To, Fro, or No Go? Convince Your Feline that Cat Wellness Exams are Worth the Trip

A majority of cat owners forgo their feline’s annual or twice yearly examination for many reasons, but perhaps the most popular is a perception of a completely healthy cat. Sometimes this is accurate, but accepting an animal’s wellness on the surface level can be extremely detrimental. This, coupled with a feline’s general loathing of travel, can make staying home look awfully attractive.

What if we told you there are reliable tricks to help your cat accept the carrier, car, and time away from home? Leon Valley Veterinary Hospital has you covered.

Wellness Matters

If you’re wondering what the benefits are to routine cat wellness exams, perhaps the following topics might convince you that they are definitely worthwhile:

• Early detection of age-related illness
• Nutrition and weight management
• Parasite prevention (fleas, ticks, heartworm, and others)
• Vaccinations
• Reproductive health (including spaying or neutering)
• Dental care
• Behavioral training
• Supportive medications or supplements

The bottom line is that your cat’s overall health hinges on a proactive approach, and our veterinarians can help toward that end.

The Resistance!

Not only is it physically dicey to attempt to shove your cat into his or her travel kennel, the relationship you worked hard to cultivate may also quickly become frayed. Quite possibly the best thing you can do for your kitten or mature cat is to introduce the concept of crate training. Crate training provides a safe, relaxing haven for your cat and can help with easy transport.

Make sure that your pet’s crate is large enough for him or her to stand, stretch, and fully turn around while inside.

If Fluffy only sees the crate when it’s time for a cat wellness exam, it may be time to re-establish the crate as a positive place to groom, nap, or observe the household. Leave the crate out, reward your cat when he or she enters it, and allow the good feelings to develop.  

Tested Methods for Success

It’s recommended that you offer lots of affection and attention to your fur friend prior to a potentially stressful event, such as traveling. Play with your cat, give rewards, and encourage him or her to enter the crate with reassuring, soothing tones.

Cat Crossing

Your cat may have deep-seated feelings about the car-vet connection, and simply will not stand for any car traveling business. Once crate training is established, introduce short car trips that only have positive associations or rewards. Drive around with your cat for 5-10 minutes, return home, and offer loads of praise and love. Slowly increasing the duration of each trip, watch in amazement at how well your cat adapts to this practice.

Calming Down

Should Fluffy’s nerves continue to get the best of him or her, try to drape a towel or blanket over the crate to sustain feelings of safety and security. Pheromone sprays, such as Feliway, are very effective at calming down anxious cats.

Lastly, your cat is highly tuned to your state of mind. Try your best to stay calm. If you ever have any questions, we’re always happy to help!