Sedating A Cat Before Taking To The Vet/groomer

[les26]

I have been talking on here how I am dealing with trying to comb Sylvester to keep the mats at bay and am having so-so success, he is much better than he was last year at this time but still gets them although they seem to be more in the fur area rather than near his skin which is good, but regardless he will have to go to the vet/groomer in the near future to get shaved down again. I did this with him last April, it was a WAR trying to catch him and put him in the carrier and take him there, he was so stressed I thought he was having a heart attack but they said it was just a stress reaction, and they told me that we could try to give him some sedatives before the next time and I was wondering if any of you do that and how it works? I don't think we'd be able to hold him and pill him, he is a sweet boy but still "semi feral" from his years outside in the past, he'd probably rip Deb and I apart so we'd probably have to try a Pill pocket. I know the other thing is a shot but we don't feel very comfortable with that. I just wish there was an easy way to do this, or if he would just let us comb the mats out but his fur is long he does need a trim but we don't want too much stress!

Thank you!

Les

 

[margd]

A lot of vets are recommending gabapentin these days to sedate cats like Sylvester, cats who launch into full battle mode rather than cooperate with efforts to put them in their carriers. We have several members who have gone this route and on a personal level, my daughter uses it routinely to sedate her cat so I've seen it in action. Her cat goes from man-eating tiger to sleepy little kitty when given a dose of gabapentin before a vet appointment.

Scientific research into the use of gabapentin has shown it to be effective with no long term side-effects. Effects of a single preappointment dose of gabapentin on signs of stress in cats during transportation and veterinary examination.

Gabapentin is given orally as a tablet so you're right that you may need some pill pockets. This article describes how to pill a cat: How Can I Give A Pill To My Cat There are also a lot of YouTube videos that show how it's done. As a last resort, you can even get mesh bags to keep Sylvester and his claws constrained. This is just one picked at random to show you what they look like.

Good luck! I hope you can manage to get those mats cut out with no fuss!

 

[happilyretired]

Years ago, I had a mild sedative for my cat when we were moving together (8-hour car trip). It was in liquid form and easier to administer than a pill, so you might inquire of the vet if there's a liquid sedative.

Also (and I don't mean to be critical), you mention that you had to 'chase him,' and put him in the carrier. That alone would stress him. When I've needed to visit the vet, I usually pick a time when the cat is relaxed (or sleeping, which they do a lot), and simply pick the cat up and deposit in the carrier (I always have it out so that the sight doesn't spook the cat). If your cat is difficult to 'handle.' try picking him up enveloped in a large towel or bath sheet. Being enclosed like that is calming for a cat while preventing them from 'escaping.' My first cat was very 'difficult,' but I never had to sedate her for vet visits.

 

[lalagimp]

You could try Bach's Rescue Remedy Pet. It's botanical and alcohol-free, and I would place 2-4 drops onto a freeze dried treat, because the texture would hold the liquid better, and give the treat to the cat. Tommy built a tolerance to it, but the last time I gave it to Stewart, and knocked off and decided to go take a nap in with their guinea pigs in the big pig pen. I think my friends use it on their really large dog.

 

[happilyretired]

One thing to keep in mind that a vet told me long ago. Cats, like people, respond differently to different meds, so if you have a sedative for a specific reason (vet visit, moving, etc.) always try it out about 2 weeks before you need it to see how the cat reacts. That vet told me that some types of sedative can actually make a cat hyper, so it's always best to check.

 

[les26]

Thank you all for the advice, I really appreciate it! I came home tonight and while he was eating treats tried to comb him out a bit, he allowed some but then went into his little "cube" which is his hiding spot and also signals to me "I've had enough", but like a woman at work said even 2 minutes a day will help and sometimes it takes her 2 weeks just to get 1 mat out while others don't care what you do to them! But he was a stray cat who lived sometimes outside in the streets of Allentown, PA. and sometimes inside at his previous house, only went to the vet ONCE with them to get neutered and only TWICE with me, one when I adopted him and two last April to go get shaved, so he isn't used to being put into a carrier and probably thinks I am getting rid of him if I do it. And what I meant by chasing him around the house was not actually running after him, he would hide under a sofa downstairs, I would try to get him, he'd run upstairs and hide under a chair, try to get him there then it's back downstairs etc. until I finally corralled him but it was NOT fun for anyone. If only he could understand, and I think he does to a point because like tonight after he "hid" in his cube we played string toys then he came out soon after and I always pet him and say "we're friends again" so I think he does know I am not trying to hurt him but he does not like to be combed, he never really had that done to him and like the woman at work who has 40-yes, FORTY- cats (on a farm) said "he's still semi feral", so he isn't used to being put into a carrier and going to a vet but he'll have to in the near future. And I know there are people who come to the house to groom but he would be wild and I also don't want him to be afraid everytime someone comes to the house thinking they are after him, this is his house and I want him to feel safe in it. Oh, and he also had to be sedated at the vets, they said he was wild. And the first time I took him to the vet when I adopted him I literally saw the workers there RUNNING up and down the hall trying to catch him, and he only went from his previous owner's house into the carrier and into my truck straight to the vets office! He freaks out quite a bit, he's not used to any of this lol!!!

Thanks again for all the great advice, I am gathering it and will decide on what to do with him in the upcoming months.

 

[les26]

I just tried again to comb him out, he really doesn't want to have any part of it although tonight I tried a different comb that we have on a suggestion from the woman at work's cat groomer, maybe it pulls too much. I just have to accept the fact I guess that he will have to go to the groomer eventually anyway, but we are just trying to keep the mats at bay although we aren't really doing that great, but I did get one out the other night using a different brush, maybe I should stick to that one.

 

[happilyretired]

I understand your dilemma. My first cat was a long haired beauty--but had been a stray, and would rarely allow me to comb her. In one place where I lived, I had a mobile groomer, and she tolerated that well. But when she was elderly (17+), and I lived where I could not find a cat groomer, my vet's office provided the grooming, and I know that was stressful for her--but necessary.

As for socializing him to accept combing, I currently have a new adoptee who is quite fearful (hid for a long time), and I've used treats (vet's recommendation) to both lure her out and now acclimate her to brushing, combing, etc. You might want to have a few treats handy to reward him every time he allows you to use the comb--even if only briefly.

It is a very, very slow process--and, yes, at times the cat will allow it and other times not.

 

[posiepurrs]

A suggestion for getting him used to the carrier. Leave it out all the time. Throw treats or toys into it sometimes so he doesn't just associate it with trips to the vet. The idea is to make it another den for him.

 

[les26]

A suggestion for getting him used to the carrier. Leave it out all the time. Throw treats or toys into it sometimes so he doesn't just associate it with trips to the vet. The idea is to make it another den for him.

This is a very good idea, thank you!

 

[xcourtney3]

One of my cats has to be sedated with an injection at every vet visit. Gabapentin did nothing

 

[Norachan]

I have to take Forest to be sedated and shaved every spring. He doesn't like being groomed and he's a Persian, so by the time his fur reaches it's full length he's got loads of mats.

He's easy enough to pick up and put in the carrier. The groomer has her room in the same building as our vet, so we get the vet to sedate him before he goes for his lion cut.

I just wanted to say don't give up on the grooming. It's taken three years, but Forest is getting more and more tolerant of being brushed and his hair cuts are less severe every year because of that. One way to get some of the loose fur out is to wear those wool gloves with the non-slip rubber palms, the ones they sell for gardeners or work men. You can pet him with those on and a lot of the furs comes out on the rubber palms.