Going to the vet is never a pleasant experience for a cat. There is the journey to and from the clinic, the experience of being trapped and moved in a cat carrier, the strangers at the clinic, the sounds of dogs and other animals, along with all the scary, foreign smells. Cats primarily experience the world through scent, so the latter is important. Vet trips are a source of great anxiety for most cats. Their perception of time is different from ours, so they don’t understand that the trip is only temporary, or that the procedures are done for their own good. They only experience the stress of the moment with all its new odors, sounds, and sensations.
Vet trips are necessary for cats to live long, healthy lives, but no matter how kind the vet is, these trips frighten our feline friends. Some cats stress themselves out so much on the way there, with excessive meowing and panting, that their temperature spikes and they will have a fever upon arrival. Other cats develop acute diarrhea and lose bladder control while in the carrier. These are unpleasant consequences both for the cat and for us as owners, but more importantly, they may impact your cat’s health check and make reaching the right diagnosis harder for the vet. For that reason, we must do our best to ensure that the vet visit is as stress-free as possible. The cat carrier should be familiar and comfortable to your cat and the trip to the clinic short. You can help reduce your cat’s anxiety by choosing a vet clinic for cats only, or an animal hospital with separate waiting rooms for cats and dogs.
