How to take your cat to the vet without the stress (for both of you)

For many cats, a trip to the vet gets off to a bad start long before they arrive: the carrier only comes out of the cupboard for that. With a little preparation, the experience can be much calmer.

Make the carrier a familiar place

• Leave it out at home, open, with a blanket that smells of home. Let it become just another piece of furniture.
• Put treats or food inside now and then so they associate it with good things.
• Choose a hard carrier that opens from the top: that way the vet can examine your cat without having to pull them out.

On the day of the visit

• If your vet agrees, don't feed them in the hours beforehand: an empty stomach reduces travel sickness and makes treats at the clinic more tempting.
• Synthetic feline facial pheromone sprays, applied to the blanket about 15 minutes beforehand, help many cats feel more secure.
• Cover the carrier with a towel during the journey and in the waiting room. Cats calm down when they don't have to keep watch over everything.
• Carry it with both hands, not swinging from the handle, and secure it in the car so it can't move.
• In the waiting room, keep it away from dogs and, if you can, up high (on a chair).

How often should you go?

Feline veterinary associations recommend a check-up at least once a year for adult cats and every six months for cats aged 11 and over or with chronic conditions. Cats are very good at hiding pain: check-ups help catch problems early.

Back at home

If you have more than one cat, the one coming home may "smell different" and get a hiss or two. Leave them in a quiet room for a while before reuniting them, and rub a blanket over both cats to mix their scents.