Tranquilizing kitty.....

[isaku5]

for his annual trip to the vet???

This is a last resort, believe me!!! Any other suggestions are welcome.

Our Sammy is 8 years old and due for his checkup. For the last two years, it has been next to impossible to get him into his carrier to make the trip. We have tried putting his favourite treat in the carrier to lure him, swaddling him in a bath towel and trying to shut the door fast. Please keep in mind that both of us are trying, with minimal success at best. He becomes a snarling, hissing, growling centipede with claws on all 100 legs. After numerous attempts, we have had to cancel many appointments ($$$).

Added note: For the first 6 years, there was no trouble at all, and he has had no trauma while at the vet''s as he''s never out of our sight.

Help, please

 

[AmberGretchen]

It sounds like tranquilizers might be a good idea in this case. You should call the vet''s office and ask what they recommend.

Good luck!

 

[isaku5]

Date: 11/4/2007 6:00:44 PM
Author: AmberGretchen
It sounds like tranquilizers might be a good idea in this case. You should call the vet''s office and ask what they recommend.

Good luck!

Thanks very much AG. I really don''t want to "drug him", but it seems as if it may be the only solution. Btw, he''s not the tiniest of furbabies as he weighs in at ~15 pounds!!

I''ll call the vet''s office tomorrow. It actually surprises me that they haven''t suggested something in the past 2 years; I guess they''re liking those cancellation fees.

There used to be a local vet who did housecalls, but without some kind of sedation, she wouldn''t get anywhere near him either.

 

[VRBeauty]

Mayber it''s the carrier that''s causing problems? One of my cats gets hysterical every time she gets put in a carrier. She''ll howl, cry, hyperventilate, drool, etc. etc.... for the whole two hour trip, if we''re visiting family. When I asked my vet for tranquilizers for the next trip, he suggested I let her out of the carrier. So now she''s free to move around the back of the car, wearing a harness and a leash that''s tethered to a tie-down, and she''s much, much calmer.

 

[isaku5]

Thanks, MINIMS, you may be onto something there, but it''s the carrier we''ve had since he was little.

If the vet doesn''t recommend a tranquilizer, I will follow your suggestion and leave the carrier in the basement.

 

[AmberGretchen]

I''m surprised your vet hasn''t suggested anything like this before either - I meant to mention that in my first post. If he won''t suggest anything now, I''d start calling around and exploring options for another vet, if you can.

I''ve heard that Bach''s Rescue Remedy can be a good natural remedy to help calm kitties in situations like this. Might be worth a try.

 

[isaku5]

Thanks, AG. Would I be able to get this at a pet store?

 

[Steel]

Date: 11/4/2007 5:13:24 PM
Author:isaku5
He becomes a snarling, hissing, growling centipede with claws on all 100 legs.

I am sorry, this is serious but I laughed out loud!

Our older cat hates

the car and gets very distressed; we unfortunately have had to move home a LOT so the poor mite has had to travel against his will - legitimising his anger (poor sod).

We bought a product called calm aid (or something like that) and it turned Henry into 'Damien'. So I do not recommend that particular 'product'!

I spoke to our vet recently about getting our youngest spayed and he said cats respond well to tranquilisers and come around - I wasn't listening but he said they give them an antidote and they come back around in a snap. So check it out with your vet. I say go for it.

Some cats are inconsolable in the car/carrier despite all your reassurances, so if it is safe according to your vet go for it. Make kitty's life easier (yours too

)

Good luck.

 

[FireGoddess]

Usually the vet will have something you can pick up there and then go and give to the cat at home before the trip. My parents' cat (20 pounder) would turn into a snarling biting clawing wildebeast, which is why he hardly ever went to the vet. If we could get him there, lord help the vet who had to actually examine him. I couldn't even be in the room, the cat would shriek like a baby being beaten even though nobody was touching him. It was the most God awful sound and it always made me cry. Thank God my babies aren't like that big old boy was!!!

Anyway, tranqs or something should help. The vet should be able to get you something.

