Make vet visits easier

FC in for her annual checkup

Bringing your cat to the vet can be a stressful experience for you, your cat, the vet and the nurse.

Some cats yowl as soon as the car starts, others pee in the carrier every trip.

An upset cat is difficult for your vet to examine and stress skews some blood tests.

How do we make visits to the vet less stressful for all concerned?

Leave the carrier out permanently in your home.  Many cats will rest or hide in it or use it as a play thing, particularly if it has been about since they were kittens. Pop some treats in the carrier so that your cat associates it with a pleasant experience.

Apply Feliway spray to bedding in the carrier regularly and just before transport. Feliway contains a natural pheromone that relaxes cats.  Lining the carrier with a favourite person'sclothing may also calm your cat.

Withhold food before travel to prevent travel sickness and consequent negative feelings about car rides. Short practice rides followed by a good experience such as a favourite food help some cats to relax in the car.

Cover the carrier with a towel or blanket, or place one over the cat in the carrier so that she can hide if she needs to.

In the waiting room place the carrier up off the ground on a seat or bench and well away from other cats. If your cat is wide-eyed, trembling,or huddled at the back of the carrier ask the receptionist to put her in a spare quiet room.

Because cats hide illness and pain so well they need regular, scheduled visits to the vet to ferret out problems like arthritis, thyroid and kidney disease and liver and heart decline. Annual visits are adequate for cats less than 8 years old. Older cats need checks more often, especially if any problems have been identified.

Unfortunately, cats often don’t show us they’re sick until it’s almost too late.

Reducing the stress of vet visits means more frequent checkups and a longer, healthier, and more comfortable life for your feline friend.

Urine problems

Indoor cats  straining to urinate and not producing much but bloody urine have bladder problems. Some exhibit their frustration and pain all over the house.

The urinary passage of male or desexed male cats can block up with crystals and mucous. If your cat is tense and restless then he may have a blockage and you must contact a vet immediately before the bladder bursts.

Stress causes bladder inflammation or cystitis in some cats.

Kidney or bladder infections and bladder stones cause similar signs.

When you come to the vet surgery we examine your cat for urinary blockage and shock. Then we analyse your cat’s urine for infection, crystals and mucous plugs. We might order an X ray or ultrasound to rule out bladder stones.

If we find no sign of blockage, infection or stones then  we conclude that your cat has Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD) or Interstitial Cystitis (FIC).

Contributing causes:
No single cause of FIC has been identified. However, several factors have been shown to increase the risk of FIC. These include:

• Stress
• Indoor confinement
• Dry food
• Obesity
• Low water consumption
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Frequent meals

How can you prevent further episodes of FIC?

• Introduce a predominantly wet food diet such as food in sachets or cans, or raw meat. If your cat prefers dry food you may have to introduce the new foods gradually. Add a little of the wet food to the biscuits and gradually increase the amount of wet food. Alternatively sprinkle the biscuits with water and increase the amount of water added over a few weeks until the biscuits are soft and wet.
• Increase your cat’s water intake. You might try adding more water to the food or offering water flavoured with chicken stock. Some cats like running water. Pet fountains are available in many pet stores. Cats often like drinking water from the shower recess or basin. Provide water in a variety of bowls in different shapes, sizes and textures to identify your cat’s preference. If rain water or filtered water is available your cat may prefer it to tap water.
• Encourage frequent urination. Provide at least one litter tray per cat plus one more filled with the preferred litter and in private locations.
• Reduce stress in your cat’s life. Some cats are very sensitive to their environment and may respond to any changes by becoming nervous or fearful and developing problems such as cystitis. A comfortable quiet hideout for resting, such as a cupboard, quiet bed or sofa, or on top of the refrigerator, is essential for all felines. Some nervous individuals may require a refuge in a quiet, sheltered part of the house away from other pets and people, and furnished with the necessities of life.
• Minimise interaction with other cats for fearful individuals. Check out the Indoor Cat website for signals that your cat is on edge. You may have to provide a feeding point, litter tray and hideout for each cat to minimise the tension.
• A Feliway diffuser may help to reduce stress in many situations.
• Enrich your cat’s environment. When we confine our cats indoors they become dependent on us not only for their physical needs and environment but for their emotional and intellectual needs as well. Cat scratching posts, toys that mimic prey, tunnels, outside runs and a variety of high spots and hideouts will keep your cat happy and stimulated. Your company is important. Even an old cat will appreciate a game with a ribbon on a stick or a glittery ball. Make your cat work for food by hiding it in various locations around the house or in food puzzles such as plastic containers with holes cut in the sides. The Indoor Pet website has lots of suggestions.

Calm cats

When cats feel safe and happy they rub their faces against the furniture, walls and other objects. They are depositing a scent known as a pheromone that makes them feel at home and relaxed.

Researchers have developed a cat facial pheromone look-a-like for stressed cats that capitalises on this calming effect. It is available as a spray or in a diffuser known as Feliway.

A couple of squirts of Feliway spray in the carrier before a visit to the vet or a trip in the car helps relax a tense puss. Many boarding catteries spray their accommodation to help the cats settle in and start eating more quickly. If you take your cat with you on holidays then Feliway spray around the holiday cottage will relax him.

We leave a Feliway diffuser on in the cat ward at the surgery to calm nervous patients.

Feliway diffusers are also great for chronically stressed cats. These cats use other marking behaviours that are less acceptable to their owners. Urine marking, aggression toward other cats or people, house soiling and cystitis are signs of stress.

Feliway diffusers left on continuously in cats’ favoured areas help restore their balance and create a feeling of well-being. Together with modifications of the environment and sometimes medications we can lower stress levels and minimise unsociable habits.