount is 100 mg the night before and the morning of appointment. Yet smaller cats might be less. This will have to be something you need to discuss with a vet.

 

[Norachan]

Rather than risking Gabapentin I'd suggest using a humane trap to get the cats to the vet. I care for a lot of semi-feral cats and trapping is the only way can get a few of them to the vet. Trying to grab them and shove them into a carrier is too dangerous for me and would really stress them out.

Do you have a vet who is willing to work with hard to handle/semi feral cats? An experienced vet will be able to administer a sedative to the cat while in the trap before they do the examination.

Ask your vet if they have a humane trap, or rent or borrow one from a rescue or TNR group. You Tube has lots of videos on how to safely use a trap.

 

[poolcat]

One thing to keep in mind is that a cat's behavior at home is no indication of how they'll behave at a vet clinic.

I trapped and brought an adult stray into my home earlier this year. Because he liked to sleep in his carrier, all I had to do was shut the carrier door before taking him for his first vet visit. He had shown no signs of aggression at home, but was obviously terrified when the vet started handling him. When someone dropped something in another room, he went completely berserk... ended up in the corner of the exam room snarling and slashing at us. It took us quite a while to get him back into his carrier. Very scary. As soon as he got home, he was back to being his usual docile self. Next time, he will definitely get some gabapentin at home. (Edit: The vet has already told me he'll be happy to provide it.)

You know your cats better than anyone else. Most vets don't want to have to handle cats that are frightened to the point of attacking anyone that approaches them. They'll probably be willing to give you one dose (per cat) if you think they need it... and you've already made an appointment.