 

[ellaila]

The one time I used a tranq for my previous cat, for some reason it didn''t kick in until AFTER we left the office (even though I gave it to her within the right time frame for the appt)!! So she was still pretty hostile at the appt., and then she was a looped-out kitty when we got home. It was horrible. I remember her stumbling out of the carrier at home and just being a zombie. I just sat there and cried, I felt so guilty.

I''m not saying that it''s not worth a try for your kitty, but my experience wasn''t a good one.

 

[sumbride]

what kind of carrier do you have? The best ones, in my opinion, are the top-loading ones, because you have control over getting the cat inside it. My cats hate the carrier too, but they don''t have much choice because I lock them in the bathroom first, then go in with the carrier, open the top, scoop them up and toss them in. I''ve even done this to capture stray cats. The top loading carrier is the best.

Of course, on the last visit, I had 2 cats with me and they hadn''t met yet, so we were having them looked at in shifts. Lucy met the tech first, and then went back in her carrier for Jack''s visit with the tech. When the vet came in, Lucy wasn''t willing to come out of her carrier again. She knew the deal... once you''re back in the carrier, you go home. But she wasn''t home! So she wasn''t going to come out! The vet and I had to literally hold the carrier upside down with the door open, and she was still gripping onto the sides holding on! It was like she was a gravity-defying cartoon cat. Finally we were able to shake her out but she hissed and growled until I opened the door to the carrier again and she cheerfully climbed back in for her trip home. I''m NEVER doing that again! I''ll book separate appointments if I have to.

I''d be cautious about drugging a cat before a well-visit though because it may cause changes in heart rate, etc, that may cause your vet to miss something.

good luck to you!

 

[isaku5]

Thanks, sumbride. We have the front opening type of carrier which Sammy can avoid by extending all of his limbs at 90 degree angles even while swaddled.

..not easy...but he is determined not to go anywhere in that "cage" (as our granddaughter calls it).

The vet''s office isn''t open yet, but I will call for suggestions later.

 

[bee*]

There''s actual a product on the market which is very similar to our rescue remedy, which is called Anxiety. I''m not sure if you guys have it in the states, but it works wonders. This is the link to it- http://www.homeopet.com/anxiety.htm.

We sold so many bottles of this over halloween. There''s also a product called Kalmaid, which is a bit more expensive but works very well too.

 

[laine]

Is the problem mostly getting him in the carrier? I might try a different method of transport before tranquilizers. I take our cat to the vet on a harness and leash (he can wander free in the car, but mostly sits on my lap, then gets wrapped in a fleece blanket to go into the vet, over the head and all, so he can''t see the strange place), or in a cardboard beer box (I cut extra air holes--yes, the vet laughed, but said I wasn''t the first, besides the cat really loves boxes).

 

[sumbride]

Date: 11/5/2007 2:23:52 PM
Author: isaku5
Thanks, sumbride. We have the front opening type of carrier which Sammy can avoid by extending all of his limbs at 90 degree angles even while swaddled.

..not easy...but he is determined not to go anywhere in that ''cage'' (as our granddaughter calls it).

The vet''s office isn''t open yet, but I will call for suggestions later.

That''s a big part of the problem!! Go get one of these!

 

[isaku5]

Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions.

The vet returned my call and remembers well Sammy''s last two visits

. I guess he made quite the impression, bless his kitty heart

He does not want Sammy sedated at all because he could not get accurate results for various reasons which he explained well; however, his first suggestion was ludicrous in my opinion...He suggested we put him in a pillowcase and bring him in!!

Am I the only one to react in stunned silence???? When I politely told him what I thought of that (yes, I was polite), he suggested that perhaps either he or his partner could make a housecall!!! That is definitely doable...and passes the dignity test which the pillowcase idea had failed miserably.

I''m not even going to subject Sammy to the pillowcase trial; he''s going to be the only cat in their practice so far to have a housecall

However, if an emergency should arise at another time, I will be prepared with the carrier sumbride recommended.

 

[Kaleigh]

A pillow case?? That sounds crazy to me

Glad your kitty is getting a house call.

 

[sumbride]

I''ve heard of the pillowcase thing too. Doesn''t really strike me as all that safe or secure. I mean, can kitty really breathe in that? One of my friends uses a duffel bag, but same thing, I don''t like it.

