today my sister and i took our cats to get rabies vaccines at petcos. when they tried to give my cat a shot she started growling, so the lady threw a towel on her and it looked like she was choking her or something. anyways as soon she covered her up w/the towel, the cat lost it. it got messy. (blood everywhere) and only 1 of the cats ended up getting her shot. what i was wondering is... is this a common way used by vets to calm animals down? u would think it would have the opposite effect...(and it did) my cat never scratched the vet before.
2007-04-14 06:01:58 · 16 answers · asked by una ragazza siciliana 6 in Pets ➔ Cats
sure
2007-04-14 06:03:45 · answer #1 · answered by Mr.Deeds 5 · 0⤊ 3⤋
It is very common. As a Pet Groomer I have used towels to get small aggressive dogs out of the crates & I have used towels on cats as well. It is to calm down the animal and as a safe way to handle animal so as not to be bit.
It is a safety measure for both the Vet & the cat. Another way to calm a cat is to grab it by the scruff of the neck but that leaves the Vet with only one hand to work with. It is like the Vet tapping a dogs mouth shut. It provides a safe way to handle a scared animal. Cats are touchy anyway so for their safty they need not see what is going on.
The safest way to get a cat to the Vets is in a pillow case tied at the top. Use a newer one or it could be clawed to pieces.
2007-04-14 06:23:45 · answer #2 · answered by bluebonnetgranny 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't think this is a common practice>>> I would not take them back there for shots, it seems as though there was no tact involved. Most good vets would be a little more reassuring to your pet, even if they would have had you hold your cat, an wrapped it in the towel rather than just throwing a towel over her head.
2007-04-14 06:13:17 · answer #3 · answered by Kitty Mom 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
GENTLY wrapping a scared cat securely in a towel can help calm them and make them handlable. it doesn't work in all cases, so if it seems not to be working, you should stop!
Petco isn't a vets is it? (I'm English). I would therefore question why they're allowed to administer vaccines in the first place. I assume the lady who did it was a qualified vet? Doesn't sound like she's very sympathetic towards cats! I wouldn't go back.
If cats start acting up when we vaccinate them, we get the nurse to correctly restrain, perhaps by TRYING the towel technique. We certainly don't let it get all insane with blood being shed everywhere!
Take your other cat to a proper vet clinic to get her shots. And please don't let this experience tarnish your view of all vets!
Chalice
2007-04-14 06:10:58 · answer #4 · answered by Chalice 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Poor cat, sounds like she was terrified & I don't blame her for lashing out!
One of my cats hates being put in her carrier to go to the vets or the cattery (can't blame her I suppose!). I wrap her gently in a towel and hold her firmly but not too tightly so I can get her headfirst into the box. Works every time!
2007-04-14 06:13:55 · answer #5 · answered by Whoosher 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yeah..its common..don't worry..
Cats are feared by couple attributes :
"what they smell and what they see.. "
Some cats (are much like some of us) who gets drammatically terrified goin to vets-like humans goin to hospitals...
They know the smell/they r not used to that smell/they smell other animal smells around the place..
I had a terrifying experience with my cat..who had gone 5 times to the vet since small and still goes frantic starting from getting in the car...
When we reach the vet,he would vigorously bite everyone until it really gets into my skin..(like a vampire bite)..
They had to use the towel technique to close the kitty's eyes vision possibly and also to grab their necks - its better with towels coz if by just using our bare hands,it would hurt even more...(4 the cat)..
And the towel technique didn't even work for my cat, they finally had to use a strap able leash (he was like a tiger so suddenly-scary face)..
And my cicak was frantically pee-ing & sh**-ing all over the place...
So yes,sometimes they have to be treated a bit hard not to hurt but to make it faster..when cats are scared, they just become like that...
DOnt worry yeah
2007-04-14 06:40:38 · answer #6 · answered by kim_stolz 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
unless there is a special reason that i am unaware of this is unheard of to me. all of the spays that i have ever assisted in, the vet used a typical incision that was a straight line. i am kinda out of the loop since i work for a specialist now and dont really see your routine surgeries anymore. so it could be something new that i havent heard about. your vet is there to answer your questions whether or not he thinks they are silly. if you ask in a polite but curious tone they shouldnt have a problem telling you why they used such an incision.
2016-05-19 23:08:00 · answer #7 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I've thrown a towel over my cat before in order to trim a knot of hair from his back. You gotta be quick! The least amount of restraint possible should be used since cats detest restraint. In your scenario, however, was it the lady's blood or the cat's blood that was "everywhere"??
2007-04-14 06:08:07 · answer #8 · answered by HoneyBunny 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
that is REALLY messed up. something is up with that vet. i DO work with a vet that will use a towel, but its usually to take blood (they will wrap a cat up a certain to to detain it, but the cat wont freak out like that, the head will be out of the towel so they can take blood out of the neck..)
something is wrong with that vet, you might want to look into other vets...
2007-04-14 12:48:30 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have heard of that. My cat is usually too busy checking things out at the vets to make a fuss. They give her the shots and she doesn't even seem to notice.
2007-04-14 09:16:36 · answer #10 · answered by Charlie S 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
never heard of that method...i have heard of scruffing the cat by the neck to make it stay still and this is an effective way of holding a cat to give it a shot...obviously the person who was administering the shot to your cats today didnt have a clue to what they were doing and i would make a complaint
2007-04-14 07:27:05 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