A Very Traumatic Day I Need Some Advice

[krazyaboutkatz]

Hi everyone. Most of you know that I have adopted a third cat named Cirrus. He lets me pet his head and back and even brush him a little bit but he's still not very trusting towards people. Well I wanted to take all 3 cats to get their nails trimmed at a groomers that I have been using. I knew that it would be difficult to get Cirrus in the cat carrier but I didn't realise how difficult it would be. I put both Sunny and Storm in their cat carriers while I tried to catch Cirrus. I must have chased him for a good 30 minutes. I then decided to chase him into my roommates bathroom with the help of her too. He hid behind the toilet so with both of us standing on either side of it I was able to chase him into the carrier. This took about another 10-15 minutes.

The groomers tried to trim his nails but couldn't because he was very wild. The lady said he wasn't vicious but that he just wouldn't hold still. She suggested that I call a vet to ask about sedating him. I called my vet and explained what had happened and he prescribed acepromazine for him. They were too busy today to clip his nails so I'm bringing him in this Wed. morning. I have to give him the pill at least 2 hours before the appointment. I can crush up the pill and put it in some wet food. I sure hope this will work.

I sure hope that I don't have to go through this every time I need to take him to the vet or to get his nails trimmed. I researched the medicine and it said that it could last from 6-8 hours. It also said that the pill form may not be as effective as the shot. Since I don't know how much he weighs I just guessed that he weighs about the same as Storm.

If any one has ever been through this before or has used this medicine on their cats before please let me know. I'd also like some advice about other alternative things that I can use to help to calm him down. The strange thing is that when he was in the car he was very calm. Sunny and Storm were the ones that were howling and crying the whole time.

This experience wore both me and my cats out. They've been sleeping all day. Thanks in advance.

[NoahsMommy]

Oh Tracey! The cat carriers HAVE to be the most traumatic things in our house too. They all hate the carriers and I have to man-handle them to get them in one. I hate it....

My only advice it to get a large beach towel, throw it over Cirrus and put him in the carrier in one, swift motion. That works really well with Noah.

I'm sorry you had such a hard day. :(

[Nomilynn]

My guess is over time it will become easier. Cirrus is still adjusting, so he might have reacted crazy because of that. On the other hand, he may be one of those cats that really hates the vet. My friend has a cat like that, and he's ALWAYS been that way and so they just know that and kind of shrug and say, what can ya do! But to me it sounds like Cirrus will eventually work it all out.

I've never tried that medicine, but I do know that we gave our cats a sedative once for a long car trip and it was horrible. I don't know what it was, so I won't say the same thing will happen to your kitty, but I cried almost all day because it was like one of them was hallucinating and he tried to bite me. I would never give my cats a heavy sedative because of that experience again. I really hope yours isn't negative.. I don't mean to scare you at all but I just wanted to let you know what *might* happen.

[AmberLee]

Ooosh! You have my sympathy, but I've no advice.

I had the Mobile Groomers come by Friday to clip Cassy and Livvy's nails. They wanted Cassy in his carrier and Livvy wrapped in a towel. (They work in the RV in the parking lot and I said Cassy was a regular Houdini...) I got Cassy in his carrier okay, but there was an unlucky kick of his rear paw that caught me just below the throat and it bled and bled. I rather look like the victim of an inept slasher now. Livvy was excited by all this and between the groomers and I we had a mini-kitty rodeo to corral her. The full story will be funny some day, but I'm grim about it for now.

Both of them have been trimmed, and I like the results VERY much but am thinking I'll just do it myself in the future. Sheesh.

I have some kitty soothing powder I got when they were so hyper after my surgery. They calmed down before I had a chance to try it.

Let's compare notes Sat. on our way to the cat show. Ok?

[Randi]

Tracey, you have our sympahty, we've been through this with Fister who is a big and strong cat, and it's definately NO fun!

If it's any consolation, Cirrus will probably get used to the box over time - but it takes patience and a lot of it!!

The first few times we had to take Fister to the vet, we were nerveous wrecks about catching him and getting him in the box, so we also had to sedate him.

He started with a pill called "Plegicil" 10 mg. and that made him into jelly, but we felt sorry for him, as the effect lasted at least 11 hours. He looked so helpless. So we spoke to the vet about it and the next time we tried "Diazepam" 5 mg. which is equivalent to Valium. That relaxed him enough to get him in the box and the effect wore off much quicker.

We also tried giving him one of those on New Years eve, half an hour before the fireworks really started and he was only under the bed for 10 min.

To make him eat it, I crushed it and put it inside a few shrimps - seal them properly!! ;)

Best of luck! :)

[neko1]

Well hopefully he will get used to this experience. We do have a couple of cats that come in that need to be sedated each time. Unfortunately, with the ace, it can last that long. It all depends on the animal.

