Thank you for booking an appointment for at Amber Cat Vet.
As our feline companions are self-reliant, emotional, and highly-aware, we strongly believe that the stress-free veterinary visit experience begins at home. As such, we highly recommend that you spend some time to read through the following tips to ensure a positive experience for your feline friend:
CARRIER
If you do not already have a suitable carrier, we recommend the following features to look for when purchasing one:
- Can be securely fastened and is escape-proof
- Easy access – can be disassembled into a top and bottom half
- Easy to clean – made of plastic or coated wire
We recommend that you leave the carrier open, in your cat’s living area, and encourage him/her to enter the carrier. You can place some soft bedding that your cat is familiar with in the carrier. You can further encourage him/her to accept the carrier by first feeding or giving treats near the carrier, then gradually moving the food closer to the carrier over 1-2 weeks, until he/she is comfortable to be inside the carrier. The more time they are allowed to acclimatise to the carrier, the less stressful it will be for him/her when placed inside the carrier.
Please watch the following videos for more information on carrier training your cat:
Part 1 – Place a mat/towel near the open carrier and encourage your cat to sit on it. Reward him/her for doing so with treats and praise. Eventually, you can place the mat in the lower half of the carrier and reward him/her for sitting in it.
Part 2 – Place the top on the carrier, continue to offer praise and treats through the sides of the carrier.
Part 3 – When your cat is happy to sit in the carrier comfortably, introduce the door to the carrier, followed by moving the carrier with your cat in it.
If your cat has a strong negative association with his/her current cat carrier, a new one may be necessary to start the carrier training process
TRANSPORT
As a car ride can be noisy and stressful for your cat, we advise the following measures:
- Line the area under the carrier with a large garbage bag in case of toileting accidents due to stress
- The carrier can be placed on the front passenger’s seat with the seatbelt fastened to prevent sudden movements of the carrier
- The carrier can also be placed on the floor of the back seat if it can be stabilised and does not move around excessively
Please watch the following video for more information:
AT AMBER CAT VET
When you arrive at Amber Cat Vet (48 Burnfoot Terrace), please alert us of your arrival by pressing the doorbell, and we will attend to you as soon as possible.
While in the waiting area, you can place your cat in his/her secured carrier on a chair or on one of the elevated surfaces while filling up the registration form. Cats generally prefer to be on an elevated surface rather than on the ground. You may also request for a towel from us to place over the carrier to reduce stress from seeing other cats, or especially if your cat has any signs of sneezing or discharge/redness/squinting of the eyes, which may indicate cat flu which is infectious amongst cats.
After registration, we encourage you to enter your consultation room, close the doors, place your carrier on the floor and open the carrier door to give your cat the option to come out and explore the room. This would help him/her to acclimatise to the environment, and allow us to gauge reaction and stress levels during the consultation. It is important that your cat is not pulled out of the carrier if he/she does not feel like coming out, as this can increase stress levels.The veterinarian will attend to you in the consultation room once available.
We use Feliway diffusers in our waiting area, consultation room and wards, which contains a synthetic feline scent hormone that is known to calm cats down. However, in the occasional scenario where your cat is known to be more stressed with Feliway, please inform us beforehand so we can provide a Feliway-free consultation room.
Please feel free to contact us if you have further questions or concerns.
Written by: Dr. Celeste Lau BSc DVM (Melbourne)
Video Credits: iCatCare
