DEAR JOAN: How does one disguise a pending visit to the vet from a kitty equipped with radar?
We keep her carrier hidden, and my husband and I follow our usual routines. Yet once it’s time to get her into the carrier and the car, the minute she’s approached she flies like a streak, uttering tiny little cries of anxiety and running herself — and us — to exhaustion.
Jewel is a gorgeous, 9-year-old rescue kitty, half Siamese and half tabby. She’s 14 pounds of pure lightening, and so terrified of going to the vet it breaks our hearts.
Her mother was a feral whose two kittens were about 6 weeks old when they were rescued. She was lovingly fostered until ready for a forever home, and has been with us ever since.
Jewel has always been skittish, but adores my husband, following him around the house like a puppy. My husband and I are both in our 70s, and both of us have mobility and balance issues, so we have to be extremely careful when trying to corral Jewel for her healthcare visits.
We haven’t tried putting her to bed in a closed room with no beds or sofas to hide under, with her food and water bowls and a clean litter box, because that change in routine would trigger her radar.
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Our vet could offer no advice, but my husband said: “Maybe Joan or her readers might have some ideas.” We hope you can help us find a solution.
Sharon L., Danville
DEAR SHARON: It is weird how they always seem to know. It speaks — shouts, actually — volumes about how sensitive animals are to their environment and their humans.
I had a cat much like your Jewel. Andy was a big Siamese who did not like going to the vet. I initially did the chasing him around the house routine, which only served to work up his righteous indignation and exhaust me. So I started playing sneaky.
I’d give him some food and while he was chowing down, I’d sneak up behind him, scoop him up into a towel and then quickly into his carrier. After a while, he seemed to admit defeat and stopped putting up a fight.
On the other hand, I had another Siamese, Sarah, who didn’t mind getting into the carrier, but would refuse to leave it once we got to the vet.
Here’s the simplest way to get a cat into a carrier. The day before a planned trip, while your husband plays with Jewel, quietly put the carrier in the bathroom. Set it on its end so that the door is open toward the ceiling. The next day, lure her into the bathroom and close the door. Coax her to you and using a large towel, wrap her like a burrito with only her head sticking out. You can then lower her into the carrier with little fuss.
That works for occasional trips, but it’s important for Jewel to make friends with her carrier. In an emergency, there might not be time to chase her all over.
As a rescue cat, Jewel probably spent a portion of time in carriers, being shuttled here and there, and so she now associates them with that unhappy part of her life. To change that, try getting a new carrier and leaving it out, perhaps near where you feed her, with the door open.
Put in some soft, cozy bedding and if she likes catnip, toss in a few scented toys and some treats. Encourage her to go into the carrier often, but don’t force her. Be patient. Cats do only what they want to do, but in time, Jewel might warm up to it.
Readers, let me hear your thoughts and experiences.
