BetterMost, Wyoming & Brokeback Mountain Forum

Our BetterMost Community => BetterMost People => Topic started by: Sheriff Roland on September 18, 2009, 08:27:19 am

Title: Getting the cat to the vet
Post by: Sheriff Roland on September 18, 2009, 08:27:19 am: A while back there was an exchange of ideas about how folks fool their cat into going peaceably to the vet. I can't seem to locate that thread right now ...

Well, I'm not a cat person, but I've been adopted by a stray cat who had taken residency in my garage. Bryan started feeding him (some 2 months ago?) and expected me to continue the practice - which I did. Tache (meaning spot and short for moustache, en français) is an outdoors cat. I'm not letting him in the house. But I feed him 3 times a day and he generally follows me around whenever I'm outside - same for Bryan when he's around.

Here's the point of this post (and thread): I think I've come up with a wonderful idea to fool Tache into caging himself. A couple of days ago I borrowed a cat cage from a neighbour. Yesterday, for the first time I started placing his food bowl in the same general area as usual but inside the open cage. I started by placing the bowl closer to the edge of the cage but gradually I've been pushing the bowl a little further inside. This morning I had him eating all the way inside the cage - only his long tail still showing. The vet's visit is tomorrow. I think it will work - this first time.

Cats learn through experience, no doubt but I'm hoping that this trick will work more than once - seeing as there'll be a bit of time between the first two vet visits.

(http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g14/roboy-0/Home%20Pics/2009/divers/09-07-09-01.jpg)
photo taken 09-07-09
Title: Re: Getting the cat to the vet
Post by: Kelda on September 18, 2009, 08:50:18 am: good luck with it.. let us know how it goes!

With my cat skimble, I just have to go with the "push him in the cage with all my might & help from Callum to catch his legs" tactic.. there is no other way to get Skimble in! He's cottoned on to the food trick! And uses his leg as an anchor to keep ot of the little cage!!!

He's fine as soon as hes out though. he does majke a pitiful meiow while in it though, especially when in the cage plus also while in the moving car and not getting all the attention!
Title: Re: Getting the cat to the vet
Post by: Penthesilea on September 18, 2009, 09:53:02 am: Congrats on becoming adopted! :D
Tache looks cute!

Quote
I think I've come up with a wonderful idea to fool Tache into caging himself.

Another congrats! Well done. Must be the teacher in you. You know something about the process of learning, and it applies to cats as well as to kids :).

Hope the corralling will go smoothly tomorrow! For the next trip to the vet, why not trying the same method? Feeding him closer and closer to the cage, then halfways in the cage, then fully in it. Would be best if you had enough time to NOT close the door behind him, but feed him inside the cage a few times without catching him. That would give him time to lose his supiciousness towards the thingie.

Try anything to make the cage attractive when he's afraid of it after the vet tomorrow. Apply a little paté at the entrance or on the bottom inside the cage (if it's a plastic cage), so he can lick it. Place a piece of fish filet inside it. Fish smells so extreme, wonder how long he could resist the smell?

In general: if you only use the cage when another trip to the vet comes up, he'll soon enough know it. If you sometimes use the cage without a reason, just like that, and additionally make it attractive, you have better chances.

--- Ooops --- I just see that the cage belongs to your neighbour. So my ideas are moot.
Hm. Cat cages don't cost much. Maybe you're inclined to buy one?
Title: Re: Getting the cat to the vet
Post by: Penthesilea on September 18, 2009, 09:58:21 am: One more thing: I don't know how shy he is or how fearful in general. My cat was so afraid of the vet that she sometimes wet herself and the cage on the way. I always put a towel in the cage and took a second one in a plastic bag with me to exchange them at the vet. Just saying.
Title: Re: Getting the cat to the vet
Post by: mariez on September 18, 2009, 12:30:53 pm: Oh, Tache is beautiful and I love his name! And good for you adopting a stray. Hope all goes well tomorrow. My cat was an indoor cat, which made taking her to the vet even more difficult - but Tache will probably be more amenable to new experiences!
Title: Re: Getting the cat to the vet
Post by: Brown Eyes on September 18, 2009, 12:54:55 pm: Tache looks adorable! And, it's so great that you're taking care of him Roland! Tache is a lucky cat. :)

