Thanks to the new Feline Friendly Handling Guidelines recently released by the American Association of Feline Practitioners and the International Society of Feline Medicine, veterinary visits for cats should become a little easier in the future,

While cats outnumber dogs as pets (according to the latest statistics from the American Pet Products Association, there are 78.2 million households that own dogs versus 86.4 million that own cats), cats receive significantly less veterinary care than dogs. Cat owners often express a belief that cats “do not need medical care.” According to Dr. Michele Gaspar, DVM, DABVP (Feline), “there is a misconception that cats are independent and they don’t need the level of care that dogs do.” Cats are just as prone to disease conditions as dogs, if not more so.  Preventative health care is necessary to prevent certain diseases, as well as provide early disease detection.

Additionally, many cat owners cite the difficulty of getting the cat into a carrier, driving the cat to the clinic, and dealing with a scared or stressed cat at the clinic as reasons for fewer visits. The goal of the feline-friendly handling guidelines is to reduce these barriers by helping cat owners understand feline behavior, preparing the cat and the client for the vet visit, creating a cat-friendly environment at the veterinary practice, and training veterinary staff on how to meet the unique needs of their feline patients.

The guidelines suggest that by understanding the unique social and behavioral characteristics of cats, and by recognizing early signs of fear, vet visits can be made less stressful for both cat and owner. Some people think the cat is mean. In reality, most are just frightened. Here are some recommendations to ease that fear—and your frustration:

  1. Make the transport carrier your cat’s home away from home: Use your cat’s carrier as a comfortable resting, feeding, and play location. To do this, keep the carrier out and accessible at all times, not just when you’re getting ready to take your cat somewhere. Line it with a soft blanket, lay favorite toys inside, and drop in treats every now and then. If your cat still doesn’t want to get into its carrier, consider getting a different carrier. It’s best to use a top-loading carrier with a top portion that’s easily removed. This feature lets veterinarians allow cats to stay in the bottom portion of the carrier during most of the visit, which makes cats feel more secure.
  2. Train your cat to be a savvy traveler: Get your cat used to riding in the car, beginning when it’s young for best results. Start by getting your cat into its carrier and carrying it around your house. Then graduate to getting your cat into its carrier and taking short drives around the block. Eventually build up to making a fun trip to the veterinarian for a meet-and-greet play session with no exam. After all these outings,even if you don’t leave your house, give your cat a fun reward, like a treat. Before heading to a veterinary appointment, give yourself plenty of time to get the cat into the carrier. And if you have time to spare, that’s all the better: Letting your cat wait in the carrier before leaving can ease its stress.
  3. Let your cat play: Create a hiding place for your cat in the carrier by placing a towel or blanket from your home inside. Also, drape a towel or blanket over the outside of part of the carrier. Cats feel more secure when they have a place to hide, and the simple presence of a familiar blanket or towel may comfort your cat during your visit to the veterinary office.
  4. Travel on a an empty stomach: Pets often get motion sickness. If you avoid feeding your cat before traveling, you’ll decrease the chance that your cat will get carsick. Plus, it might be more willing to partake in the treats the veterinary staff has to offer. This could make the visit more pleasant for your cat, for you, and for your veterinarian.

Thomasville Veterinary Hospital, in response to these guidelines, is changing its approach to feline handling in the exam room and throughout the hospital. Our attempt is to make cat visits less stressful not only for the cat but  for their owners as well.

  1. Synthetic feline facial pheromone will be sprayed in exam room and on materials used around patient. This has been shown to calm cats.
  2. While waiting in the exam room, a comfortable place for the cat to hide (other than its carrier) that staff can easily remove without disturbing the patient will be provided.
  3. Warm towels will be placed on exam tables.
  4. Staff that is specially trained for handling cats will be used during exams and performing diagnostics.
  5. Minimal restraint will be used whenever possible.

These guidelines go into great detail on how to interact with cats in the practice. They offer recommendations for working with fearful or aggressive cats, ranging from pre-visit techniques that may include medication to using various restraint methods, stressing the need to be sensitive to each individual cat’s response.

If you have a feline family member and have experienced difficulty with veterinary visits, please consider trying these guidelines. If you need any assistance, contact your veterinarian for help on how to implement these suggestions with your pet.  You can visit www.thomasvillevet.net for more information on these guidelines or for other links that may help you with your particular situation.