Vet visit aftermath

[Chatanuga]

In the past, I've always taken my cats individually to the vet since they have always had different schedules for when they went. Usually, there's a bit of fuss from the one who stays home smelling the vet's office on the one who went. About a year after Casey came home, he began throwing fits at the vet's office, letting everybody in the building know that he didn't want to be there. After that visit, my vet gave me some sedatives to give him before bringing him to help calm him down.

Last year when I took Smokey to the vet, I tried rubbing him down with a dryer sheet when we got home to get a different smell on him. That seemed to help. However, things got worse when it was Casey's turn to go. Smokey, normally the calm one, went nuts when Casey came home, literally going at him with Casey trying to get away from him.

This year, I got my reminder in the mail and online from my vet's office that Smokey was due for his yearly exam. Looking at both of their records, I asked my vet if we could do Casey as well since his appointment wasn't too far in the future, thinking that would possibly get the vet's smell on both and further reduce any issues at home. She agreed that it might help.

I took both Casey and Smokey this morning for their yearly vet visit. Casey was hissing and growling at me when I put him in the carrier, which is normal since he knows where he's about to go. At the vet's office, Casey threw his usual tantrums while Smokey cried and hid wherever he could. Once we got home, things got worse. Casey was still hissing and growling at me. Both were hissing, growling, and occasionally going at each other. This afternoon, there has been some fur flying with Smokey seeming to be the primary aggressor, even though they were best friends this morning. It's been about eight hours so far since we got home, and while they are now able to be in the same room as each other, they're still hissing and growling when they get too close to each other.

Anybody have any suggestions on how to calm them down after vet visits?

[Jessika]

Have you looked into using Feliway? It comes as a diffuser, wipes, and spray. We always have a diffuser plugged into our boarding cat room. When I recently moved I bought my own diffuser and used it to help ease the transition for my boy, Voltron, as he DOES NOT adapt to change well AT ALL. It helped a TON... in fact, after we let him start exploring the rest of the house, he would often retreat back to the room with the diffuser as his "comfort spot". While he would be freaking out upstairs, down in the "comfort room" he was all purrs and headbumps.

[Chatanuga]

I thought about that, but the pet stores around here were closed by the time that popped into my head. I did try that years ago when Chessie and Casey, but it had no effect that I could see at the time, which is why I've never used it since.

Things seem to be calming down. Around 11:45PM (11 1/2 hours after getting back from the vet's office), Casey was in the cat tree in the living room. Smokey got up on the cabinet next to the cat tree, and they touched noses without any hissing or growling. About 15 minutes later, Smokey started in again. It's like at the vet's office, Casey was the aggressive one, and when they came home, the switched roles. Casey hisses and growls, but only after Smokey starts in. After several minutes of their growling back and forth in the kitchen, they laid down at opposite ends of the living room while I watched a movie. They've been calm since.

I did try the dryer sheet idea, but both of them growled and hissed at me when I tried to rub them with it. They've been grooming themselves quite a bit, and they've been really wanting to rub on me this evening, which is helping to get my scent on them and spread their scent to each other through me.

[Chatanuga]

Things were calm when I went to bed last night. Both seemed happy and were in the same room without hissing and growling at each other. This morning about 6:15, I was awoken by the screams downstairs. I ran down, and both were hissing at each other. I don't know who did what to who, but Casey went upstairs while I went back to bed after they'd calmed down.

Woke about 9:30, and while they were smelling each others' faces, there was still some hissing (no growling and carrying on this time). I went to the Petsmart a couple miles away from me and got two Feliway diffusers and a 2-pack of refills. One diffuser is in the upstairs bathroom, and the other is in the downstairs bathroom. The bathrooms are in the middle of each floor of my townhouse. Both cats have sensed the new smell, coming in the bathroom smelling the air and then getting up on the sink to smell the diffuser.

There was still a little hissing a little while ago when Casey was smelling Smokey, but things seem to be winding down. I'm planning on brushing them this afternoon, which I'm thinking may help some, too.

[krazyaboutkatz]

I'm sorry to hear that you're going through this. Some cats are just extra sensitive to new smells. Some of mine don't ever react and then others will be mean or hissy towards the cat with the new smell for several days. I hope that the feliway plugins will help to calm them down. Good luck.

[katladyd]

Wow! I've hed multiple cats for years and never had any of them react in any way to the one who came home from the vets. I guess I'm lucky in that department.