Well . . . as it turned out, getting her into the carrier was the LEAST of my problems . . . the vet visit was a total FIASCO!!

After a 45 minute wait, the vet finally got to us. The vet thought it best to take apart the carrier so she could be removed from above. (It is one of those plastic carriers with steel door at one end). She told the assistant to put towel over Muskrat's head as soon as she removed the top, but the girl was not "with it", so the moment Muskrat saw daylight from above she jumped out OVER the carrier AND the examining table onto the floor and skittered into a corner of the room behind some plastic stackable bins on wheels. From back there, she could have crawled through a tiny space behind an immoveable built in desk and the wall, so the vet quickly found something to slide back to prevent this. She had also closed and locked the door to the examining room beforehand, which was now a welcome precaution. To make a long story short, the stackable bins were wheeled out just far enough so that she could not escape, and the reassembled carrier was placed by her with the door opened, and the vet used a towel to coax my poor little frightened girl back into her carrier.

She was never examined (vet proclaimed her too wild and scared, and inquired if I had a video camera to take movies of her leg . . . oh, PULEEESE!!!!) and yet they wanted to charge me for a "Brief Exam" . . . Hah! The vet did give me antibiotic pills to crush and put in her food once a day on the assumption that the leg is probably infected. If I had known the assistant was such an air-head then I would have volunteered to take her out myself through the steel door, and she wouldn't have gone through all this trauma. I kept my distance, assuming the vet and tech had experience handling uncooperative cats, and I also did not want Muskrat to associate me with this unpleasantness which would possibly outdo all the trust she had gained in me.

I just don't understand why the vet couldn't have taken better control of the situation . . . I have always had much respect and confidence in her . . . I brought Muskrat to be examined, and she was not, and I'm extremely disappointed. How did they handle her when I first presented her for spaying??? Don't they have long heavy gloves to handle ferals?? I did find out that another vet (who owns the practice) was on hand then, and different vet techs as well . . . so now I will know to request her.

Despite the nightmare experience, little Muskrat is more affectionate and trusting than ever, and i don't need the brush to approach her for petting anymore!!! She is my little dollbaby.

My goal: I look forward to the day when she climbs onto my lap and lets me give her a little kiss on her head.