Best of luck!
Title: Re: Getting the cat to the vet
Post by: Shakesthecoffecan on September 18, 2009, 01:02:25 pm: And you might want to have a bowl of food waiting for him when he returns, so that what ever conclusion he has come to in his cat brain, this is still the place where he eats.
Title: Re: Getting the cat to the vet
Post by: delalluvia on September 18, 2009, 01:28:00 pm: Quote from: shakesthecoffeecan on September 18, 2009, 01:02:25 pm
And you might want to have a bowl of food waiting for him when he returns, so that what ever conclusion he has come to in his cat brain, this is still the place where he eats.

Good idea. Try to have positive associations with the carrier.

Vets have cheap cardboard carriers. But they're just temporary things. Cat cages are not cheap, but I'm sure you can find them used. I did.

My cats I have to psyche out and then surprise them. Since I know in advance when I'm going to the vet, I bring down their cage early in the week, let 'em freak out, then get curious, smell it and play around in it, by the end of the week, they've forgotten it. Day of the vet trip? I wake up (and since my cats sleep with me) and immediately grab the victim and put her in the cage. Done. No traumatic chasing - since they always know.
Title: Re: Getting the cat to the vet
Post by: Sheriff Roland on September 18, 2009, 03:03:31 pm: Thanks for the ideas and the generous good thoughts.

I'm going to wait until Bryan arrives. Tache generally prefers eating with someone present so with both of us there, I plan on closing the cage on him - while he's gobbling down an extra large portion of canned food (he likes "Friskies" more than the dry "Iams") just before we leave for the vet. We're likely to travel by public transit which will involve one transfer.
Title: Re: Getting the cat to the vet
Post by: delalluvia on September 18, 2009, 03:24:55 pm: Quote from: Sheriff Roland on September 18, 2009, 03:03:31 pm
Thanks for the ideas and the generous good thoughts.

I'm going to wait until Bryan arrives. Tache generally prefers eating with someone present so with both of us there, I plan on closing the cage on him - while he's gobbling down an extra large portion of canned food (he likes "Friskies" more than the dry "Iams") just before we leave for the vet. We're likely to travel by public transit which will involve one transfer.

If you use public transit, then don't use the cardboard carriers. Use a sturdy lockable cage. Put a blanket, bed or one of those cat-tunnels inside them where they feel they can hide.
Title: Re: Getting the cat to the vet
Post by: David In Indy on September 18, 2009, 05:42:27 pm: Quote from: Sheriff Roland on September 18, 2009, 08:27:19 am
(http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g14/roboy-0/Home%20Pics/2009/divers/09-07-09-01.jpg)
photo taken 09-07-09

Awww! What a cute and handsome cat he is! I love Tache! :-*

Roland, I fight with Oreo every single time I take him out. It does not matter where he's going. He's an indoor cat and the outside scares him. When he sees the carrier he knows he's going out of the house and a fight ensues. I usually end up getting scratched, bit and hissed at repeatedly. The only thing that seems to help calm him down a LITTLE is when I throw his dish rag into the cage first. He WANTS that rag and so it seems to work as some sort of compromise.

So I'm sorry I couldn't offer you any advice, except for perhaps placing a toy in there first and see if he goes for it. :-\
Title: Re: Getting the cat to the vet
Post by: Kelda on September 18, 2009, 05:47:13 pm: catnip.. (hash for cats!) it'll chill him out and make him not worry to much dude!!
Title: Re: Getting the cat to the vet
Post by: Sheriff Roland on September 19, 2009, 07:22:09 pm: Well Tache's first visit to the vet was (almost) uneventful. He likes the cage. Still goes in to eat. The doctor found him to be quite sociable, even purring quite a lot with both Bryan and me there.

