At the Feline Medical Clinic, we are always working to keep our patients are stress-free as possible. We know visiting the cat care clinic in Vancouver, Washington can be stressful for both you and your pet, and we are committed to decreasing this stress and anxiety for a successful appointment. If you are a returning visitor, you may have noticed some changes in the clinic and how we handle your cats.
We have added Feliway® towels in the lobby and Feliway® diffusers in all of our examination rooms to help your pets feel calm in this unfamiliar environment. The Feliway family of products makes cats happy and avoids signs like urine spraying, scratching, fighting or hiding. Feliway provides “happy messages” to cats and makes them feel comfortable and secure at home. By mimicking the natural feline reassuring messages, Feliway helps your cat happily adjust to pace of modern life. You can provide calming and comfort at home and help prevent or reduce urine spraying, scratching or hiding.
We also offer them treats (diet permitting) and utilize the best low-stress handling practices to help them relax as much as possible.
If you have any questions about our new processes, why we are doing it, or why we asked you to let us handle the cats, please do not hesitate to ask. Familiarizing yourself with low-stress handling can benefit your cat both at the vet and at home.
For hospitalized and lodging patients at our cat care clinic in Vancouver, Washington, we are now using the iCalmCat. iCalmCat plays a mixture of classical music that has been identified to have soothing effects on felines. The repeating melodies bring consistency and familiarity while the high-pitch frequencies are reduced and calming, lower-pitched frequencies are increased.
Creating a Low-Stress Visit Starts at Home
We know visiting the veterinary hospital in Vancouver, WA can be a stressful event for everyone involved. Fortunately, a few simple tips and tricks can make getting your animal to the clinic less stressful. One of the most important things you can do before even leaving the house is helping your pet get acquainted with their carrier. The carrier should be a comfortable, safe space for your cat. Once you find one you like and that fits your cat comfortably, leave it out on the living room floor for them to explore. You can pad it with beds, toys, and encourage your cat to scope it out with treats and catnip.
You do not want to close your cat in the carrier. The goal is to make the carrier an inviting, fun space. When it is finally time to visit our veterinary hospital in Vancouver, WA, you should ideally be able to throw in a few toys and treats, and your cat will go running right in. Then close the door and make your way to the appointment!
Another critical thing to do is place a towel over the carrier once you leave the house. Decreasing the stimulation of what your cat can see and hear in the vast outdoor environment can help reduce stress on the drive to and from the clinic.
If you are having trouble keeping your cat calm despite all of your efforts, you can use the synthetic cat pheromone, Feliway®. This product mimics the natural pheromone released when your cat is happy and relaxed, and it can be sprayed inside the carrier or towel covering it. Be sure to wait 15 minutes before placing the scent close to your cat to allow the alcohol to evaporate.
If you are worried that your cat will be stressed in the waiting room, you can also wait in the car with your cat. If you choose to do this, please let our staff know, so we do not skip your appointment! We also ask that you keep your cat in their carrier until you are in the exam room.
If all of these low-stress handling tips and tricks still don’t seem to help your pet, contact us to discuss sedation options to help your furry friend get through their check-up.