Just because a mama cat carries her kittens by the scruff doesn’t mean we should!
Scruffing is something cats experience in only a few situations — by their mom during their first few weeks of life, during mating, fighting, or when facing a predator. None of these are moments we want to recreate at home, at the vet, or in a shelter.
The flexor reflex in kittens is a response where they go limp when their scruff is grabbed. This reflex, present only during the first few weeks of life, helps mothers safely carry their kittens.
All cats are individuals. We need to assess the cat’s body language throughout and be flexible with handling techniques based on the cat’s individual preference. Allow the cat to maintain its chosen position and vary your touch with the cat’s response.
Want to learn how to handle cats with care and respect? Check out my socials, website, and the iCatCare handling guidelines for cat-friendly tips: AAFP & ISFM Cat Friendly Veterinary Interaction Guidelines.
#cats #cat #vetmed #knowbetterdobetter #veterinary #animalwelfare #vettech #catbehavior #catcare #veterinarytechnician #lowstress #fearfree #catlover
Skip putting the meds in their meals which can cause a food aversion and can often not work after a few attempts and instead do the 1-2-3 medication technique
Found 2-3 treats your pet loves and start the process:
1. Approach and offer a treat.
2. Offer a second treat.
3. Reinforce them eating that treat with another treat.
Gradually introduce adding different foods with the 2nd treat, Experiment with different treat consistencies and flavors. This approach builds trust and cooperation, without trickery.
Capsules are also a game-changer, preventing bitterness and simplifying medication administration.
Don’t miss out on more cooperative care tips! ❤️
#vetmed #medication #seniorcat #doglover #catlover #vettech #vts #tips #veterinary #meds #happycat #collaboration #cooperativecare #catcare #dogcare #veterinarytechnician #veterinarymedicine #cats #dogs #cattraining #dogtraining #vts
Cooperative Care for the Win! 🎉🐱
Imagine this: Instead of hiding at the sight of medication, your cat actually reminds you when it’s time—because they look forward to it! 💊🐾 Jellybean does this all the time, jumping onto her station and meowing to let me know it’s med time!
Cooperative care is about collaboration, not control. It prioritizes both the physical and emotional well-being of the animal by adapting interactions based on their body language and behavioral signals. It’s a two-way conversation built on trust, choice, and positive reinforcement.
🐾 Want to learn more? Follow for tips on administering medication and cooperative care training!
Think needles and vet visits have to be scary? My dog Ness would disagree!
Ness receives weekly acupuncture as part of a multimodal pain management plan for her severe arthritis in her neck, back, and hips. While placing the needles can involve some discomfort, we take every step possible to minimize stress, support her emotional well-being, and ensure she remains comfortable throughout the process.
Just a few things we do to keep ness comfortable and prevent stress are
* Bring her bed and pre made frozen lickimats for her to enjoy
* Elevate her lickimat
* Place her bed from home over a nonslip mat
* Her treatment is done in the middle of the room where it is more open and not in a corner or a narrow space
* We wait until the lobby is clear and go directly in the room to avoid all the possible triggers of other dogs, sounds, etc in a lobby
* We allow her time to sniff outside of the building and go the bathroom if needed (holding it in is uncomfortable and so many good smells!)
* The vet does not approach her and begin to touch her until she chooses to approach her bed and begin eating
* The vet approaches from the side and avoids looming over her
Cooperative care is all about collaboration between the animal and the people providing care. It’s not just about completing a procedure but ensuring that both the physical and emotional needs of the animal are met. By adapting interactions based on Ness’s body language and behavioral signals, we create a positive and low stress experience for her.
Medical care doesn’t have to be stressful—it can be a dialogue, rather than a one-sided conversation controlled by people. When we listen to and respect our animals, we can help them feel safe, supported, and empowered in their care.
#dogs #seniordog #painmanagement #happydog #vetmed #vetrehab #veterinary #cooperativecare #fearfree #vts #dogtrainer #veterinarytechnician
Ness receives weekly acupuncture as part of a multimodal pain management plan for her severe arthritis in her neck, back, and hips. While placing the needles can involve some discomfort, we take every step possible to minimize stress, support her emotional well-being, and ensure she remains comfortable throughout the process.
Just a few things we do to keep ness comfortable and prevent stress are
* Bring her bed and pre made frozen lickimats for her to enjoy
* Elevate her lickimat
* Place her bed from home over a nonslip mat
* Her treatment is done in the middle of the room where it is more open and not in a corner or a narrow space
* We wait until the lobby is clear and go directly in the room to avoid all the possible triggers of other dogs, sounds, etc in a lobby
* We allow her time to sniff outside of the building and go the bathroom if needed (holding it in is uncomfortable and so many good smells!)
* The vet does not approach her and begin to touch her until she chooses to approach her bed and begin eating
* The vet approaches from the side and avoids looming over her
Cooperative care is all about collaboration between the animal and the people providing care. It’s not just about completing a procedure but ensuring that both the physical and emotional needs of the animal are met. By adapting interactions based on Ness’s body language and behavioral signals, we create a positive and low stress experience for her.
Medical care doesn’t have to be stressful—it can be a dialogue, rather than a one-sided conversation controlled by people. When we listen to and respect our animals, we can help them feel safe, supported, and empowered in their care.