The only incident occured when transfering between two busses at a major intersection on our way back. As we were about to board the second bus, the cage door came open (only one latch - Tache's weight probably shifted to the front of the cage spilling him out of it). He went running accross the street (in the same direction as the traffic, thank goodness) and kept running for the better part of a block, after which he darted into (slow moving) traffic. He finally settled under a car, I told the driver my cat was under it, they stopped the car and within a few seconds he was back in Bryans hands. The whole event lasted less than two minutes.
Title: Re: Getting the cat to the vet
Post by: bailey1205 on September 19, 2009, 07:38:05 pm: Quote from: Sheriff Roland on September 19, 2009, 07:22:09 pm
Well Tache's first visit to the vet was (almost) uneventful. He likes the cage. Still goes in to eat. The doctor found him to be quite sociable, even purring quite a lot with both Bryan and me there.

The only incident occured when transfering between two busses at a major intersection on our way back. As we were about to board the second bus, the cage door came open (only one latch - Tache's weight probably shifted to the front of the cage spilling him out of it). He went running accross the street (in the same direction as the traffic, thank goodness) and kept running for the better part of a block, after which he darted into (slow moving) traffic. He finally settled under a car, I told the driver my cat was under it, they stopped the car and within a few seconds he was back in Bryans hands. The whole event lasted less than two minutes.

OMG Roland. That had to be scary as hell.

I'm glad you were able to catch him.
Title: Re: Getting the cat to the vet
Post by: delalluvia on September 19, 2009, 09:14:38 pm: Quote from: Sheriff Roland on September 19, 2009, 07:22:09 pm
Well Tache's first visit to the vet was (almost) uneventful. He likes the cage. Still goes in to eat. The doctor found him to be quite sociable, even purring quite a lot with both Bryan and me there.

The only incident occured when transfering between two busses at a major intersection on our way back. As we were about to board the second bus, the cage door came open (only one latch - Tache's weight probably shifted to the front of the cage spilling him out of it). He went running accross the street (in the same direction as the traffic, thank goodness) and kept running for the better part of a block, after which he darted into (slow moving) traffic. He finally settled under a car, I told the driver my cat was under it, they stopped the car and within a few seconds he was back in Bryans hands. The whole event lasted less than two minutes.

Ye gods. That's enough for gray hair. Very very lucky recovery. Cats do have 9 lives.

Last time one of my cats made an escape, it was out my front door while I had both hands full of groceries. Like your cat, my cat's first break intended to lose me. She went down the stairs, turned right, ran to the next corner of buildings. turned right again, took an immediate left and hid under some hedges. If I hadn't dropped my groceries and just ran after her, I would have immediately lost her, having no idea which direction she went.

Animals never do what you want. When I was a kid, we took our family dog - which was strictly a leash dog - down to the river bottoms. We thought he'd enjoy a run around some wild areas, several hundred acres or so of open spaces. Instead, the stupid dog does a 180, heads down the dike and straight into traffic, chasing cars, barking and almost getting run over 2-3 times.
Title: Re: Getting the cat to the vet
Post by: Penthesilea on September 20, 2009, 04:21:36 am: Quote from: Sheriff Roland on September 19, 2009, 07:22:09 pm
Well Tache's first visit to the vet was (almost) uneventful. He likes the cage. Still goes in to eat. The doctor found him to be quite sociable, even purring quite a lot with both Bryan and me there.

Great! :D
Looks like he's a cat with a steady nerves.

Quote
The only incident occured when transfering between two busses at a major intersection on our way back. As we were about to board the second bus, the cage door came open (only one latch - Tache's weight probably shifted to the front of the cage spilling him out of it). He went running accross the street (in the same direction as the traffic, thank goodness) and kept running for the better part of a block, after which he darted into (slow moving) traffic. He finally settled under a car, I told the driver my cat was under it, they stopped the car and within a few seconds he was back in Bryans hands. The whole event lasted less than two minutes.