[jenluckenbach]

I have yet to need to sedate any of my cats, so I have no experience in that field.
But I can suggest to try making the carrier "cat friendly". Since I FEED my cats in carriers, they do not fear them. You can achieve this by leaving a carrier out at all times, lining it with something comfortable to lay on, and put treats in it, way in the back so they need to go in.
Also, you could use a pillow case to put over Cirrus and they tie it and put it in the carrier. This is safe, as my vet actually recommends this.
Cirrus may also calm down with time and experience.
Better luck to you Wed.

[Pam]

My cats are real pistols to get into the carrier. In fact, one day I had to cancel a vet appointment because I just couldn't get them in there. I find the best room for the "capture" is the bathroom because there's nowhere for them to hide. Even so, I now make all of my kitty appointments at night because it takes both hubby and me to get them in the carrier.

Regarding sedation, I know Christiansmommy had to use it on Gabe for his routine vet visits. I don't know the name of the medicine but perhaps she will chime in here or Sallyanne may see this. I don't remember any bad side effects.

I have actually trimmed Trevor's nails while he was sleeping. He is a heavy sleeper and is used to me carressing him during his naps. I can't get them all done before he wakes up, but hey there is always another nap just around the corner. :rolleyes:

[sasvermont]

I have been thinking about taking it myself!

All kidding aside, it comes in both pill and cream form (put inside cat's ear)....and it works. This medicine is an anti-anxiety medication and worked really nicely with the Gabester.

I would ask your vet for some advice. :D

[NoahsMommy]

Originally posted by sasvermont
I have been thinking about taking it myself!

All kidding aside, it comes in both pill and cream form (put inside cat's ear)....and it works. This medicine is an anti-anxiety medication and worked really nicely with the Gabester.

I would ask your vet for some advice. :D I'm going to ask about that for Oliver...thanks for the infromation Sas.

[Nomilynn]

Originally posted by sasvermont
I have been thinking about taking it myself!

All kidding aside, it comes in both pill and cream form (put inside cat's ear)....and it works. This medicine is an anti-anxiety medication and worked really nicely with the Gabester.

I would ask your vet for some advice. :D

that's the same stuff I give to Bassett for her piddle problem!!! :) I wouldn't really call it a sedative though because there are so few side effects.

I also was able to get it in liquid form, because Bassett used to be a really bad piller. However, the taste of this medication maked the tongue feel kind of hot and numb, and cats tend to hate that (don't blame them!) and so if you can, Kelly and Tracey, go with the cream! :)

[krazyaboutkatz]

Thanks for all of the advice. I'll let you know how it goes on Wed. :) BTW Kellly, I tried the towel thing already and it scared him even more. As soon as he saw me with the towel he would start running. Some one must have used this trick on him before.

[marysmerrycats]

Tracey
I don't know anything about the medicine, but as far as chasing the cat for 30 minutes, I know that experience very well! I have had to do that a few times, with Louise and Emma and Charlie!
mostly Louise. anyway, yes it is best to trap them in one room THEN put them in the carrier, as you have found out!
maybe some catnip would relax him? or canned food to lure him to the one room? I don't know Cirus' personality but I have fed Louise then grabbed her just before she finished the canned food and put her in the carrier. now she is paranoid everytime she eats canned food, so that may not be a good idea to do that.


maybe you could put his canned food IN the carrier and then he will go in there to eat, just close the door. thats what my vet suggested to me. good luck!

[catland]

I haven't tried this, but on the Feliway bottle, it says that you can spray the inside of the carrier to help calm down the cat.

[krazyaboutkatz]

Since I'm not taking Cirrus in until Wed. morning, I decided to take Jen's advice and put the carriers out so all 3 cats can get used to them. Sunny seemed the most afraid but he finally went up to them and sniffed them. Storm didn't seem too afraid and he also sniffed them and stuck his head inside one of them. Cirrus not only sniffed them but went inside a few times and then he just sat down in one of them and seemed very relaxed. I heard a noise and thought that he had knocked a carrier over but he was just getting out of the one carrier to go into the other carrier. :) I don't have the space to keep the carriers out all of the time so from now on I''ll keep them out several days before I need to use them. I hope Cirrus will continue to go into the carrier by himself. I'll let you know on Wed. BTW Sunny will also be going to the vet for his annual exam, shot, and a teeth cleaning.

[Cataholic]

Lillycat has a problem getting her kitties into the carrier (and I am not just referring to their girth!)...and found the top loading soft sided carriers a far cry easier to deal with, I don't know why.

And, I agree with the post that talked about getting the kitty into a room first, then bringing out the carrier. Just like us, once we are already panicky, we just get worse! Make it QUICK~~ good luck.

[catlady1945]

The day before an appointment, I put the carrier out with the door open. I put some catnip and some treats in there and let them explore. I only have one who really doesn't like the carrier, but I just put her in backwards first.

