Header Image: Final Mission: Dental check-up.
Handling difficult cats on the treatment table
After an insightful course on cat behaviour from Miranda Geerlings of 4cats fame, I had no choice but to sign up for another one of her courses!
Monday Morning
A friendly wave from Miranda as I pulled into the car park, and then onwards into the cold reception room where I received a warm welcome (and cup of tea) from the DierenLot hostess 🙂 There was a surprise turn-up from a colleague from the Animal Ambulance so I had another familiar friendly faces! 🙂 (Aside: My quickly tapped out notes read “a surprise turnip from a colleague” 😉 )
I must admit I was extra grateful for these glimpses of friendly sunshine because a local driver moments before gave me the finger for not giving him (my) right of way as I drove through a section of road with restricted width. Monday mornings 🙁
“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first,” – John 15:18 NIV
But let’s not let the grain of salt ruin the day!
Several months ago I was at an animal first aid course organised by Dierenziekenhuis, a vet in Veenendaal. The instructor showed us how to do things on a (real) dog, and I was amazed at how docile and obedient he was! And here was the catch – the course was also about first aid for cats, but cats are generally much more difficult to work with than the dog!
How much more difficult would it be with a “difficult” cat – a likely case if the poor feline is in need of fist aid! This course on handling difficult cats on the treatment table was going to allay all my concerns about it. And as an extra bonus, it might also help me with my own cat when I take her for a dental checkup later this week! 😉
The Course
Cuddly cats and towels awaited each of us participants. Another warm welcome 😉 – and also an indication of hands on practical practice! This was brilliant; if a picture paints a thousand words, then a live demo ‘acts’ out a thousand pictures! And if this isn’t enough, trying it ourselves (under a watchful eye!) really sends the message home! 🙂
But first we were invited inside a cat’s head. How do cats perceive or react to danger? And knowing this, we learned various methods to reduce their stress by providing distraction, peace or a hiding place.
There was also information on using protective clothing (for humans and cats!), moving a cat into a carrier, and a video on how cats experience being inside a carrier. In other words, the full chain of catching a cat, bringing her somewhere to be treated, and how to hold her for a number of treatments – all the while with the feelings and perceptions of the cat in mind.
And now the demonstrations! Miranda showed us how to pick up, hold and support a cat. And also a million ways to use a towel to wrap up a cat ensuring she remains calm and secure whilst immobilised so treatments can be given without injury to the care-giver. She made it look easy; it wasn’t at first, but she gave us time to practice as well as crucial one-on-one attention and advice.
There was even a method using a towel to protect our hands whilst catching and picking up a difficult cat. I figured I might need this technique later this week if my own cat wasn’t going to go easily into her carrier…
The morning went by incredibly quickly, and I feel I left well prepared to handle difficult cats!
On the drive home I paid particular attention to the location where I got the finger. I’m convinced he was an idiot. I know I’m too sensitive about these kinds of things; if only there was a course on how to handle difficult road users!
So many thanks again to Miranda at 4cats for the demonstrations and practical information in her workshop, Stichting Dierenlot Academie for organising and making it available, and Dierenambulance Nederrijn for letting me volunteer there so I’m allowed on the course! 🙂
More About Miranda / Meer Over Miranda
Een puur kattenmens, dat is auteur Miranda Geerlings. In Nederland was zij één van de eersten die haar praktijk als gediplomeerd Kattengedragtherapeut combineerde met een Trimsalon, exclusief voor katten. Miranda vindt het geweldig om haar kennis over te dragen en is Hoofddocente Kat bij Trimschool Nederland.
Haar motto is: “Elke kat is uniek en dat maakt ze geweldig”
Her motto is: “Every cat is unique and that’s what makes them wonderful.”
Update (a few days later)
A chance to put this knowledge into practice: getting my cat into a pet carrier so I can bring her to the vet for a dental checkup. She doesn’t like to be picked up and she really doesn’t like being in the pet carrier so I was prepared for some difficulty. But now I can use my toolbag of information and practical training!
Step 1: Removing negative associations
I washed the carrier thoroughly to remove any previous nervous pheromones she may have left there the last time.
Step 2: Building familiarity
I left the carrier in the lounge next to her cardboard box she usually likes to lie under. I hoped this would help her get used to it being around.
Step 3: waiting for the day of the appointment
(Turns out I had a shift with the Animal Ambulance today!)
Step 4: Energy control(?)
Daisy is an outside cat – but I kept her inside in the morning to ensure she’d be around for me to pick her up around 10.20 am. I’m not sure if this was a good idea as she had a lot of energy. Playing with her didn’t take much of it away.
Step 5: The pet carrier
The pet carrier can be opened either at the narrow end or at the wider side. If I understood it right, I was to lower Daisy back legs first into the narrow end, so I opened the narrow end, and placed the carrier against the side of the settee to keep it stable.
Step 6: Picking up Daisy
Picking up Daisy was surprisingly easy! I didn’t need the towel and I had her secure in my arms. Thinking back to it now, I supported her back legs but I didn’t hold each of them between my fingers which is why the next step went as it did.
The Next Step (7): Lowering into the pet carrier
Lowering her into the carrier didn’t go well at all! She used her back legs to make it impossible.
Step 8: Reinforcements
Call my wife in for help! Daisy was now skittish, but time wasn’t on our side – a crucial ingredient for handling cats (i.e. cats handling us!) But needs must. By now Daisy had sprinted upstairs and hidden herself under a bed. It was a struggle, but my wife managed to pick her up (that’s a very short version of it!) whilst I battled with the pet carrier.
Step 9: Battling with the pet carrier
My wife wanted to put Daisy in through the side with the larger opening. This is how we moved her into the carrier the last time we used it, though admittedly it was easier then because she had a broken leg 🙁
Opening the side was a pain in the neck because we’ve got a fancy carrier with flaps and zips and compartments and zips and flaps with zips and zips with flaps and netting with flaps and zips and… By the time I got it open Daisy had long since jumped out of my wife’s arms…
Step 10: Try again – with the pet carrier open
Easy enough to pick Daisy up again and lift her into the side of the carrier.
Step 11: Out of the carrier
Yep – Daisy ran straight out of the opening at the end which I’d left open (*growl*)
Step 12: Into the carrier
Repeat step 10 with the pet carrier closed at the narrow end.
Lucky Step 13: Success! 🙂
Once we were at the vet for the dental control I noted how they held Daisy in the way Miranda had explained – it obviously worked because they were able to get to have a close look at her mouth (and give her a thumbs up!)
My take home message is supporting back legs isn’t good enough; I need to remember to hold the individual legs at the back as Miranda taught so she can’t use them against me move them.