#dogs #seniordog #painmanagement #happydog #vetmed #vetrehab #veterinary #cooperativecare #fearfree #vts #dogtrainer #veterinarytechnician
I’ve been working with the amazing caregivers of Morris and Blitz to improve their relationship , build Blitz’s confidence, and help Morris relax and manage his arousal. Both cats are now less stressed overall, and housesoiling issues have been resolved!
In this clip, we’re using management strategies and techniques like pattern games, stationing on a mat, and capturing behaviors such as looking at each other, disengaging, and exhibiting relaxed behavior and decreases in arousal. These techniques were initially taught separately to each cat, help them focus during stressful moments, start from a non-stressful baseline, and gradually shift their feelings about being around each other from negative to positive.
By continuing to collaborate, using positive reinforcement, and addressing the physical, social, and mental needs of both cats, Morris and Blitz have made incredible progress. I’m thrilled to keep working with their caregivers! Behavior change takes time, but with small, consistent steps, we’re seeing huge progress!
#cattraining #catbehavior #cats #felinefriends #catlover #positivereinforcement #teamwork #ilovemyjob #behaviormanagement #clickertraining #cathelp
Medicating my cat who doesn’t feel well
Chip hasn’t been feeling well and is on multiple medications to manage his symptoms. His belly is naked due to a recent ultrasound. Because of his GI discomfort, I’m avoiding using food and instead use hard pets throughout—something he absolutely loves.
To help decrease his stress and increase comfort, here are some of the things I did as you can see in the video:
Worked on creating a positive association with the mat ahead of time, without medicating or treatments.
Interacted with him before pilling
Rubbing his cheeks, neck, and shoulders immediately after pilling
Instead of blowing on him or holding his mouth which is commonly recommended and increases stress
Allowed him to remain in the position he was most comfortable in at the time
Approached him from behind to reduce stress.
Placed multiple pills in one capsule to avoid the need to pill him multiple times.
Coated the pill in something wet to prevent dry pilling.
If he chose to disengage immediately after pilling, I would respect his choice and give him space. He chose to stay and kept leaning in asking for more pets.
Identified what he loves—in this case, pets—and gave them in the way he likes most, which are harder pets.
We haven’t worked on practicing pilling in the past, but I still did my best to make the experience as stress-free as possible.
It’s understandable that he might feel more stressed since he’s not feeling well, which makes me even more grateful for his trust. Despite not feeling his best, he still chose to go to his treatment station on his own, stayed there, and continued to ask for pets.
There are always steps we can take to prevent, reduce, or manage stress during care.
Like and follow for more cat and dog care tips!
In this video, you’ll see our morning and nightly medication routine with Bean. Since she loves to sleep between my partner and me, I started medicating her here—and now she knows exactly when it’s med time!
She chooses to approach me on her own, purrs the whole time, and stays for treats after. This is cooperative care in action! 🐾✨
Cooperative care means involving your pet in their own care, reducing stress, and helping them feel safe and in control. It’s all about teamwork and understanding their body language and signals.
Why practice cooperative care?
💙 Builds trust with your pet
💙 Reduces stress during medical or grooming routines
💙 Makes daily care easier for everyone
Want to learn more? Like and follow for tips on cooperative care, and stay tuned for upcoming webinars and events!
#cooperativecare #cats #cattrainer #cattraining #vetmed #vettech #catbehavior #catcare #cat #catlover #collabration #seniorcat #threeleggedcat #catlife #veterinarytechnician
No stress, no struggle-just teamwork
In this video, you’ll see my cat comfortably receiving an injection. Malt has arthritis and as part of her multimodal treatment, she receives monthly injections to manage her pain. This is her baseline speed of eating and she is purring throughout her chomps 😸
She chooses to go and stay on her mat, stays relaxed, and enjoys a treat while I give her the injection. This is what cooperative care looks like in action. 🐾✨
Cooperative care means involving your pet in their care, reducing stress, and ensuring they feel safe and in control. Cooperative care is all about teamwork between you and your pet, ensuring their physical and emotional well-being. It’s a two-way conversation where we adapt based on their body language and signals.
Why practice cooperative care?
💙 Builds trust between you and your pet
💙 Reduces anxiety around medical or grooming procedures
💙 Makes routine care easier and less stressful for everyone
Want to learn more? Like and follow for tips on cooperative care!
It’s Pain Awareness Month
Let’s bust some of the biggest myths about pet pain and learn how to better care for our furry friends.
Swipe through to discover common myths and the truth behind them!
As a veterinary technician specialized in behavior, I often see pet caregivers struggling to recognize when their pets are in pain. Pain in pets can be subtle, and behavioral changes are crucial clues! 🐶🐱
Early intervention is crucial for your pet’s comfort and quality of life. Effective pain management involves a multimodal approach:
A multimodal approach to pain management in dogs and cats involves using a combination of therapies to effectively manage pain. This strategy might include medications for immediate relief, laser therapy to reduce inflammation and promote healing, weight management to reduce joint stress, physical rehabilitation to restore function and mobility, environmental changes to create a safe and comfortable environment and supplements to support overall joint and tissue health.
By addressing pain from multiple angles, we provide more comprehensive and sustained relief.
For more tips and resources, visit my website: https://chirrupsandchatter.com/resource-library/
#painawarenessmonth #dogpain #myth #cats #dogs #doglover #catlover #vetmed #vettech #catbehavior #dogbehavior #catmom #dogdad #pain
. She grew up with cats, dogs, turtles, rabbits and more. She began volunteering with animal rescues in high school. She is one of only 30 in the world currently!