OMG, what a scary moment. Thank god you had him back quickly and safely.
Title: Re: Getting the cat to the vet
Post by: Kelda on September 20, 2009, 03:22:40 pm: Oh God Roland.. I would have had a heart attack if that had happened to me. Thaks godness Tache is okay!
Title: Re: Getting the cat to the vet
Post by: David In Indy on September 21, 2009, 03:37:56 pm: My God Roland, that must have been frightening for both you and Tache! I can't even imagine something like that happening to my cat. He never goes outside and so an experience like that would have been terrifying for him. It's hard telling what he would do. And I would probably suffer a panic attack right where I stood. Now I feel compelled to check the latches on his cat carrier.

I'm so glad Tache is okay. Hopefully nothing like that will ever happen again. :(
Title: Re: Getting the cat to the vet
Post by: Sheriff Roland on October 10, 2009, 05:49:08 am: Hi everyone.

Here's an update....

Yesterday was Tache's day of reckoning: a return visit to the vet to get neutered.

In the past 3 weeks, Tache has gradually been getting use to spending more time indoors (as opposed to not previously being allowed inside at all). He really didn't mind it on rainy days and cold nights and he'd always have the choice. I fed him indoors more and more. He learned the do's and don't's (like getting up on the counter, the bureau, the bed and going in the basement) of indoor living. He likes getting up on the couch (especially when I'm there watching TV), crawling in between the shower curtain and lining and playing with the mat in the tub. He'll frequently curl up on kitchen chairs or on throw mats and even in one of my closets. The (borrowed) littre box, which I had placed in his outdoor 'domaine' (the garage) was only just brought inside yesterday, just before our departure to the vet.

The trip out there was uneventful. Mimma (my friend and tenant) had offered to drive us to the vet. I had to place Tache in the crate and he went in without objection. It was a dreary day ... raining and gray.

I was told I could pick him up after 4 pm. The trip out there was dreadful. It's only about a kilometre away but the rain hadn't let up so I took the bus out there and had to wait about 30 minutes for the connecting bus (only a 5 minute walking distance from my destination) and arriving to a line up of about half a dozen 'customers' at the animal hospital - another 20 minutes of waiting in line. (Of course, when they finally got to me, there wasn't a line-up anymore.) Two buses of late-afternoon-crowded-bus traffic later, just as we get near home, Tache tries to crash out of the cage. I'm holding the crate like a box with both hands, my right arm extended across the door of the cage, so no escape was possible, and we got home without any last minute hi-jinks.

The whole 'pick-up' trip lasted 90 minutes.

Now Tache is mad at me and wants out of the house - something he's not allowd to do for 3 days, while he heals up. In the past 12 hours he's had needy moments - both for food and for cuddling, playful moments, guilty moments (probably been on the bed >:( ) and he's (surprisingly) been back in the cage on his own - to lie down while I was typing this post. He's been rearanging the sand in the litter box. And he's been hungry.

Thing are getting back to normal, I guess.
Title: Re: Getting the cat to the vet
Post by: delalluvia on October 12, 2009, 02:23:24 pm: He'll get over it, you know how cats are. They're very demonstrative when they feel betrayed.

I've had my cats sit on plants and knock things over they were so mad at me (things they never did normally). Luckily, they've yet to piss on things to show how mad they are. 8)
Title: Re: Getting the cat to the vet
Post by: Shakesthecoffecan on October 12, 2009, 02:39:51 pm: Dang Roland, maybe you should have called a Taxi, that was a hell of a trip to pick him up.
Title: Re: Getting the cat to the vet
Post by: Sheriff Roland on October 12, 2009, 05:59:52 pm: 3 days later ...

Yesterday we went outdoors for (maybe) 10 minutes. That was just 2 days after the operation...

This afternoon, I let Tache out for a couple of hours on his own. Then, when I went out to do a bit of gardening, he kept close by. He followed me indoors when I had finished. Guess we're going to spent the night indoors again.

