Cat Fiasco

[alyciachristine]

Yesterday was Matt’s day off so I scheduled a 4:15PM veterinary appointment for our cat Snickers since she was due for her annual checkup and shots. I expected that Matt would not have too much difficulty getting the cat loaded in her crate and sent to the vet. She is, after all, a very sweet and usually gentle cat. Little did I realize, the shear

Comments

[sithwitch13]

First off, I suggest hiding the crate until the last possible minute and giving her plenty of treats and talking softly when trying to get her in it, especially if she's unfamiliar with him. Letting her sit on his lap while he pets her and talks quietly and gives her treats will help her become more familiar with him and associate him with good things instead of crates. EDIT: Also, holding the crate vertically is better for cats who don't want to go in. With Fatty, we have to do that and drop him in butt-first or else he'll have none of it. Also, if Snickers is peeing a lot out of fear, you might want to invest in a Feliway plug-in. As long as we keep ours fresh, Tonks doesn't usually pee in my bed anymore

[alyciachristine]

Thank you for the excellent advice! I will have to use your suggestions in the future!

[alyciachristine]

Yay for crate advice as well as vet and bath advice! You are both lifesavers! I think I'll try getting her used to it with the top hatch off first and then see if I can convense her that the crate isn't evil when it has both the top and bottom halves together.

By the way, do either of you have any good ideas for kitty safe chewy treats? Snickers occasionally chews on things to clean her teeth. I've tried thin rawhides, but they're just too touch for her.

[sithwitch13]

Hm. I've been using Whiskas Temptations Dental treats for Tonks and Fatty, though I'm probably going to have to start brushing their teeth weekly because Tonks is starting to get really bad breath from the wet food. I've heard really good things about Feline Greenies, though.

[lurkz]

I'm torn between horrified sympathy and giggles. Way back in old army when my family actually owned cats I don't think we ever tried to bathe them

[alyciachristine]

Yay for crate advice as well as vet and bath advice! You are both lifesavers! I think I'll try getting her used to it with the top hatch off first and then see if I can convense her that the crate isn't evil when it has both the top and bottom halves together.

By the way, do either of you have any good ideas for kitty safe chewy treats? Snickers occasionally chews on things to clean her teeth. I've tried thin rawhides, but they're just too touch for her.

[ex_camillea]

I used to have a cat -- rather a large, strong cat -- who was terrified of crates. I couldn't transport him in anything resembling a box, carrier, or crate. We finally resorted to carrying him to the vet in a pillowcase. It worked wonderfully well. He spent his whole trip with his legs stuck out in all directions against the sides of the pillocase to maintain his position, and didn't struggle at all.

It might have been a one-off case, though.

[alyciachristine]

*Giggle* Whatever works wins out! After the latest crate incident, I resorted to bathing the bottom half of the crate in catnip and converting it to a bed. We had a breakthrough last night with the cat actually sitting in it for a whole hour. If Snickers gets comfortable enough to sleep in it, I might try adding the top back on and seeing if she'll go inside it on her own. If not, I will work on the pillow case routine. Thanks and happy writing!
:-)