Advice about taking cats to the vet....?

I'd ask the Vet to dispense a mild sedative that you can give "Lily" about 1 hour prior to trying to put her in the carrier. This will make getting her in the carrier easier, as well as easier for the Vet to examine her and less stress on "Lily" all together. A common sedative used is Acepromazine and it does work very well. I haven't had to use it on any of my cats, but do use it on my 15 yr old poodle mix when I groom him.

First off find a good vet. Ask your friends who go to vets who they recommend. You're going to get shots and a first cat visit. About $100, depends. Talk to him about paying over time. So much a payday. Most vets will work with you. The vet will look and deal with the teeth. Talk about getting it fixed. I do dry food with some treats and occasional wet as a treat. I use Iams but that is just me. I use advantage for fleas. I've said it before, indoors for a cat is best. Forget all the they need to go outdoors. Mine are all fine. For the carrier, pick the cat up and put it in rear feet first, sort of hold so its long, under the chest helps. put a fleece in it. If you want to practice go for it. Some carriers have a top and front opening. Plan on an annual vet visit. Rabies are every 3 years after a time. But your vet can see how the cat is doing and if something is going on. You're supposed to see a doctor annually, right? Like anything else, vets are people, not satisfied, you can change vets.

Funny thing is Cats have a wonderful memory and you only go to the veterinarian once a year so the cat puts this together. I would suggest taking the cat once or twice a week for a car ride in the carrier so she does not associate the carrier with the vet. This might help.

I would try two things to get the one into the carrier...

first: grab it's hind and front feet and put them in or tip the carrier up right then put the cat in. Also try not to let the cats see the carriers when it's time to go, plus take the more aggressive one first.

If that doesn't work then contact the vet for a mild sedative.

Good Luck....

HAHA, yes I have been there. My cat would just refuse to get into the carrier. Even though he is very mellow in nature, he would put up a fight. The best way is, first put the carrier in your car and after bring your cat in, they get so confused that they gladly get into the carrier.

Good Luck!

We've had that problem before! We took in some rescued cats which could never be tamed. We ended up having to wait for them to get hungry, and put food at the back of their cat box to lure them in.

You should put something familiar in there for it, such as a blanket which it sleeps on. I don't know if this will help, but it's worth a try!

Don't worry, you will be able to do it with patience. We've had so many difficult cats before lol.

When I have had problems like that I have wrapped the cat up in a towel so it couldn't get it legs out to scratch or resist the carrier. When you make the appointment you can always mention that one of your cats can be a little hard to handle, that way they will be prepared when you get there.

All of the above suggestions are definitely good. One thing that I'd like to add though is looking into getting a traveling vet to come to your house. We have one in our area and I usually refer her for animals that get majorly stressed going to the animal hospital. Some animals do better in their own environment. Routine annual vaccines and exams could be easier on your cat at home. Though she may still need to go to the animal hospital for sick visits or procedures.

Get the cats used to the carriers. Remove the front gate on the carriers and set them out on the floor with a soft blanket inside. Eventually the cats will come over to check them out and crawl inside them. I did this with my one Persian that I show and now when I bring the carriers out to head for a show he comes over and crawls right inside!

I would suggest the sedative. Don't put in a pillow case, lol.