Q: Help! I can't get my cat T.C. to the vet. Every time I try to take her she hides in hard-to-find spots. Getting her out of these is virtually impossible, not to mention getting her into the carrier. So far she has been healthy but it's been years since she has seen a doctor.
A: I have a few tricks for owners. It may take some trial and error but these are your best bets:
• Don't give your cat any cues that a vet visit is imminent. That means no change in her feeding schedule, no taking out the carrier to spruce it up, and no getting the catnip out for a sprinkle trail that leads into the carrier.
• Consider the lowly pillowcase. It works like a net to enclose your cat snugly the first time. Vary its color and size for future attempts, as cats are not without their pattern recognition-based intelligence. Cats thus caught may be transferred easily to traditional carriers or simple boxes.
• Reconsider your carrier. Is it easy to get your kitty into? If its opening is barely bigger than her backside you may want to invest in a more suitable mode of transport.
In my experience, this is where most owners fail. They finally catch their kitty only to suffer the consequences in the form of fully extended claws on their way into the carrier.
Therefore, I highly recommend easy-access, top-loading carriers with big openings. It makes extraction less traumatic for the vet, too.
• While I'm loath to recommend this, some of my clients have to resort to modern sedatives to get their kitties to comply. If that's your case, ask your vet for a simple sedative you can use to make your task slightly easier. I can't promise it'll do the trick, but it can make all the difference for some frisky felines.
• Short of that, I'd strongly recommend you top up all the holes T.C. likes to hide in. And remember, there's nothing wrong with trapping her ahead of time and making her wait until appointment time. It's better than forgoing the routine care she needs.
