Vet Trips Made Easier

Amy D. Shojai is a certified animal behavior consultant and the award-winning author of 23 pet care books, including “Complete Kitten Care” and “Pet Care in the New Century: Cutting-Edge Medicine for Dogs & Cats.” View more about Amy by clicking here:
https://www.thesprucepets.com/amy-shojai-cabc-551736
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Cats get the short end of the health care stick. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, cats visit the vet much less frequently than dogs. It’s not that felines are healthier (although cats do hide illness better) but many cats hate the vet so much their owners find it easier to just skip it. But even healthy cats need well exams once or twice a year.

Cats are adept at protecting themselves from stranger danger. What’s familiar is safe, while anything new or different raises kitty suspicions. A vet visit delivers a triple whammy by changing the cat’s routine, environment and exposure to strangers. Here are seven reasons cats hate the vet and how you can ease the angst.

Negative Crate Expectations. Cats learn very quickly to recognize cause and effect. The appearance of the cat carrier prompts kitty disappearing acts if used only for vet visits. Make the carrier part of the furniture and add a fuzzy bed or catnip toys inside to create a pleasant association.

Claustrophobic Car Rides. Though humans can look out windows and know what’s happening, the cat’s-eye view from the carrier offers movement without warning. Odd sounds and being in a strange environment raise cat blood pressure and might even prompt motion sickness. Covering the view with a towel over the carrier’s door helps some cats. But simply taking Kitty for many short rides around the neighborhood (and never going to the vet!) followed by treats or games can diminish nerves.

Scary Smells. Cats experience much of life through their noses. The array of unfamiliar smells found in a hospital — antiseptic, strangers, other animal’s fear — can ramp up the kitty fright factor. A pheromone product like Comfort Zone with Feliway that can be spritzed on a towel inside the carrier can help soothe environmental stress.

Strange Pets. Nothing turns felines into hiss-terical claw monsters like barking dogs or meowing cats. When confined inside a carrier, your frightened cat can’t flee, so the fight-or-flight instinct has no outlet. She may redirect her fear aggression on the nearest target — you or the vet staff. Ask to schedule your cat’s exam early in the morning or at slow times to avoid a busy waiting room. Some vet practices have separate waiting rooms and entrances for cats and dogs, so at least your cat never has to see or hear the mortal enemy.

Cold Exam Tables. Though cats may hate getting into their carriers, being dumped on a cold metal table elevates the “strangeness” of the experience significantly. After all, Kitty-Boy’s preferred lounging spots are the windowsill with a view, the soft top of the sofa, or a table underneath a warm lamp. Take along a towel or even the cat’s bed that smells like your cat to make the exam table more feline friendly. Some cat specialty practices have exam room windows with bird feeders outside or water fountains and fish tanks for kitty distraction.

Weird People Doing Weird Things. The vet and clinic staff love animals, but to your cat they’re from Mars. Maybe they wear uniforms and smell like dogs (spit!) and don’t ask permission to stroke his fur. A particular stressor is being handled by several people — the vet tech for getting a temperature or stool sample, for example, and later the veterinarian. Reducing the number of handlers may help. Scheduling enough time so the cat doesn’t feel rushed also can ease the tension.

Painful or Surprising Events. Needle sticks aren’t much fun. And a cold thermometer inserted into the nether regions is no way to make friends. It’s up to owners to offer treats or toys during and immediately after upsetting procedures to help change how cats feel about vet visits.

Cats remember discomfort, fear and bad experiences and expect them in the future. But they also remember good experiences and anticipate accordingly. Ask about taking your kitten for “fun visits” to meet and get used to the vet and staff, so he can simply play and be petted rather than examined and treated. Repeated happy visits take the scary out of the equation. Make vet visits more pleasant, and your cat will be happier — and healthier.

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No blarney! Find Patrick the Cat in our CatHaven Tree for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate!

It’s easy to enter!
  1. Find Patrick the Cat in our CatHaven Tree, pictured below
  2. Click here to place an order with us, any order store wide (no minimum).
  3. When you receive your email order confirmation, click Reply, and tell us where Patrick is located on the CatHaven Tree.
  4. The winner will be randomly selected from the correct entries posted by March 31, 2019.
  5. We’ll notify the winner via email on April 1, 2019.
Now, have fun shopping with us, and may you have the luck of the Irish!
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Announcing MyThreeCats.com’s 2018 Favfurrite Holiday Cat Photo Winners!

First Place Winner!
Second Place Winner!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Third Place Winner!

Dear Friends and Contestants,  our sincere thanks to all of you who entered this year’s Holiday Cat Photo contest.  The contest has officially ended! Our judges had a real challenge on their paws picking the top three photos!  There were so many amazing, creative holiday cat photos submitted this year!  Nevertheless, our panel of judges has chosen the winners, they are:

WIN (1st Prize): Custom Cat Pillow, compliments of Narrative Decor: E. Hunt, Will the Real Cat Stand Up!

PLACE (2nd Prize):  $20 MyThreeCats.com Gift Certificate:  J. Crouch, Poinsetta Cat!

SHOW (3rd Prize):  $10 MyThreeCats.com Gift Certificate:  C. Jones, Reindeer Cat!

Also see these fabulous felines featured on our Facebook  Instagram , and Twitter pages today.  May you and your loved ones, both furry and otherwise, have a meowvelous holiday season!

 

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Enter our MyThreeCats.com Favfurrite Holiday Cat Photo Contest!

We know you have that one amazing holiday cat photo that your friends think will go viral if you post it!

Share that “pawsome” photo with us and become eligible to win one of the following prizes:
First prize: Decorative sofa pillow, courtesy of Narrative Decor with your cat’s photo on it (you pick the photo).  Total Value $100
Second prize: $20 gift certificate to MyThreeCats.com
Third prize: $10 gift certificate to MyThreeCats.com
Winner’s photos will be posted on our Blog, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages! Click here to enter now, through Wednesday, December 5th. Full contest rules are posted here.
Once you enter, you’ll receive a great bonus offer from us. Find out more by entering!
Also, check out our Holiday Gift Guide, brimming with ideal gifts for your favorite cats and cat lovers!
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We Have a Winner of the Meow-lo-ween Guess How Many Cat Toys Contest!

Thank you to EVERYONE who entered our Meow-o-ween Guess How Many Cat Toys Contest!  (Be on the lookout for a special thank you offer email).

I guess no black cats crossed Donna M’s path this week, as she just won our contest.  Congrats Donna!!!  Donna guessed magic number 29 and that is exactly how many catnip toys are in the Meow-lo-ween jar.   Enjoy your $50 shopping spree at MyThreeCats.com!

She apparently didn’t cross our winner’s path! ;)

 

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