Travel Tips

Make The Trip To The Vet A Less Stressful Time For Your Cat

Cats enjoy their independence and don’t generally enjoy being driven around in a car. The last thing they want is to be cooped up in a car with strange noises and bumps and jolts. Added to which, they end up at this clinical white place with unpleasant smells and an aura of fear, the VET. The reward for all this? Sharp needles and your mouth being forced open.

So we need to try and help the experience pass as easily as we can for our cats.

To start with, cats need to be transported in a basket, unlike most dogs that are unrestricted. Although, your cat runs the risk of associating the basket with the vet if, the only time they see it is ten minutes before they’re dragged off to the vet. A much better ploy is to bring the basket out a few days before you go so the cat has some time to get used to it before making the dreaded journey. More than this, my cats actually got to view it as a place of sanctuary, making it more of an issue to get them out at the other end! Because of this it’s better to have a basket with a top that comes completely off, making it easier to access.

Cats will show signs of stress in different ways, some will go quite and become reserved, others might yowl for the complete journey. It’s usually the fear of the unknown and the motion of the car can be the sensation that sets them off.

In order to minimise this, it’s best to make sure the basket is safely secured in the car with a seat belt. You will also need to consider your passenger when diving as well, anticipate junctions and roundabouts, getting past them as smoothly as possible to avoid any sudden stop/starts. A flow of fresh air is crucial as well, so keep the car windows slightly open and never leave a pet in the car unattended.

There are cats that can suffer from travel sickness, in which case it’s best to get the right medication from your vet before you travel. Do not use human medicines. For very stressed cats, you can buy a spray called Feliway which has been proven to help keep cats calm in stressful situations. It can be used anywhere where your cat might get stressed, for example, cats living in homes with other cats, if you’ve had a lot of work done to the house or are thinking of going away on holiday, all are situations that may stress your cat and where this spray will help.

Rob Tyrrell is a cat owner and specialises in pet portraits if you’re interested in commissioning a pet portrait from photos visit his site at www.robtyrrell-petportraits.co.uk

Tags: animals, cars, cats, pets, Travel Tips