Time to make that trip to the animal hospital again. If you’ve been having problems with your cat though, if he’s been showing signs of fear or stress every time you make that drive, here are some ways to make the experience more tolerable and less stressful for your beloved pet, according to Animal Planet:
1. Get him used to checkups and carriers. Get him used to the feel of being checked over. Also, get him accustomed to being in a carrier. One way to do that is to put the carrier within easy access of him. It could be a handy nap space. Once he’s inside, offer him treats so he’ll associate the carrier with something positive: food.
2. Play with your pet before the dreaded trip of doom. To avoid another stressful trip the vet, make sure you offer your cat lots of love and care beforehand. Playing with him can put him in a great mood, enough to lessen the stress on his part when he realizes you’re both headed to the animal hospital.
3. At the waiting room, keep him in his carrier. It’s understandable that you’d want to comfort your cat when he’s upset. However, don’t try to take him out of his carrier while you’re both in the waiting room. Given the many other pets around and the noise, all these could be extremely stressful for your pet, which could make him lash out at you. Also, you really wouldn’t want to see him get into a fight with another cat so keep him tucked into the carrier, no matter how pitiful or threatening his meows get. You could also try to schedule your trips to the animal hospital when there are least patients and people around.
4. Get a larger carrier. Another contributing factor to your cat’s stress is carrier size. Is your carrier big enough for him? Can he stand up, or make a full turn while he’s inside? If his carrier has as much space as a match box for anorexic cats, that could be one reason he isn’t happy with the experience. Get a larger one and see if his behavior improves.
Bringing your cat to the animal hospital ensures you catch any health problems before they get worse. However, you and your cat don’t have to be at war every time you make the trip. Find out how you can improve the experience for your pet so you and your cat won’t have to think of it as the trip of doom any longer.
Make your trips to the animal hospital less stressful. Ask your vets at the Holistic Veterinary Healing for tips on how to make your cats feel better on their checkups. For more information and assistance, call and ask. You can also follow them on Google+.
