The annual saga of getting a 🐈‍⬛ to the vets on time for her 💉

[Tiddlypom]

It's all quite simple with a dog in comparison.

Walk dog, see that wees and poos have been performed, get dog in car, take to vet.

Cats, however, are different.

Cat does sleep inside most nights, so we thought that an early appointment, 8.30am, was the best option. We'd know where the cat was first thing, and she always reports in for breakfast.

However, the cat, once breakfasted, likes to beggar off outside on important cat business, and was very vocal in her disapproval of being kept shut in the house for a couple of extra hours. She has water and her litter tray, but this change from her normal routine was not taken well. We had air locks in place and all windows shut as she prowled around complaining.

We had practised getting her in her travel basket, so when at last it was time to leave it was no trouble loading her up.






Luckily it is only a short run to the vets, as she was caterwauling her disapproval at top volume the whole way there.

Once there, she was a model citizen and didn't object to anything, even the jab or having bloods taken for her senior cat health check. There might have been a frown when the vet said that she is a tad overweight, though...

Now back home again, and though free to got where she pleases inside or outside, she's been sticking to me like Velcro telling me that she is a very clever cat and that she doesn't need to go on a diet.

 

[TheMule]

My cats are in for mealtimes like clockwork.
Except when I have a vets appointment booked

 

[Gloi]

My vet was very good. I'd catch the cat , then ring for the appointment.

 

[Crazy_cat_lady]

Ours self load when I bring out the cat carrier the problem usually lies in either removing the one you don't need, or the one who's gone in is the one you don't need

 

[Goldenstar]

It’s a hard enough job to catch bubble and squeak to put on their spot on .
A trip to the vets requires the vet to have an elastic time plan the cat box has to smuggled in under cover of darkness and hidden in the utility room.
I will have reduced their food the day before in the hope of making them careless and have to grab one as they go to the cat feeding station in the corner .
Squeak is relatively easy to catch but very feisty when she see the cat box but Bubbles who is very hard to catch is placid and kind as soon as you get hold of her .
I have tried and tried to get them better but they just don’t trust people .

 

[rabatsa]

I work for a few days beforehand by chucking a small handful of dreamies into the cat box before mealtimes. Once cat is going in reasonably well I will push the door shut while dreamies are being eaten then let out again. The only difference at catching time is I do not let out again. The cat can have its meal on return from the vets.

 

[Goldenstar]

I work for a few days beforehand by chucking a small handful of dreamies into the cat box before mealtimes. Once cat is going in reasonably well I will push the door shut while dreamies are being eaten then let out again. The only difference at catching time is I do not let out again. The cat can have its meal on return from the vets.

Bubble and Squeak are not going to fall for that if they see the cat box they are absent for a considerable time Bob on the other hand says sure whatever but I will swear a bit .

 

[Rumtytum]

Cats and vets… I bet there are more stories out there…

 

[Tiddlypom]

It's trying to be sure that the cat has toileted and is comfortable that is a big part of the problem, even for those cats who are obliging about popping into their travel basket.

The poor vet might get a very grumpy cat to handle for the physical examination if the cat is bursting to relieve themselves.

I glanced in the kitchen window and saw our cat using her litter tray before it was time to crate her up this morning. That was a relief - for all of us .

 

[Ratface]

It's all quite simple with a dog in comparison.

Walk dog, see that wees and poos have been performed, get dog in car, take to vet.

Cats, however, are different.

Cat does sleep inside most nights, so we thought that an early appointment, 8.30am, was the best option. We'd know where the cat was first thing, and she always reports in for breakfast.

However, the cat, once breakfasted, likes to beggar off outside on important cat business, and was very vocal in her disapproval of being kept shut in the house for a couple of extra hours. She has water and her litter tray, but this change from her normal routine was not taken well. We had air locks in place and all windows shut as she prowled around complaining.

We had practised getting her in her travel basket, so when at last it was time to leave it was no trouble loading her up.

View attachment 123430


View attachment 123431

Luckily it is only a short run to the vets, as she was caterwauling her disapproval at top volume the whole way there.

Once there, she was a model citizen and didn't object to anything, even the jab or having bloods taken for her senior cat health check. There might have been a frown when the vet said that she is a tad overweight, though...

Now back home again, and though free to got where she pleases inside or outside, she's been sticking to me like Velcro telling me that she is a very clever cat and that she doesn't need to go on a diet.

