Monday, August 27, 2018

4 Simple Ways to Make Vet Visits Less Stressful - plus a FELIWAY® Giveaway

This post is sponsored by FELIWAY®


WAFFLES:  Wow! Look how cute I was at the vet when I was a kitten. I'm pretty sure she had a big crush on me. 

KATIE:  Yeah, that was before you figured out that it's not always a party at the vet.

WAFFLES:  Whaddya mean, Boss? They still tell me how handsome I am and what a good boy I am.

KATIE:  Uh huh. And that's right before they pull out a needle, or share the news that you need a "dental." 


Take Your Cat to the Vet Month
Take Did you know that August is National Take Your Cat to the Vet Month? Though it's not something Katie or Waffles has high on their calendar radar, it IS a big deal to Glogirly. It's an important reminder to make sure everyone is current on their annual wellness visits. For six-year-old Waffles, that means a yearly date with our vet. At 13, Katie is considered a (shhhh!) senior cat, so she sees our vet two times a year. 

But some cats don't see a vet at all. And given how masterfully they can disguise illness and pain, many cat parents may not realize something is wrong. That's just one of the reasons we're big proponents of regular wellness exams. 


When Visiting the Vet Means Anxiety
We've all been there.

Act natural the morning of the vet visit while you calmly lure your cat into his or her carrier. A quiet and peaceful ride in the car, followed by a zen-like calm in the veterinary clinic waiting area. Yeah, right.

It doesn't matter how hard you try to hide the fact that you're going to the vet. 

They know. They know. They know.


4 Easy Tips for Creating Calm
Even the most easygoing of cats can experience stress and anxiety. Waffles is a purr-fect example. Come over to our house and he'll be showering you with love and head butts in no time. Try and get him to the vet and his sweet and fun-loving demeanor goes out the window. We've got 4 easy tips that make a big difference for us in lowering the stress level on those vet visit days.


Half the battle of getting your kitty calmly to the vet is getting them comfortable with their carriers. We leave ours out and open in the house 24/7 and as shocking as this may sound, both Katie and Waffles have gotten so used to them now, they LOVE hanging out in them. They nap in them and sometimes will even sleep through the night in them. 

How to create a friendly bond between your cat and his carrier:
  1. Leave the carrier out and open in a quiet room of your house. We keep ours in a large walk-in closet.
  2. Make the inside of carrier cozy with a comfy pad or blanket.
  3. Use FELIWAY® CLASSIC Spray in and around the carrier. The spray leaves an odorless message called a Feline Facial Pheromone. These happy messages provide comfort and security. Just what you want to help them feel comfortable and safe in their carriers. Be sure to let the spray dissipate for about 15 minutes before letting your cat in the area. 

FELIWAY® CLASSIC Spray is also our secret weapon for car rides. About 15-20 minutes before we're leave the house, Glogirly will spray the inside of the car and then leave it with the doors open for the spray to dissipate. 

We're not going to say our car rides are 100% peaceful, but it sure does help. 

Another tip that has worked wonders for us is to take a few car rides here and there where we don't really go anywhere. Just a drive down the canyon road and back helps Katie and Waffles to realize that not ALL car rides end up at the vet. 


Sometimes the anticipation is the worst part. Katie and Waffles are usually silent in the waiting area. But that doesn't mean they're not feeling anxiety. They're just quiet about it.

Here are a few tips to help with the wait:
  1. Keep your cats inside their carriers in the waiting area. It's where they will feel the safest, especially with other animals and people coming and going. 
  2. If you have an option to visit a feline-only veterinary clinic, go for it! Our vet is feline-only and the difference in the overall energy and vibe in the clinic and waiting area is night and day compared to what we were used to. There actually is a zen-like calm. No hustle bustle of dogs on leashes, no barking. Cats are so much quieter and pretty much keep to themselves inside their carriers.
  3. If you don't have the option of visiting a feline-only practice, suggest to your vet that they create a cat-only portion of the waiting area, separate from where the dogs wait. Our previous vet had cat-only exam rooms and dog-only exam rooms. Though still not quite as good as a feline-only clinic, it made a big difference.

