Image: Anatolii Kozhukhar via Unsplash
Bringing your cats to the vets can be a stressful time for everyone. We want to help reduce these stress levels starting from the moment you put your cat into their basket.
Making sure your cat carrier is a sufficient enough size for the size of your cat is very important. They need to be able to move around and not feel cramped. A cat carrier with all three sides and a removable lid and door are the carriers we would recommend.
Please do not arrive too early for your appointment. The longer you are sitting waiting, the more your cat will be getting anxious. Please come into the practice 5-10 minutes before your allotted time.
Covering your cat with a towel or blanket as soon as you get them into the cage at home can help reduce the stress of the car journey, loud noises, and then new smells in the practice. Also, holding your cat basket by the bottom and sides makes the box more secure. The handles can make the box move side-to-side, which is unstable, and will not help when trying to keep your cat calm.
Image: Pelemel24 via Pixabay
We have recently got a shelving unit to separate our dog and cat waiting area in our reception.
When you are bringing your cat into our reception please wait in the cat waiting area. The shelving unit is for you to park your cat basket on the shelves while you wait. Please do not put your cat on the floor or next to you on the seats. The shelving units help to block out noise and stop your cat’s from seeing other animals in the waiting room.
There are towels/blankets on the shelves in our cat waiting area. Please use these to cover your cat (if they are not already covered) so they cannot see, as this can help reduce stress levels. There is also a bottle called feliway spray, and this is free to use. Just spray it onto the towel or blanket you are using to cover your cat.
We love cats and we want to make our practice as cat friendly as we can. Doing these simple things will hopefully make your cat’s vet experience more enjoyable.
If this article has raised any concerns about your pet, please call us on 01665 252250 or email us at info@coquetvets.co.uk.
