I took my little feline girl to the vet yesterday for a check-up. She cried all the way in the car (as she always does) and it was hard to go through with it because it breaks my heart to hear her cry like that. Then, when we got to the surgery and were waiting at reception, a man came in with a big dog. The dog was good-natured but was intrigued by my cat and kept staring into her basket. She was getting really scared but i didn't take her away as I didn't want to seem over-protective. She hissed at him and he went away but then he came back and she suddeny lashed out at him through the bars of her basket. She is usually a very sweet cat and never hisses, i've never seen her like that before. I then put her basket on my lap but the dog had really scared her and when she went in to see the vet she wouldn't come out of the basket; he had to turn it upside down and pull her out. She was terrified. I feel i let her down. Should I have moved her away from the dog earlier?
2006-11-28 15:14:23 · 19 answers · asked by martina_ie 3 in Pets ➔ Cats
And maybe the dog owner should have stopped his dog bothering your cat when she was already stressed by the vets visit?
We often don't do things because we're worried about offending the other person, in future put you and your cat before the feelings of a stranger and turn the basket so the door is facing the wall, and the solid back is facing the dogs.
Don't worry about your cat, she'll get over it - but you may have fun trying to get her back in that cat basket again! You may need to replace it with a different one, try putting her bed in it and tasty treats in there.
2006-11-28 20:57:16 · answer #1 · answered by sarah c 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If I take my cat to the vets I make sure I sit somewhere where I can tuck the cat basket out of the way, even under my chair and turn it away from other animals, the poor cat was confronted by an 'enemy' and she was confined and couldn't escape, a good thing to do also is to cover the basket/cat carrier with an old towel so that she can't see out and nothing can see in, the owner of the dog should have been a bit more considerate, I won't let my dogs near cat carriers when at the vets. You will know what to do next time.
2006-11-29 04:12:26 · answer #2 · answered by Pawstimes16 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Probably - so much in life is learned in hindsight. Though I spend a lot of money with my five cats at the vet they travel to and from in cheap cardboard containers. There is a soft towel on the bottom and they are in a dark, quiet place and though they cry a little when they first get in the car they always calm down after a few minutes. So that might be an idea for future.
Once a cat goes "over the top" emotionally it's hard to bring them back for a while. For my most "scaredy" cats I use the Bach flower essence Rescue Remedy. You can put three to four drops on the cat's fur between her ears before you put her in her carrier and put some on her when she goes on the vet's table for her exam and then again for the trip home. I actually have two vets that use the essences when they take cats out of their carriers at the clinics.
Rescue Remedy is available in health food stores for around $16 with tax. It's a good item to have around the house for an animal emergency as you are going to the vet. RR is totally benign and treats emotional issues such as fear, shock, trauma.
2006-11-28 15:30:55 · answer #3 · answered by old cat lady 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You shouldn't feel guilty. Cats are rather forgiving creatures. They don't like holding grudges. While some cats might be intimidated by big dogs (and this is usually because of the owner), if they lash out, it might be because they were scared in the first place, like on the ride over to the vet.
Also, if you realize that this is a constant problem, or that her behavior continues for some time afterwards, try 'bribing' her with her favorite treat or toy. That sometimes works.
Hope that helps.
2006-11-28 15:30:12 · answer #4 · answered by I Am The Great Time Waster!! 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We all learn through our mistakes. No matter how well behaved and good natured your cat is, you should always cover her cat carrier with a blanket or towel when transporting her in a car or at the vet's office. Covering the cat carrier will keep the cat calmer if not comforted becuase she would not have to see all the strange sights and process them at once. Also, you should not have allowed the dog (or any other strange animal) near your cat becuase the cat will percieve it as a threat. When I take my kitties to the vet, I always cover their individual carriers with blankets. They still meow meow but they are not terrified. I also make sure that when other pets are brought in, my cat carriers are a good distance from them and I hover around to give my cats a sense of security as their "bodyguard." I DON'T CARE what other pet owners feel about my protectiveness - I won't subject my cats to any more stressors than they have to. I'm their guardian!
2006-11-28 15:25:30 · answer #5 · answered by Phoebhart 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Its animal nature: birds usually dont like cats, cats usually dont like dogs, and so on. I have a pit bull that got hit by a car not to long ago and he didnt do to well with the vet office. You shouldn't fell guilty, it was a learning experience. If your cat hasnt been around many dogs then her reaction was normal. And also if you didnt like the dog, your cat would have sensed that and felt she had to be in defense mode. If you get another cat try and socialize her/him with dogs at a young age, maybe a friend who has a dog can make a 'playdate' with you.
2006-11-28 15:28:45 · answer #6 · answered by marsha_mallard 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Don't feel bad about anything that happened. She was just defending herself. Also, my cat wont come out of the carrier at the vet either. We always have to turn it upside down or drag him out, so thats normal--they're just scared just like you would be going to the doctor. And about her crying in the car--thats ok too. My cat used to as well but now that hes gone several times and he travels to my parents' house, he's stopped and is used to it. If you want to get her used to traveling, take her on a ride once in awhile and give her treats when you get home, that way she'll see it as getting something positive when its over.
2006-11-28 15:27:06 · answer #7 · answered by MichelleAkaMich 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Basic Training of the Puppy - Read here https://tr.im/kZnns
The new puppy is certainly one of the most adorable and cuddly creatures that has ever been created. It is the most natural thing in the world to shower it with love and affection. However, at the same time it is important to realize that if you want to have a well trained adult dog, you need to begin the training process right away. The dog, like its related ancestor, the wolf, is a pack animal. One of the features of a pack is that it has a single dominant leader. Your new puppy is going to want that leader to be you, but if you do not assume that role from the very beginning, the puppy’s instincts will push him to become the leader.
The most important thing to remember about training the puppy during its first six months of life is that it must see you as the leader of the family pack. The essential thing is gaining the trust and the respect of the puppy from the beginning. You will not do this by allowing the puppy to do whatever it wants to do whenever it wants to do it. On the other hand, a certain amount of patience is required. Most people err in their early training by going to extremes one way or the other. Although you need to begin the basic training process at once, you can not expect your dog to do too much at first. Basic obedience training is fine and should include simple commands like sit, stay, and come. Remember that trying to teach the dog advanced obedience techniques when it is a puppy is much like trying to teach a five year old child algebra.
It is also important to restrain from cruel or abusive treatment of the puppy. You can not beat obedience into your dog, and it certainly is not going to engender feeling of respect and trust. House breaking is an area where this usually becomes a problem because of the anger that is triggered when the puppy fails and creates a mess inside the home. Although this issue must be addressed without anger, it most be addressed. If you allow the puppy to eliminate inside the house, it will continue to do so as an adult dog. The same thing is true of other destructive or dangerous behavior such as chewing and biting. Do not expect the puppy to grow out of it. You are going to need to train the puppy out of it, but you should do so firmly but with a sense of play and fun using positive reinforcement and lots of love and praise for good behavior.
2016-07-19 15:06:56 · answer #8 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
u shouldn t feel guilty but u should moved the basketor got the cat because u know relations with cat and dogs they re no friendly to each other so it was a little mastake but aleast the dog didnt bite the cat thats the luck or your cat bite the do g well at first cats get nervous when dog looks at it for a long time each cat is different
2006-11-28 16:42:12 · answer #9 · answered by MARIA R 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes you should have...she trusted you to protect her and when you didn't she protected herself the only way she knew how. Love her and get her an extra toy for Christmas...then never let a big dog scare her again
2006-11-28 15:19:20 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