Why cats see the vet less often – carrier training can help reduce stress.
This week, we'll address a common behavioral issue that most cat owners encounter. This post isn't about whether your cat needs to see a vet for medical reasons. Instead, it's about the vet visit from a behavioral perspective and how you can make this experience less stressful for both you and your cat.
Getting a cat into a carrier, transporting it to the vet, having a positive experience at the vet, and returning home safely involve multiple layers of complexity.
Why cats see the vet less often compared to dogs:
Does the cat actually need to visit the vet?
Getting the cat into the carrier.
Transporting the cat in the carrier to the veterinarian.
Noisy and uninviting veterinary clinics.
Getting back home and possibly facing a case of non-recognition aggression.
Non-recognition aggression is the term used when a homecoming cat isn’t recognized by other resident cats and is attacked.
All these factors mean the vet visit may get postponed. A 2020 survey found that veterinary visits differed between US cat and dog owners. 90% of dog owners visit a veterinarian at any time, and only 40% of cat owners visit a veterinarian at any time (Bir et al., 2020)
Cats visit the vet less often than dogs, and the reasons behind this fact are complicated. It is not explained by saying that cat owners care less about their fluffballs than dog owners do.
Cats are masters at hiding pain.
First and foremost, cats are experts at hiding pain or showing that they are feeling unwell. As prey and predator animals, they simply can't afford to display weakness. Recognizing pain in cats is challenging, and with all the stress that comes with a vet visit, that visit often gets postponed: let’s see and wait.
A common piece of advice is to always leave the carrier out, not just bringing it out when a vet visit is approaching. However, leaving the carrier out, which is often seen as a sign of bad things to happen, doesn’t automatically make it a predictor of good things just because it’s sitting on the floor somewhere in the house.
Many cats fear carriers, likely because of a frightening vet visit. Carrier training should focus on building positive associations with the carrier, which exemplifies desensitization and counterconditioning (DS/CC).
Training steps for carrier training:
Leave the carrier out, so it becomes part of the environment and a cozy spot to nap.
Encourage the cat to sleep or snack in the carrier. Add blankets that act as scent absorbents, place toys, or serve a special treat inside the carrier.
Never push them in; wait until they enter on their own.
Close the door briefly for 5 seconds, then let them back out. Gradually increase the time the door stays closed.
Gently lift the carrier up, then set it back down.
Please avoid swinging the carrier around and support it from the base. This should be a comfortable experience for the cat, not a rollercoaster.
Take short trips around the block; when you return home, release and reward with a high-value reinforcer.
If your cat shows signs of distress, go slower and step back to where they feel safe.
For a truly pleasant experience at the vet, I highly recommend finding a cat-friendly, certified vet clinic with staff that is fear-free certified. These veterinary professionals are trained to make every visit as comfortable as possible and will listen to your questions and concerns.
Fear Free offers a scale that assesses signs of stress in cats. The FAS scale helps determine whether the vet visit should continue as planned or if the cat should be taken home and premedicated for another attempt.
Many cat owners are reluctant to medicate their cats before a vet visit. Research has shown this to be a good intervention for fearful cats. (Van Haaften et al., 2017). A small dose of GABA before the vet visit can truly improve the experience.
Recognize Non-Recognition Aggression.
Once you arrive safely back home, go slow if you have other cats in the house. Non-recognition aggression is a type of aggressive behavior that two cats who are well known to each other can show after a vet visit.
Non-recognition aggression in cats is not well understood. However, it frequently occurs after vet or grooming visits and is likely linked to scent. Scent plays a crucial role as an olfactory cue for cats, helping them recognize one another. After a visit to the vet, this sense of safety is disrupted.
If you suspect non-recognition aggression, proceed cautiously when bringing a cat home from the vet. From my experience, these episodes usually don’t improve over time; they tend to get worse. If that happens, many clients need to reintroduce the cats completely. However, prevention is often the best approach. Take it slow when bringing a cat home from the vet. If you see ANY signs of discomfort, like hissing or growling, immediately stop the interaction and separate the cats. Reintroduce them gradually over a few days, focusing on scent.
Re-introduction after a non-recognition event
This is a very abbreviated version of a reintroduction after a non-recognition case.
Immediately isolate the returning cat.
Exchange familiar blankets and scent soakers between the cats
Visual contact after a few days of separation
Observe body language
Supervised meetings
Considering all the risks and issues involved in cat visits to the vet, it is often worthwhile to invest some time and effort in cooperative care techniques or even to switch to a mobile vet clinic.
Even with the best efforts to train your cat to form positive associations and willingly enter the carrier, you'll have to start over if your cat has a negative experience at the vet. The carrier has become “poisoned” again, and you may even have to purchase a completely different-looking carrier or transport option to start all over.
If you need assistance with carrier training, introducing cats after a non-recognition event, or just want to discuss how to enhance the vet visit experience for you and your cat, The Feline Consultant can help.
References:
Bir, C., Ortez, M., Olynk Widmar, N. J., Wolf, C. A., Hansen, C., & Ouedraogo, F. B. (2020). Familiarity and Use of Veterinary Services by US Resident Dog and Cat Owners. Animals, 10(3), 483. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10030483
Rodan, I., Ramos, D., Carney, H., DePorter, T., Horwitz, D. F., Mills, D., & Vitale, K. (2024). 2024 AAFP intercat tension guidelines: Recognition, prevention and management. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 26(7), 1098612X241263465. https://doi.org/10.1177/1098612X241263465
Van Haaften, K. A., Forsythe, L. R. E., Stelow, E. A., & Bain, M. J. (2017). Effects of a single preappointment dose of gabapentin on signs of stress in cats during transportation and veterinary examination. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 251(10), 1175–1181. https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.251.10.1175