I''m glad he''s getting a house call!

 

[Steel]

Date: 11/5/2007 2:52:01 PM
Author: bee*
There's actual a product on the market which is very similar to our rescue remedy, which is called Anxiety. I'm not sure if you guys have it in the states, but it works wonders. This is the link to it- http://www.homeopet.com/anxiety.htm.

We sold so many bottles of this over halloween. There's also a product called Kalmaid, which is a bit more expensive but works very well too.

Ha Ha,

See my previous post!

This product had similar effects I imagine as to an already hyper cat being given Acid! My fella turned into something from the Omen. I do not recommend it

.

RE: Pillowcase.

Ummmh...Nutcase. Perhaps the vet was joking?

 

[FireGoddess]

Date: 11/5/2007 2:23:52 PM
Author: isaku5
Thanks, sumbride. We have the front opening type of carrier which Sammy can avoid by extending all of his limbs at 90 degree angles even while swaddled.

..not easy...but he is determined not to go anywhere in that ''cage'' (as our granddaughter calls it).

You don''t necessarily need a top loading carrier if you can put the cat in the front opening type hind-end first. Watch some animal planet. They do it that way all the time.

I don''t have a top loading carrier and since I have 2 perfectly good front loading ones, I''ve stuck with them. Holly won''t go in head first, but if you drop her in backside first, no problem. They can''t really prevent themselves from getting put in that way.

Glad to hear your vet will make a housecall. It is true that drugging them isn''t the best thing before getting a general check up.

 

[isaku5]

Date: 11/5/2007 7:12:15 PM
Author: FireGoddess

Date: 11/5/2007 2:23:52 PM
Author: isaku5
Thanks, sumbride. We have the front opening type of carrier which Sammy can avoid by extending all of his limbs at 90 degree angles even while swaddled.

..not easy...but he is determined not to go anywhere in that ''cage'' (as our granddaughter calls it).

You don''t necessarily need a top loading carrier if you can put the cat in the front opening type hind-end first. Watch some animal planet. They do it that way all the time.

I don''t have a top loading carrier and since I have 2 perfectly good front loading ones, I''ve stuck with them. Holly won''t go in head first, but if you drop her in backside first, no problem. They can''t really prevent themselves from getting put in that way.

Glad to hear your vet will make a housecall. It is true that drugging them isn''t the best thing before getting a general check up.

Oh, FireGoddess, if you have kitties you know that they are capable of impossible feats of athleticism. When we attempted to load Sammy backwards into the carrier, he splayed his back legs into a perfect split position wider than the case and worthy of an Olympic medal!

 

[FireGoddess]

Date: 11/5/2007 8:00:31 PM
Author: isaku5
Oh, FireGoddess, if you have kitties you know that they are capable of impossible feats of athleticism. When we attempted to load Sammy backwards into the carrier, he splayed his back legs into a perfect split position wider than the case and worthy of an Olympic medal!

Are you sure you have a cat and not a monkey? I mean, if they can get semi-feral cats in carriers that way, then....

.

 

[bee*]

Date: 11/5/2007 6:42:43 PM
Author: Steel

Date: 11/5/2007 2:52:01 PM

Author: bee*

There''s actual a product on the market which is very similar to our rescue remedy, which is called Anxiety. I''m not sure if you guys have it in the states, but it works wonders. This is the link to it- http://www.homeopet.com/anxiety.htm.


We sold so many bottles of this over halloween. There''s also a product called Kalmaid, which is a bit more expensive but works very well too.

Ha Ha,


See my previous post!




This product had similar effects I imagine as to an already hyper cat being given Acid! My fella turned into something from the Omen. I do not recommend it

.


RE: Pillowcase.


Ummmh...Nutcase. Perhaps the vet was joking?

really? About 50% of our cat patients are on it when they come in and it works wonders. We can do the check-up, vaccinate etc straight away.

 

[VRBeauty]

I''m glad your vet is willing to make a house call for you. Let us know how it goes!

BTW, I think the pillowcase technique usually involves leaving kitty''s head out of the pillowcase... not carrying kitty in like a sack of potatoes!