How to Take Your Cat to the Vet

How to Take Your Cat to the Vet

I wish to impart some practical advice concerning the cat-vet problem. It comes from bitter experience that I have reason to believe is common. It is designed to spare you and your cat from distress and injury. How do you get the cat in the carrier? First, place the carrier in your bathroom (or other small sealed room if you have one) the day before you plan to visit the vet. Make sure you do it with the entrance part open at the top, so not resting horizontally on its bottom. I suggest covering it with a sheet so as not to make the cat suspicious. Wearing a pair of stout gloves, carry the cat into the bathroom at the appropriate time and shut the door; it shouldn’t be alarmed at this point. Now take the sheet and throw it over the cat. It will certainly be alarmed at this point and a struggle may ensue as you work to wrap the cat in the sheet. Keep a firm hand and ensure that the head and legs are enclosed in the sheet (the cat will probably be howling at this point). Now gently but firmly drop the enclosed cat hindlegs first into the box using the force of gravity. Make sure it doesn’t get out of the sheet on the way in (pay special attention to the legs). The hard part is now over. Close the door to the box and proceed to the vet. The cat will be moaning the whole way but will probably be free of the sheet in a few minutes or less. No harm will be done. The whole point of this method is to avoid the problem of the cat running away from you as you try to nab it—they are very quick and cunning. Also, it solves the problem of the cat fighting to stay out of the box, possibly scratching you and hurting itself, because the sheet immobilizes it. Notice that the whole operation can be done by one person. It is generally a bad idea to try to force the cat into the box head first and horizontally; dropping it in backwards and vertically is much better. Good luck![1]

[1] I described this method to the vet the other day and received his approval—apparently, it is a common problem.