Taking our cats in for their annual check-ups is not a favorite activity for most cats – so how can we make vet visits easier?
Doing our best to find a vet that’s the right fit for our cat is the first step. Getting our cats comfortable with car rides is also important. Preparing our checklist for the vet to ensure a productive visit. And for those of us with multi-cat households, we face another challenge: Returning home with a kitty that doesn’t smell like the beloved family member that left.
Scent is so important to cats. Part of the reason vet visits are stressful for cats is because of all the foreign scents at the clinic. And all these difference smells come home with your cat.
We come home thinking how excited everyone will be to all be together again. All the cats come running to greet the returning kitty. We open the carrier – and instead of a happy reunion, chaos ensues!
Our cats act like we just brought a rabid dog into the home. The returning cat, already stressed from their vet adventure, is treaded like an unwelcome intruder. This is the power of scent. It can make one cat unrecognizable to another.
So here’s how we can avoid this sad and stressful situation!
- Take a clean towel and use it to wipe down your cat from their face to their tail. Do this before going to the vet – while you cat is relaxed and happy. This ‘soaks’ the towel with all your cat’s calm and familiar pheromones. Once the towel is soaked, place the towel in a room away from the other cats.
- Complete the vet visit and return home.
- Take your returning cat into the room with the towel. This is preferably a comfortable place where your cat can come out of the carrier and relax away from other curious kitties. Take the towel and wipe your cat down again. This re-applies their happy pheromones. Not only does this help them relax from their vet adventure, it makes for a more familiar reunion with our other cats.
Allow you cat to fully calm, groom, and relax before the big reunion. We’ve found 15-20 minutes works well for our babes, but go at your cats pace. This little trick has made vet visits easier than ever before for everyone!
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