Oh, and there's a new favourite spot of his - the window sill in the living room - which gives about the same view as the front stoop.
Title: Re: Getting the cat to the vet
Post by: Kelda on October 16, 2009, 10:02:59 am: Im taking my cat to the vet today.. i'll let you know of any funny stories!!!
Title: Re: Getting the cat to the vet
Post by: Kelda on October 16, 2009, 06:47:49 pm: .. he was fine - just did his usual pitiful meiowing the whole time he was in the box!!!
Title: Re: Getting the cat to the vet
Post by: Sheriff Roland on October 16, 2009, 10:38:07 pm: Tache has just discovered the wonders of catnip ::)

His catnip filled stuffed toy (a mouse), one of 5 Bryan gave him tonight, is definitively his favourite.

All toys are now in the closet for the night.
Title: Re: Getting the cat to the vet
Post by: Brown Eyes on October 17, 2009, 01:50:16 am: I'm loving these cat stories! :) Tache is certainly one lucky cat to have found such a nice home. I'm glad that it sounds like you and Tache are both having fun adjusting to your new connection and living arrangements.

Yeah, catnip can be so funny. Once in a while I'll grow fresh catnip and/or cat-grass (usually some kind of wheat grass or oat grass) for Vivien. She loves it, and will nibble on the fresh leaves. She acutally usually prefers the grass-type plants in the fresh form. But, yup, she has lots of mice and other toys stuffed with dried catnip. It's guaranteed to make her a bit hyper if she plays with catnip too long.

If you grow fresh catnip (or other cat plants) I recommend doing it indoors in pots. Growing catnip outdoors can be bad news in terms of attracting lots of cats in the neighborhood (which can become complicated). When I was a teenager my Dad planted catnip in our garden (to cut ant bring inside for out indoor cat), and it was a mistake. LOL!
Title: Re: Getting the cat to the vet
Post by: delalluvia on October 17, 2009, 05:02:06 pm: I keep growing catnip indoors and one of my cats who loves it (the other it has no effect on) keeps destroying it by rubbing against it, nibbling it and finally laying on it until it's dead.

One pot of catnip is no match for a cat addict.
Title: Re: Getting the cat to the vet
Post by: brokeplex on October 17, 2009, 06:59:44 pm: catnip on some of their bedding makes them comfortable in the travel case. my older cat has been transported to the vet and the cat hotel many times thru the years, so she is quiescent about the experience, the younger male whines a bit and the experience unnerves him. however, my strategy has always been to put out the travel case a few days before the "event", talk to them about the travel that is coming up, and then on that day, just pick them up and place them in their individual cases. I also talk to them while we are driving to the vet and stay with them at the vets for at least 30 minutes, and tell them when I will return to fetch them back home.
Title: Re: Getting the cat to the vet
Post by: Brown Eyes on October 20, 2009, 01:02:24 am: Heya Roland! How are things going with your new cat? It's so cute that the cat kind of adopted you. Is he healing up well? LOL, from your earlier posts it sounds like he's immediately displaying classice, favorite cat behaviors. The lining of the shower curtain thing seems to be an almost universal love of many or most cats.

Since he's changing from being an outdoor, independent cat to being an indoor/outdoor pet... is he showing affection? Does he like to sit on your lap, etc.? Or, is he mostly still interested in the practical things... like food? It must be a really interesting transition phase for the cat psychologically.
Title: Re: Getting the cat to the vet
Post by: Sheriff Roland on October 20, 2009, 05:00:04 am: Yup! He's pretty affectionate. Wants to sit on my lap when I'm watching TV. Tends to want to follow me around a lot whenever I'm outside (or rather, likes to play 'you can't catch me' games of running around). But I haven't been outside all that much and when indoors, whether I'm at the computer or in front of the TV, he'll come over and ask if he can be on my lap. Still not been on the bed though.

Having said that, I couldn't get him to go outside to eat last evening when I was about to leave for 'pool night' (left at 5 pm) and, as a consequence, Tache insisted on spending the night out after I got home (got back near 11 pm). It was the first warm night, 15c, in a long time.

Again today I'll be gone for some 5 hours around lunch time, so I'm not expecting him to stay in for that - but he might.

Bryan's already planning to spend a week at my place on the holidays while I'm gone to Timmins.

It's all about the cat now.

Tache use to be an outside cat - not so much anymore.