We recommend that you familiarize yourself with the specifics of visiting a veterinary clinic so that the kitten feels as comfortable as possible.
A veterinarian examines a kitten that is sitting on an examination table.
You may already know how to visit a veterinarian with your pet. Otherwise, you should understand the specifics of visiting a veterinary clinic so that the kitten feels as comfortable as possible.
How to choose a veterinarian for a kitten
In the place where you bought a kitten, you could have been advised by a veterinarian who had previously examined your pet. If for some reason you cannot visit this specialist, you will have to choose a new veterinary clinic for your pet.
Factors to consider when choosing a new veterinary clinic:
- the clinic’s reputation among animal owners in the area;
- proximity to home;
- convenient location/good transport links;
- convenience of parking;
- cleanliness and order in the clinic;
- maintaining veterinary records of pets with constant updating of information;
- availability of reminders about the need for vaccination during the following examinations;
- availability of veterinary programs for preventive measures;
- service standards, availability and characteristics of equipment;
- provision of emergency services or assistance during non-working hours;
- providing advice on pet nutrition;
matching the approach chosen in the clinic to the needs of your cat.
Veterinarians, who are most knowledgeable about the peculiarities of cats’ behavior, have been using this knowledge in their practice for quite a long time. Such clinics take into account the needs of cats and allocate time for operations and special waiting areas only for cats. Pets are provided with dispensers of soothing pheromones, diffused lighting, a calm atmosphere and a patient, attentive attitude. All this allows veterinarians, owners and their cats to consult and receive treatment in optimal conditions.
If cats resist or behave aggressively during the examination, this is obviously due to the fact that they are scared and cannot cope with the “threat” directed at them in any other way.
Preparation Maine Coon Kitten for a visit to a veterinarian
Any information you provide will be useful to the veterinarian and will help you choose the necessary vaccinations for your cat.
Before visiting a doctor, check your cat’s veterinary card. It is useful to record certain information, for example, the diet of your cat (the name and company of the feed manufacturer, portion sizes, etc.), the amount of liquid consumed, the conditions of detention, as well as the changes you noticed in the behavior, nutrition or digestion of the animal.
It is recommended to save in writing — preferably in a separate folder — all the information about the diseases your cat has suffered and the previously prescribed treatment.
A trip with a kitten to the veterinarian
For safety reasons, the cat should be transported in a special carrier. It is desirable that this item is already familiar to the kitten. If you plan to visit a veterinarian in the near future, take out the carrier and leave it in the open in the kitten’s favorite place for a few days. This will help him get used to carrying.
To help your pet get used to carrying and feel safe away from prying eyes, you can spray soothing pheromones and lay a blanket inside the familiar kitten, soaked in its smell. If the carrier has an open side, cover it with a blanket or towel to hide the kitten from prying eyes.
How to handle a kitten at a veterinarian’s appointment
To reduce the possible stress in a kitten caused by a visit to a veterinarian, you can use the tips below.
- In the doctor’s waiting room, do not take the cat out of the carrier. Instead, place the carrier on a raised surface, such as a chair.
- Trying not to make sudden movements, carefully take out the cat and put it on the table for inspection.
- Some cats calm down when they are in a carrier. In this case, simply open the upper part of the carrier so that the doctor can examine the animal.
- Talk to the cat gently and quietly, keep calm. If you are agitated, the cat will feel it, and her stress state may worsen.
- Remember, you can trust professionals: veterinarians are used to working with cats, even the most unfriendly. If you try to interfere, you will not only interfere with the doctor, but you may also get hurt.
- Some veterinarians come on call at home. In this case, close the cat in the room, preferably without hiding places in which the animal could hide. Remember that in some cases you and your cat will still have to visit the clinic.
- Fright can aggravate the condition of a cat with respiratory diseases or injured in an accident. In such situations, it is necessary to remain calm and calm the cat — stroke it and talk to it in a low voice.
- If the cat needs hospitalization, if possible, choose a clinic that takes into account the special needs of cats. If the visit to the veterinarian was planned in advance, you can take with you a pillow, your pet’s favorite blanket, or even an item of clothing soaked in your scent.
A veterinarian examines a kitten that is sitting on an examination table.
Returning home after visiting a veterinarian
Usually cats are happy to return to a familiar environment. When you return from the veterinary clinic, let the cat calmly settle into the familiar environment.
Cats (if they are healthy enough for this) will certainly want to make sure that all the furniture is in its place, the garden is where it was before, and that the tray still belongs to them.
Cats will surely inspect their favorite places and try to convey their scent to them by rubbing their foreheads against them or leaving claw marks.
However, if you have several cats in your house, you will have to take certain measures to ensure a calm and comfortable return of the animal to their community.
The kitten’s return to other pets
In groups of cats with an established hierarchy, each participant knows the others well, they regularly exchange information using olfactory signals.
It may happen that the cat temporarily leaves the group. Upon returning, other pets do not always recognize her, which can cause anxiety or even lead to a fight.
In this regard, it is necessary to take certain precautions when an absent animal returns home.
Similar measures can also be applied at the first appearance of a new pet, regardless of its type:
- First of all, you should create a calm atmosphere for pets in the house by spraying artificial pheromones.
- In order for the newly arrived animal to acquire a smell familiar to others, you can wipe its fur with a piece of cloth soaked in the smell of a cat that has not left the house
- If possible, place the litter used by cats who stay at home in a carrier so that the cat returning home can recognize the smell of its fellows.
Stress caused by visiting a veterinarian can make a very strong impression on a kitten and lead to an unwillingness to go to the clinic in the future.
If you follow a few simple recommendations that help to maintain a calm and friendly atmosphere when the kitten returns to its home, then in adulthood, when visiting a veterinarian, the cat will feel more comfortable and confident.