Clients state the difficulty of getting the cat into a carrier at home, driving to the clinic, and dealing with the fearful cat at the veterinary clinic as reasons for fewer visits to the vet. Educating and preparing the client and the veterinary team with regard to respectful feline handling is necessary in order to avoid stress and accomplish the goal of good health care.Without such preparation, feline stress may escalate into fear or fear-associated aggression. The resulting stress may alter results of the physical examination and laboratory tests, making diagnosing and managing diseases even more challenging. Without compassionate and respectful handling by the veterinary team, clients may feel the team lacks skills and compassion, or does not understand cats. Injury may occur to the cat, client and/or veterinary team. Clients who want to avoid stress for their cat may avoid veterinary visits or choose another practice instead.
As a veterinarian, before we can effectively manage feline patients, we need to really understand what makes a cat a cat. Why do cats behave the way they do, why do they react the way they do? And how does this affect people working with cats in the veterinary clinic?
A cat is:
1. A solitary hunter and an obligate carnivore
The cat has evolved physically and behaviourally to be a specialist hunter of rodents and other small prey; it is motivated to hunt by the sight and sound of prey. Cats are unable to live without nutrients such as Taurine, found in animal protein. Given the choice cats will search, acquire and consume their prey in solitude and, with the exception of mothers providing opportunities for their kittens to learn prey handling techniques, the feeding process is not a socially interactive one – cats prefer to eat alone.
For the veterinary clinic, this means:
• As well adapted predators, cats are naturally neophobic and highly efficient at defending themselves against perceived threats.
• They should be offered food regularly in small amounts, and are more likely to eat when left quiet and undisturbed
• They have specific nutritional requirements, with a high dietary protein requirement.
• Differences in hepatic enzyme pathways can make cats vulnerable to toxicity from certain drugs or chemicals, which do not affect dogs.
2. Territorial
Cats are highly territorial and are strongly bonded to their territory (home environment). They use a range of methods to mark their territory, for example, rubbing, scratching or spraying urine, the method being determined by their emotional state at the time.
For the veterinary clinic, this means:
• Cats may present for apparent ‘behavioural problems’ that simply reflect a cat’s normal territorial behaviour
• Such problems are common in multi-cat households where the individual cat perceives invasion of its territory
• Cats feel unsafe and stressed just by being taken out of their territory; the smells, sounds and sights of the clinic will add to this, making cats very anxious, fearful and defensive
• The sight of other animals also makes cats feel unsafe
3. Highly sensitive to scent
Cats use scent as a means of social communication – usually to keep other cats at a distance. They don’t like direct confrontation and therefore scent allows them to communicate with other cats without having to have direct visual or physical contact.
For the veterinary clinic, this means:
• Changes to their ‘home’ scent are causes anxiety
• The large variety of strong scents within a veterinary clinic are highly stressful to a cat
• Diseases that effect sense of smell can result in inappetence
• Providing familiar smells (e.g. bedding from home) and use of synthetic feline pheromones can be useful in reducing stress in the clinic
• Washing hands and tables to remove scent of other animals is important, but also minimising exposure to strong smells such as disinfectants
• Use of synthetic pheromones can be useful in the clinic.
4. Self-reliant
The cat does not rely on any other animals for survival – it hunts alone, has its own territory, keeps itself clean, and will run or hide from danger. They show little outward signs of illness or pain.
For the veterinary clinic, this means:
• Sharing territory is stressful
• With any perceived danger (most things in a veterinary clinic!) being able to hide and be at a height makes them feel more safe and secure
• Cats feel safer and less anxious if they have some control over their surroundings
5. Emotional and highly aware
In order to survive as a solitary hunter, the cat needs to be highly aware and quick to react. They are very sensitive to smells, sights and sounds (often that we are completely unaware of). They will easily become frightened with any sudden changes, and are quick to react. Their emotions can therefore change very quickly with little outward warning.
For the veterinary clinic, this means:
• Cats may react quickly if disturbed or frightened – they are unable to utilize their nature defence of running away, and if they are also unable to hide, they may have no choice but to resort to defensive/fearful aggression
• A slow quiet approach avoiding eye contact (using a slow blink) will minimise threat
• Avoid sudden noises and movements as these can be very alarming to an already stressed cat
• The more people, other animals, noise and smells that the cat is exposed to will increase their level of anxiety
• Scruffing or intrusive handling can cause fear and panic
• A single unpleasant event at the surgery can affect future visits for a patient
In the veterinary surgery where vets and nurses are trying to ascertain the cat’s ‘normal values’ situations that make cats anxious or nervous, such as unfamiliar cat basket, the car journey, new people, strange smells, other animals, handling, procedures, handling and hospitalisation can make interpretation of results more difficult or even misleading.
Hence keeping cats as stress-free as possible will help to get a truer picture of the problem and help to reduce its susceptibility to infectious disease, improve appetite and aid healing. If the cats realise that the environment is safe, its anxious state will resolve. If the cat perceives definite danger, its anxiety will progress to fear. Anxiety will be heightened by loud noise, sudden movement, new objects or smells, approach by strange people (or other animals) into the cat’s personal space and a lack of control over what is happening.
Therefore, in summary, all veterinary personal need to consider the important factors that cause stress to cats in the veterinary clinic environment, namely:
• Change in environment
• Any other animal including humans
• Noise
• Smells
• Change in location/environment
• Activity/chaos/sensory overload
• Coping mechanism restricted or eliminated (loss of control or no place to run or hide
Have you implemented changes in your practice to create a more cat friendly practice?
Reference
https://catfriendlyclinic.org/