Ok, now that you're done ooohing and aaahing over our vet's gorgeous exam room, you can stop to take a peek at what's plugged into the outlet. LOL!

Every veterinary practice we've visited have all used FELIWAY® products to help create a safe and calm environment for their feline patients. In fact, that's where we first learned about them.

There are FELIWAY® CLASSIC Diffusers plugged in inside each exam room at our current clinic, as well as one in the waiting area. With so many foreign smells, unfamiliar people, and activity, it helps to provide a sense of comfort and security. 

You've probably seen your cat rub their face against corners, furniture and even you. As they mark their territory, they leave an odorless message called a Feline Facial Pheromone. These happy messages provide comfort and security. The FELIWAY® CLASSIC Spray and the FELIWAY® CLASSIC Diffuser mimic these pheromones. It's almost as if your cat has already been in the room, marking things up with their own scent.


Now for the FUN - It's a Giveaway!
In celebration of Take Your Cat to the Vet Month, our friends at FELIWAY® have a super fun giveaway for us to offer. Three lucky winners will receive a FELIWAY® CLASSIC Spray and their adorable Nuzzle Buddy toy.

The Nuzzle Buddy is tested and approved by Waffles. He love hiding his toys under things and then stalking them and pouncing on them. The Nuzzle Buddy is perfect for this. The plush kitty head is attached to a small blanket that you can drape over things or hide toys under. 



Though prizes can only ship to US addresses, we're opening the giveaway up to our readers worldwide so that if anyone outside the US wins, they can gift their prize to a friend or shelter here in the US.

Good luck, everyone...and thanks for entering!


FTC Disclosure: This post and giveaway is sponsored by FELIWAY®  which means that we were paid to create and feature this content. Regardless of the payment received, we only feature products and services we use and/or feel would be relevant to our readers. 

37 comments:

  1. Parker has an appointment to see her vet on Tuesday. Last week, she took a catnip toy out of her carrier and started playing with it.

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  2. While our vet handles both dogs and cats, since we have both at home and they get along great, I haven't had to worry about my cats being in the same area the dogs are. Of course, my cats get into their carriers at home and don't come out until we are in the examining room with the door closed. There's no reason to take any risks. Our two visiting cats, who belong to my daughter's boyfriend (he's visiting, too, since when he moved to an apartment closer to us found bedbugs). He and my daughter are supposed to be moving into a duplex near us next weekend, and not only his two cats, but my daughter's cat, will be going with them. The plug-in unit would be great for them. I know I won a giveaway for a Feliway product from you a while back, so I'm thinking I'm not eligible to enter this one. Oh, well. I'll have to try to get them one.

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  3. I love the Feliway diffusers! In fact I’m reminded by the cats to put a new one in every month because Gin Gin will start growling at her little brothers if they get too close if I forget to replace it!

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  4. It would be interesting to see if it would help Jonah and Vashti get along better.

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  5. Roxie won a Feliway pack and blanket from you last year, it's her favorite.

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  6. My human wishes we had a cat-only clinic to go to... but you know what? NONE of us care! We are actually better adjusted when it comes to vet visits than most kitties, even Boodie. So we are pretty lucky.

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  7. Johnny Cat is due for his trip, too. Thank you for the tips to make it a happier experience.

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  8. Excellent tips. We wish we had a feline only vet here. Most do have a seperate waiting area but what good is that when the dogs are still barking their fool heads off? Even better, they have the sick dogs wait in the cat area. So no, vets, not really helpful.

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  9. Very good tips for the Vet.

    Right now, my Giant Lady is dealing with Mia and Nari, their Giant Lad has moved away and left them with Giant Lady. They are both having a hard time with it, no matter what Giant Lady does. Mia and Nari have been with the Giant Lad since they were tiny kittens, and they are sads and does not know what is going on.

