Gulf Coast Scratching Post Cat Hospital

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Understanding Our Commitment to Minimize Your Cat's Stress

You may find our approach to your cat's veterinary visit different from your previous experiences. We recognize that cats will probably be fearful when they come to the veterinarian and we will try to decrease your cat's anxiety with the steps we take during your visit.

There are some basic principles that can be helpful to understand in order to optimize the veterinary visit from a feline perspective. We know that kittens are more tolerant of experiencing new things and handling change than adult cats. Young animals (like people) don't seem to get as stressed about the unexpected. But as your cat gets older, changes in where they are and what is happening around them can create a great deal of anxiety. They get signals about their environment from their eyes and ears, but their sense of smell is also a very important signaling system. As a matter of fact, it's so important that many behaviorists say that "cats move through clouds of smell", creating another dimension to their landscape. When you're a small animal that is both a predator as well as another creature's prey, changes in your stable environment usually mean that you need to be alert to trouble or threat. Visits to the veterinary practice constitute a significant change and can be a significant challenge for a cat.

Cats will display a spectrum of responses to a stressful environment just like people do. Some people can cope with challenges and the unexpected much easier than others. It is the same with cats. Usually cats will seek out a hiding place so that they can stay hidden from view. A confident cat may sense that it can handle a situation and not display any anxious behaviors. Others may freeze and not move or react very much when they are handled. It is important to remember that these cats are still really scared. Some cats will lick themselves or fidget in some way to console themselves. And just as some pople are going to be more likely to lash out under stress than others, cats that have exhausted their coping mechanisms will often become aggressive. Allowing them to stay hidden while at the veterinary practice or distracting them with toys or treats can help cats avoid escalating fear.

You are an important part of making your cat's visit less stressful. We will give you resources that will explain how you can help prepare for a visit. For example, choosing the right kind of carrier is very important. Being dragged, pulled, or tipped out of a carrier can be very scary and it starts the visit off with a cat already more fear-aroused. When we can remove the top half of a hard-sided carrier, your cat can stay hidden under a towel while we perform most of our examination. Allowing them to cope in this manner can prevent them from progressing into more fear and aggression.

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