|
||||||
| Welcome to our Cat Forums! | ||||
|
Welcome to our CatForums! You are seeing this message because you are viewing our cat forums as a guest. You can continue to browse our many cat related areas as a guest but you are more than welcome to register and join our friendly community of Cat Lovers! ... And for free! Doing so will also remove this message and some of the ads, such as the one on the left. Please click here to register. |
||||
 |
|
||||
|
||||
|
I've recently been to the vet with my dear Chaska, who was put down last week. About 2 months ago we took her in as she was losing weight and not cleaning herself etc. (Turns out she had CRF). She never, ever liked the vets, and despite being teeny (the size of a 7 month kitten) she could snarl as much as any cat! So we took her into the vet, and she was obviously quite distraught but very weak and so wasn't as volatile as normal. She did hiss and once swiped with her paw and the vet jumped a mile and looked very shakey. She then asked me to hold her down, and see if I could calm her. And the whole time she looked very edgy and scared of the cat. I appreciate cats can be lethal with those claws and teeth, and I was more than happy to help calm Chaska down, but the impression I got was that she didn't want to go near Chaska. What sort of vet is too scared to go near a hissing cat?! |
||||
|
|
|||||
|
|||||
|
So sorry meep - your post made me chuckle, and in reply to your last question, I might reply "A wise one!" Had an experience of a sweet vet nurse nearly being bitten and skewered by Merlin a couple of weeks ago. Luckily, he bit me instead. But I do agree, animals that are taken to the vet tend to be in need of attention and may be feeling sick or at least afraid of what's going on. You would think that would be something their training would address. |
|||||
|
|
|||||
|
|||||
|
I have to say that I tend to be fairly careful when dealing with stressed/angry cats since a bite ended up in my being hospitalised! |
|||||
|
|
||||
|
||||
|
That does make sense pinklizzy, and I do appreciate the safety aspect. I'd taken Chaska several times to our vet practice, and on different occasions there had been different vets. Whilst the other vet was cautious in approaching her, she used a towel and was still quite in control of the situation. Despite Chaska hissing and scratching, she wasn't harmed herself. The difference with the last vet I went to see was that she seemed terrified to approach her and kept jumping, and was happy to see her back in her box, and to be honest, seemed happier to see the back of us. I didn't explain it very well, but I guess I felt a bit disgruntled that my wee girl had been diagnosed with something that is life threatening, she was very upset and in pain, yet the vet didn't want to go near her or seemed that bothered by her, and was more concerned about getting us out the door. It did seem different to caution and carefulness, and seemed much more like pure fear. Very puzzling, as like I said, I'd expect all vets who go into the line of work to be aware of the risks involved when dealing with angry animals and to maybe realise a fear of cats won't sereve them well? |
||||
|
|
||||
|
||||
|
Also, Chaska that time round was a lot less stressed and angry than she had been on previous occasions. She was very weak, so whilst she growled and hissed, she only swiped once and missed, and thereafter didn't scratch as she was too weak. I just think the way the vet reacted to this was unusual. |
||||
|
|
||||
|
||||
|
Quote:
 I do agree angie! I know most people wouldn't go near a hissing, angry cat with a barge pole, but as I said in my response to pinklizzy, the way the vet approached Chaska when she was upset was different to the way I've seen any vet approach an angry cat before, and I do feel her treatement of Chaska that day was compromised by her apparent fear of her. |
||||
|
|
||||
|
||||
|
Also, as I mentioned, Chaska was TINY. Positively. She was an eternal kitten who had very small claws and teeth. Whilst they are still sharp and sore, she was never half as terrifying as our old boy we used to have, who could probably tear his way through a towel if we wrapped him in it  |
||||
|
|
|||||
|
|||||
|
I agree the way you and Chaska were treated by that vet sounded very much like she was terrified by your poor cat (probably by all cats!) Seems like a strange profession to go into if you are scared and, as I said before, you would think that such issues would be addressed during veterinary training. Mind you, I have come across human doctors who obviously don't like people very much! (or perhaps it was only sick people). |
|||||
|
|
||||
|
||||
|
Quote:
Reminds me of a teacher I had at school who didn't like children |
||||
|
|
|||||
|
|||||
|
Sorry for your loss meep. Many years ago I went to a different practice than now and the vet was very wary of the dog I had at the time. (she was a big softy but looked 'the part') the dog always was on edge and it was just not a good experience for either. Same with the cat, the vet was very much arms length. When I moved to my current great vets the attitude to the animals was very positive, talked to them, hugs and chatting to me. Strong positive handling of the cat and dog. - - No problems. So I do think it has a good deal to do with attitude and handling. Tho'one cat I had required very positive handling and a brave attiude!! CM |
|||||
|