    For the Vet.... Giant Lady found a very nice, though rather spendy cat only Vet. But I still doesn't like going... even I's get stressed out.

    Luvs,
    Rose the Adult Kitten

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  10. Spraying the carrier with Feliway is a great idea.

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  11. I'm still trying to figure out if classic or multicat plug in affects my trio better. Might be smart to try the spray too.

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  12. i work at a vet clinic and we do use this! we have four cats that live at the clinic and we have one of the plug-ins in our cat room

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  13. What great tips! Z-girl is going to try using the spray near the carrier (don't tell anyone but she is going to have to catch Bessie for her dental very soon...) We have plug ins throughout the warehouse apartment and Z-girl has to make sure her inventory of replacements is stocked up, because when they run out she can tell! We've also given the Feliway tip to many of our foster to adopt homes, and it really does help. This is a pawsome give away! Katie, might we also add that the photo of you at the window is especially beautiful...

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  14. We have a cat only clinic. While, I'm certain, it decreases the anxiety, they still stress out in the carriers & on the drive.

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  15. Thanks for your fun and informative blog. I look forward to every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday so I can see what Katie and Waffles are up to. I would love to win one of the Feliway sprays since my Anya hates her carrier. Thanks Debbie for all you do to create such a fun blog.

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  16. Glad to hear that tip about spraying the car with Feliway. I'm definitely trying that next time Tabby goes to the vet!

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  17. Here’s to hoping I win! Thanks for the good suggestions, I need to start doing the spraying the carrier and the car. I still need to get three Sleepypods though, I really don’t like the traditional hard carrier we have.

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  18. I am going to the vet today (my cardiologist) and the mom already sprayed some feliway in my PTU. :) Our regular vet does use feliway. They have towels sprayed with feliway so that when we come in, we can grab a towel and put it over our PTU to help us feel more safe. ~Wally

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  19. I switched to an all feline vet recently and the change in the environment really is amazing!

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  20. So far, I've taken Da Boyz to the vet once, right after we adopted them. Those two swarmed the exam room, and the vet had to save his doggy treat jar from being pushed off the counter! They are very energetic boycats! Not a single vet I've used has had a Feliway plug in.

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  21. We always have a Feliway diffuser plugged in. It really helps our Sadie.

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  22. My boys like going to the vet, but don't like the rife there. Both get car sick, so I changed to a closer vet so they aren't in the car for very long. Went from a 20 minute trip to a 3 minute trip. Yeah!!! No up chucking in there carriers.

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  23. My Bear is a terror to get to the vet. He also has some of the same issues Waffles has if another cat has been to the vet. I have tried the diffusers but would love to try the spray.

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  24. These are great tips! Our mom is going to follow some - she thinks it will stop me from peeing in the carrier.

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  25. I don't think our vet uses it but; not sure.

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  26. Great tips ! We should try the spray. Purrs

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  27. The last time we were at the vet she didn't use Feliway. We only had one visit with her so far.

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  28. Feliway is saving Eli's life with the moves.. I can tell immediately when it runs out

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  29. Yes our vet does, I have used feli way many years ago

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  30. My vet uses this and recommended it to me for my 3 cats who tend to bicker a lot!

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  31. We use the diffuser at home and our girls have fewer quarrels.

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  32. i have never talked to my vet about this product so i dont know. i know she uses homeopathic products since she is a homeopathic vet. i think i have seen it on one of the shelves in the office.

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  33. I just started going to a new vet but I dont remember seeing one at my first visit. Though I dont even think that would have calmed my foster kitty down. She gets pretty hysterical with nail cuts but luckily the vet was able to get it done with only a mild sedative. I've heard that they're making a kitty wing of the clinic which will be cool

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  34. Putting a towel or blanket over the carrier also helps kitty to settle down in the carrier, they feel more secure.

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  35. Yes, our vet uses the Feliway products. Helps big time!

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  36. I didn't know about Feliway. Sounds like great stuff! Any help with vet visits is certainly welcome.

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