How to catch a cat being wary to go to the veterinarian

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No cat really appreciates to go to the vet. Nevertheless, if we are sick, or hurt, it is essential that our human can take us to him quickly. To let us go in the PTU, it’s easy : a treat at the bottom and hup ! Here we go !

Pixie 24 mai 2014

But all the cats are not also cooperative as us. A colleague of Claire, for example, has a very wild cat : she can pet him, but not carry him. She saw that he had an abscess on a cheek, but impossible to catch him.
There are nevertheless various tricks which the human can do to facilitate the task :

Leave the PTU with arrangement permanently (without the door) : we use them as hiding place or as bed. They are familiar objects, and it avoids that we hide immediately as soon as we perceive them.
If your cat can go out freely, close the door when he’s inside as soon as possible, even the day before. Claire missed some appointments early in the afternoon because our angel Loupi had not came back “as usual” at about 11 am in the morning…
Once inside, if your cat hides under the bed, start the vacuum cleaner in the room : we’re so much scared of this thing that we’re immediately going to leave the room ! Close doors one after the other to confine the cat in a single room (or in the less possible rooms).
Put the cat in the PTU ; be firm, and close immediately the door.
For the most contrary cats, you can try to capture them in an old pillowcase : roll the pillowcase as a sock. Put the head of the cat inside coming from above and be VERY fast : slide the pillowcase around the body and especially the back legs, and wrap the cat. Hold firmly the closed pillowcase and slide the wrapped cat in the PTU. Close immediately the door. Don’t worry, the cat has enough air to breathe, and he already probably went out of the pillowcase during the 2 seconds which was necessary to you to close the PTU.

You’re now a traitor in the eyes of your cat : good dose of cuddles and some treats should be able to arrange that once back home !

17 thoughts on “How to catch a cat being wary to go to the veterinarian”

Kitties Blue 12 November 2014 at 15 h 11 min

Thanks for the good advice, especially the one about the vacuum cleaner. I never thought of that. Adorable photo of Pixie. Chalets Jo sends a kiss to Zorro. XOCK, Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth and Calista Jo

Hannah and Lucy 12 November 2014 at 15 h 43 min

Mum hadn’t thought of that and we’re not going to tell her!
Luv Hannah and Lucy xx x x

Georgia and Julie 12 November 2014 at 15 h 59 min

Good advice. We are not too happy about going to the Vet,
but Mom manages to catch us all the same :/
Purrs Georgia and Julie,
Treasure and JJ

Talent Hounds 12 November 2014 at 17 h 15 min

Good advice, happy WW!

Canadian Cats 12 November 2014 at 17 h 58 min

Excellent tips on how to get us into the Carrier. Pixie looks so very cute!

(((Shoko)))

Summer 12 November 2014 at 20 h 02 min

Wow! Some kitties are really difficult! My human just plunks me in the carrier. While Binga and Boodie aren’t quite as easy, she tries to get them while they are napping and too sleepy to realize what is going on until they are already in the carrier.

da tabbies o trout towne 12 November 2014 at 20 h 34 min

pixie & zorro….grate post two day, thanx for sharing…de food serviss gurl sayz her haz tried mor wayz ta get us in R carriers, then she is old…N THATZ A LOT OH YEERZ!!!!!!! ♥

Connie 12 November 2014 at 21 h 16 min

I tend to rely on the old stand by if I can’t catch someone, break out the treats, then close all the doors to rooms that have things the cat in question can hide under..

The Island Cats 13 November 2014 at 2 h 19 min

Good tips! We’ll make sure the mom doesn’t see these. 😉

Kitty Cat Chronicles 13 November 2014 at 3 h 52 min

Great advice, as always! We like playing in our PTU.

Ellen Pilch 13 November 2014 at 4 h 04 min

Great tips, sometimes it is hard to get kitties to cooperate.

Deztinee High 13 November 2014 at 8 h 17 min

OMC Bootyful weez wuld luv to see yous mommy wiff dat pillow case. MOL Weez can just picture it, and all we can do is laff. MOL Weez not giv mommy any twubble, but weez go all da time, and so weez just fink weez gunna hav a good time. And mommy always twies to take us sumwhere fun even after goin’ to da VET, so weez not fink da VET is bad. Gweat posty.

Luv ya’

Dezi and Lexi

Frimousse 13 November 2014 at 10 h 56 min

Vet? No thanks.

Cathy Keisha 14 November 2014 at 2 h 28 min

I’m ashamed to say I usually walk right inside the PTU. They have trouble getting me out at the stabby place so my new vet takes the PTU apart.

Raven 14 November 2014 at 5 h 50 min

Great tips. I always had to use a technique similar to the pillowcase with my Eddie Bear. I had to wrap him in a towel to get him into the carrier because he’d spread all his legs apart and I couldn’t get him through the opening. Once in the carrier he was just fine.

Ann Staub 15 November 2014 at 20 h 50 min

I’ve had to catch some wild cats before too and it’s never easy! At the vet office, we have to actually get these cats BACK into the carriers to send home. Usually, we use a very thick towel for this. When I did this at home during the summer, the cats did not threaten to bite but didn’t want to be picked up so I scruffed them and carried them carefully.