View attachment 123433

Madam Fatty Chatty Carrie Catty says "Voluptuous CatsRule OK?"
Also, "Don't go outside. It's cold, wet, windy and bumpy. Well, it is here, anyway. The Cat Slaves can't hear your orders. Don't give them the opportunity to ignore your every need, wish and demand. Scratch/trip/poo outside your litter box if necessary. I know, it's vulgar, but one has to make a point, Dhaaaarlings".

 

[Lady Jane]

Last week we managed to catch 2 feral cats and get them neutered. The first was planned, we have been feeding her in the trap (unset) for ages and it was a booked appointment - it went like clockwork but the transfer to the crush cage is scary!!! It the first time we have done that. Trapping her kittens was less sucessful, we only managed one who bit me and I had to go to the doctors for anti biotics (after dropping Mum cat at the vet). It still got infected but I did recover. Thursday morning a tom appeared who we have been after for ages. He was really hungry and went straight in the trap!!! We thought the trap to crush was scary with the Mum cat - this was f~~@@@g terrifying!!! We managed it and cat is neutered. Both adults released, one feral kitten in my spare bedroom - I sit in there as much as I can talking complete rubbish. She is still terrified but there is some improvement - but she is a great eater and is using the litter trays fine (how do they know to do that?). Our plan was to catch all the kittens and have them as house cats but I think they will be too old to socialise (the ones we haven't caught yet). I still have hopes for 'Mini' - she was 8-9 weeks when we caught her and its day 9 today. She is so cute!!!! Sorry you have to see the pics - and yes I'm sitting sideways, no eye contact and holding my phone towards her. Behind the curtain day 2, awake in the hide yesterday, asleep today. I hope that her falling asleep while I'm in there talkingto her is a good sign?

 

[Rumtytum]

Last week we managed to catch 2 feral cats and get them neutered. The first was planned, we have been feeding her in the trap (unset) for ages and it was a booked appointment - it went like clockwork but the transfer to the crush cage is scary!!! It the first time we have done that. Trapping her kittens was less sucessful, we only managed one who bit me and I had to go to the doctors for anti biotics (after dropping Mum cat at the vet). It still got infected but I did recover. Thursday morning a tom appeared who we have been after for ages. He was really hungry and went straight in the trap!!! We thought the trap to crush was scary with the Mum cat - this was f~~@@@g terrifying!!! We managed it and cat is neutered. Both adults released, one feral kitten in my spare bedroom - I sit in there as much as I can talking complete rubbish. She is still terrified but there is some improvement - but she is a great eater and is using the litter trays fine (how do they know to do that?). Our plan was to catch all the kittens and have them as house cats but I think they will be too old to socialise (the ones we haven't caught yet). I still have hopes for 'Mini' - she was 8-9 weeks when we caught her and its day 9 today. She is so cute!!!! Sorry you have to see the pics - and yes I'm sitting sideways, no eye contact and holding my phone towards her. Behind the curtain day 2, awake in the hide yesterday, asleep today. I hope that her falling asleep while I'm in there talkingto her is a good sign?

O my life her little face!!! She is scrumptious
And congratulations on getting the adults done, that didn’t sound easy!

 

[Cloball]

M used to be quite good if you threw a dream in the carrier, the last time I had to take him because he was lame was a right palava paws and claws everywhere. He's got his vaccs tomorrow so I've gone away for work and left OH to it

 

[FinnishLapphund]

... Our plan was to catch all the kittens and have them as house cats but I think they will be too old to socialise (the ones we haven't caught yet). I still have hopes for 'Mini' - she was 8-9 weeks when we caught her and its day 9 today. She is so cute!!!! Sorry you have to see the pics - and yes I'm sitting sideways, no eye contact and holding my phone towards her. Behind the curtain day 2, awake in the hide yesterday, asleep today. I hope that her falling asleep while I'm in there talking to her is a good sign?

I've always heard that there's a first socialisation window that lasts until about 5-7 weeks, and a second socialisation window that closes about 12 weeks of age. Basically the difference is that if you catch, and socialise them in the first socialisation window, in general they might not later in life be any different than owning a cat that grew up with humans from day one.
If you catch, and start socialising them within the second socialisation window, they can still learn to become non feral cats, but there might always be one or a few things that tells you that they started out as feral cats.
After 12 weeks of age most feral cats will continue to be feral cats for the rest of their lives, and even in the exception cases, you will almost always be able to tell that it once was a feral cat.