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

I was just talking to a friend last night who had this same problem. I've only tried putting Tubby in the carrier once or twice, and found out real quick it wasn't a real good idea. The thing that saved me was the fact that he doesn't mind the collar and leash. Instead of fighting to get him in the carrier, I ask him if he wants to go outside and he thinks he's going on a grand adventure. :) I suggested trying this to my friend, and she just laughed and said she'd probably have the same results trying to put a harness on the kitty, but I don't know. So this might be an option for those who have a hard time getting their kitties in the carrier.

Of course, then there are other problems like what does kitty do when you actually get to the vet, and if kitty is going to act wild while there, it's best to be in a carrier for the other pet's sakes and so no one gets clawed. Tubby doesn't like the vet, but he doesn't mind exploring the waiting room and actually likes greeting other pets, so he's not a problem in this manner either. (How did I ever end up so lucky as to get him? ;) :))

When I took Peanut to the vet on Saturday, there was a girl there waiting to pay. She had a gray kitty (reminded me of Neko) in her arms very loosely wrapped in a towel. Actually the towel wasn't even necessary. The kitty was held like a baby (tummy up) and she just looked around at everything and meowed now and then. The girl said she (Kitty) was a talker and that she wouldn't try to get away at all. She just layed in her mommy's arms and seemed so relaxed. It was really cute. Too bad we can't all have kitties that are that easy to take to the vet. :) :D

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Oh, and to answer the sedative question....

When I moved T & P from my Mom's house near Green Bay, WI to my new place in Chicago (3 hour drive), I gave T & P a sedative. I don't remember what the name of it was. The reason I did this was because Peanut is terrified in the car and I thought it would make it easier on her, and at the time Tubby was a meower in the car. He liked to look out the windows when I would slow down or stop, but after a while he'd settle down and just sit in my lap. He was trained to the car because when I first got him I would visit my mom about once a month and I'd always take him along (30-45 minute ride at that time). So the reason I gave it to him was because I thought if I had to listen to him for 3 hours I'd go crazy.

Well, for Peanut it worked perfectly. She was calm cool and collected in her carrier and the next day was perfectly comfortable in the new apartment. Tubby, on the other hand, was a nightmare. I don't know if the dose wasn't enough for him (he's not quite twice the size of Peanut) or what, but it didn't knock him out, it just made him all dopey. So all the way to Chicago I had this cat who couldn't stand up, trying to look out the windows, trying to climb from the front seat to the back - and back again, meowing horrendously the entire way!!! I tried to get him to settle down in my lap and he would for about a mile, then it would be back to the windows, stumbling and fumbling the whole time. It was really rather aggravating, but mostly I felt bad for him. All it probably did for him was make him more confused which is why he wouldn't settle down. We all survived though, and once it wore off he was fine.

So my only suggestion would be too make sure if you're going to use a sedative, make sure the dosage is enough. What I've already done to weigh the cats is first of all I get on the scale without the cat (and ignore the number :rolleyes: ) then I get on the scale holding the cat and subtract. The number may not be right on, but it is somewhat accurate.

Good luck, and please let us know how it goes. He's such a handsome boy. :)

[NoahsMommy]

I forgot to mention...

When I put Noah in his carrier we start out in the closet. The carrier is right outside the door with it's roof open. (His carrier also has a top loading door.) I got him in the closet and pet him and gave him treats, so he's totally calm. Noah LOVES to burrow, so the towel I put over him are welcome. :) I wrap him in the towel and place him in his carrier. He had no clue HOW he got in there. :)

With Cirrus, maybe that's what you need to do. Distract him in a small room and do it quick, even from behind.

[carole]

i just wondered how necessary it is to have their nails clipped, i have never done any of my cats and dont know of many except show cats that have them done, so i have to ask do you have to do this? if not would save stress for you and the cat, but up to you for sure.

[krazyaboutkatz]

Originally posted by carole
i just wondered how necessary it is to have their nails clipped, i have never done any of my cats and dont know of many except show cats that have them done, so i have to ask do you have to do this? if not would save stress for you and the cat, but up to you for sure. The reason that I do it is because my cats are indoor only. It's also to prevent them from accidently clawing me and from doing any more damage to my furniture etc. I didn't have it done in the beginning and my furniture has really paid the price. They now have 3 very large cat trees which they love to use but sometimes they just want to claw at the couch or recliner. I would also clip their nails myself if I could but they won't let me.

[carole]

right thanks for putting me straight on that, yes well if they are indoors i can well understand u having to do so, my curtains paid the price last night lexie has torn them, well good luck, hope the next visit is not so traumatic cheers carole

[jenluckenbach]

let me tell you another reason to have cats nails clipped. If you actually look at them they grow in a curve, back toward the foot pad. As a groomer I have actually seen cats nails that were left to grow so long that they grew right back INTO the flesh!!! Not something that you want to happen. Very painful and a place for infection to start.
(this also happens in dogs, especially their dewclaw)

[carole]

well i did not know that, i have never experienced it with any of my cats over the years but i will for sure keep an eye on them, i would hate that to happen to ash or lexie, thats what i love about this site u get some really neat info and ideas etc thanks for the advice, will keep it in mind.