Snowy560

Hi this isn't a Canada specific problem but I'm in Canada with a cat problem. Essentially:

- we got a rescue cat about a year ago. She's quite long haired

- obviously been abused: you can't pick her up and she hisses a bit

- she's come a long way and is clearly attached to us. She's an indoor cat which is the rule if you re-home from our District cat shelter (or she would get eaten/run over).

- We don't think she's been spayed even though the Vet report says she has (keeps showing heat like signs). She also needs a trim and desperately a nail cut.

- Problem: we can't get her to the Vet. She scratches, fights, clearly gets very scared etc. We've tried on 4 occasions recently.

- We're due for another go on Tuesday morning

- Is Feliway any good? I have a spray. I read mixed reviews on the diffuser! I read one review where someone (human) suffered a severe allergic reaction and another when some wrote it could have caused a fire.

- Shall I just try picking her up by quickly wrapping a towel or similar over her and getting her into the cage

- The other problem is we all get so stressed about the vet visit she picks up on it.

- One vet said we had to give her gabapentin: well do you think we could get that down her? Of course not! Anyway, the present vet has lent us a large crate but is not insisting on medicating her.

Someone on BE must have been through this. Do you have any further suggestions?

Thank you!

BEVS

Others will write differently but I never thought that Feliway did anything at all for my old Ty & that's despite having a sprayer one time that one sprayed right to the nose and hope they licked it in. However, every cat is different and your puss may well fall over in zen calm at the merest sniff.
Ty was never interested in catnip either.

When he was younger he always turned into Ty Mighty Mammoth Strength Scissorhands at the merest thought of a cat carrier or a visit to a vet so yes, it was quite a mission and sometimes we would both end up being wet rags.

Personally. I wouldn't be gentle in getting her burito wrapped to get her into a pet carrier. I'd be really very firm & have several layers ready. I found putting Ty & Dusty in from the top opening of the carrier better than through the door. More space & easier for someone to slam shut.

I don't try to pick up like a cuddle. I pick up firmly from the front of the body with the cat facing out from me & plonky down with the wraps ready.

Only other thing I can think ( but which did not work for Ty) is to have the pusscat associate the carrier with treats and food.

You'll need to warn the vet that she may not be easily handled & you may need to book time for her to calm down the other end.

Our young cat Dusty is a semi-feral cat that chose to live with Tyler and husband. She is still a shy nervous cat but has come on in leaps and bounds. Lucky for me this time is that she is a small cat so although still strong I am more easily able to gather the whole cat up for the crate. Once in she is surprisingly resigned. Unlike Tyler who even after nearly 20 years still let's us know it is not OK.

Snowy560

Thank you so much BEVS for your tips.

I will try the pick up burrito approach you describe! I think that will be the best bet. I had been imagining I would pick her up in the way you said not to: cuddle like. So I won't do that.

Got the big cat cage yesterday lent from the vet ... tried putting food in it but she was immediately suspicious and legged it upstairs.

I will report back on Tuesday.

Thanks again!

dbd33

We wait until the semi-feral cat is at one end of the house. We put the carrier in a room with relatively little furniture. We set a barrier across the hall so that, we the cat comes along, he bolts into the room with the carrier. As soon as he's in there we close the door behind him so that there is then the cat, my wife (who has a lot more nerve than I have) and the carrier. She then throws a towel over him and bundles him into the carrier.

BEVS

Typical !

Get thyself suitably covered so you feel more in control. Long sleeves etc. I used to wear gloves as well.

for Tuesday. If you see her panting after a couple of attempts then back away and leave her asI am sure you would anyway It's just underpinning that carriers are big bad places.
Sometimes it did take me several tries , cancelled appointments & retries to get Ty there & even last year when Ty was still fit and strong altohugh elderly I always made the proviso when booking an appointment that I might be late - a day or so late.

I'm sure others will come along to pool other ideas.

Some advocate sneaking up and then lifting said cat by the scruff of the neck. I am no fan of doing that to an adult cat but that might also be a goer if there is no other way.

Snowy560

dbd33: unfortunately our home is quite "open plan" and in any of the rooms you can close the doors to, there are BEDS to hide under!

BEVS: yes, I will get kitted out in protective clothing!

bats

Ive noted that our vet has Fellway diffusers in their consulting rooms so they must think it works,

I'm not much use for advice really but this is what we do. I get the carrier in place the day before the appointment, in place meaning on its end so that the opening faces upwards as it's easier to stuff/drop the cat in than push it in sideways. Getting the cat depended on which cat. One was best trapped in a small room then one of use would stand outside the room with a huge towel when the door was opened the cat would rush out and in theory be caught in the towel. The other one would just have to be a quick grab. One chance only.
We only have one cat now and she hasn't seen a vet in maybe 5 years because she used to be just too tricky to catch.

Good luck. It's all about body language and they read us better thabpn we do.

Snowy560

That's a good idea to put it on its side!

Aviator

Catnip?

Snowy560

She does like catnip but I bet if we put it in the cage she won't go for it!
She'll pick up on our motive, I bet!

moneypenny20

Burritoing works provided you can get her firmly enough to wrap her up! Does your vet do house calls? Might be easier for everyone and calmer for her.

MillieF

I presently have two cats, one who is a big fat softy, who goes outside and who I can jam pills down his throat and then Pixel Pixel is an indoor girl has been sick since we've been in Canada, but only the fact that she was practically dead enabled us to get her in the carrier. The vet realized that she'd never accept a pill so gave her a long lasting antibiotic injections. She is the smallest cat you've ever seen, as she's all nervous energy. Mostly one can't pick her up to put her anywhere, she's lethal.

I find that getting the carrier, open end up, in another room so she can't see it, and then surprising her and lowering her in like lightening and jamming the top on mostly works best. I tried a home visiting vet pre Canada, but she went to ground and we couldn't find her.

Very best of luck I really feel for you - let us know how it goes

bats

Not on it's side, on it's end with the opening at the top.

BuckinghamshireBoy

This probably won't be of much help in the short term, but might be of use as time goes by.

We no longer keep the cat carriers hidden away, they sit in plain sight - normally in a hallway - with doors open, and the bases are lined with the cats favourite fabric with our and their smells on them; old towels, jumpers etc.

A couple of days before V-day, the cat carriers get brought into the lounge - ooh, look, that's new here - and thus attracts interest. They've even been known to sleep in there of their own volition.

On V-day, we shut off the catflap outbound, scoop them up and pop them in the carriers. Pim always goes in cool, Pom is a gloves and towel candidate.

Mostly good, but today went bad. They were due to go get rabies injections for the forthcoming move, and this coincided with estate agent and prospective purchaser visit.

The cats bolted when the visitors turned up - before the flap was locked down - they don't tolerate strangers - and didn't reappear until well after the scheduled appointment.

Quick 'phone call to the vet, appointment re-scheduled for next week, quick 'phone call to the estate agent, no visits next xxx afternoon.

Hiding the carriers is a bad idea, get the kitties used to them.

Snowy560

Yes opening at the top (gate grid thing). I got it!