It's great that 'Mini' is okay with falling asleep with you in the room, but even though she might object, I would probably try to push her boundaries because she's still at an age that if you just regularly gently, and patiently handle her, hold her, give yummy treats/pieces of chicken or other meat, she can still learn to accept that being handled by humans are nice. But the more handled by humans they are before about 12 weeks of age, really makes all the difference. Even a kitten that was born with a breeder, but a bad one that doesn't handle the kittens much, can start to act feral, and if you don't get it until after 12 weeks of age, you might never be able to change them.

I've heard that some now says the second socialisation window doesn't close until they're 13, 14 or even 16 weeks old, but with a real feral kitten I would play it safe, and assume that the window closes at week 12.


Anyhow, for some years I now have one of my cat transports always standing on the floor somewhere when not being used to transport cats, open so the cats can go in to sleep or play in it. Before that, I still remember one time I had put down a cat transport on the floor, one of those with only some airing slits on the side, and quite dark inside. Opened the door, went to get Selma but it was unusually difficult to get her into the transport. Eventually I managed to shut the door, and started the trip to the vets.

Not quite halfway there, but too late to turn back, I suddenly started hearing Berta meowing her complaints very loudly from inside the transport! Turns out she must have gone in to investigate it when I went to get Selma, so she was in the back of the transport when I came back with Selma, resulting in me having to do quite a bit of pushing and shoving to also get Selma into the transport.

The staff at the vets was quite confused about why I had brought a second cat, and in a small transport only meant for one cat.

 

[Lady Jane]

@FinnishLapphund Your comments on socialisation are exactly my undertsanding but I hadn't heard the window may be later than 12 weeks. We think we caught her at 8 weeks so its a pretty short window. I have been advised not to push her boundaries yet, she has made no approach to me at all. And the multiple bites were quite painful! She gets yummy treats but won't eat anything while I'm in the room. My original plan was to keep her for a while in a large puppy pen - that lasted 10 minutes - she escaped through the bars at the top corner where the space was a bit wider - hence how I got bitten. We thought we had dealt with the escape holes but not well enough so she is now loose in the bedroom choosing her own hidey holes. Her toys do move around so she is playing with something when I'm not there.

Love your 2 cat to the vet story!

 

[FinnishLapphund]

@FinnishLapphund Your comments on socialisation are exactly my undertsanding but I hadn't heard the window may be later than 12 weeks. We think we caught her at 8 weeks so its a pretty short window. I have been advised not to push her boundaries yet, she has made no approach to me at all. And the multiple bites were quite painful! She gets yummy treats but won't eat anything while I'm in the room. My original plan was to keep her for a while in a large puppy pen - that lasted 10 minutes - she escaped through the bars at the top corner where the space was a bit wider - hence how I got bitten. We thought we had dealt with the escape holes but not well enough so she is now loose in the bedroom choosing her own hidey holes. Her toys do move around so she is playing with something when I'm not there.

Love your 2 cat to the vet story!

Some are adamant they must be allowed to do it at their own pace, and with an older non feral but shy cat I would agree with them. But if she'd still been living in the wild, not everything in her environment would've been under control, and happening in appropriate time frames, so for a small kitten her age, having her boundaries pushed a bit is sort of not unnormal. Learning what new scary things that are actually safe, and normal, and what's actually scary, and best to avoid, are sort of what she's actually programmed to be learning at the moment.

Which ever approach you choose, presumably she's grown a bit since her last escape. If you think she's still small enough to escape the same way, is there any chance you could narrow the gap down, or even close it completely by using Silver/Duct tape? Those little mighty gnashers are indeed sharp, and they won't become any less sharp as she gets older, sturdy gloves might be a good investment.


I have more cat transport stories, like Felix, the cat who was no big trouble getting into a cat transport, but getting him out once we were at the vets, sometimes required a human blood sacrifice.

 

[Surbie]

I am very envious @Tiddlypom and glad she was so good for her injections. My cat had lived feral for a while before we got him and he HATED the vets. He had to be wrapped in a towel and the bundle put in the carrier for his jabs. As a family we sometimes played rock, paper, scissors to see who got the short straw of taking the yowly hellcat to the vets. I miss him so much!