Help Us to Help Cats

How worried is your cat about going to the veterinarian? Some cats seem to become anxious even as you make the appointment for a routine exam, weeks before the actual visit. Other cats don’t get distressed at all, or seem to – and even enjoy the process of getting into a carrier for a car ride. Where does your cat fall on the scale?

Veterinary behaviorist Dr. Theresa DePorter and myself are working on a project to as objectively as possible measure and monitor cats’ stress before seeing the vet.

Included in the survey is a description of what stress or anxiety in cats looks like. Cats can fool us, seemingly not appearing distressed when they are in fact quite anxious.

Ultimately, Dr. DePorter and I will craft protocols to ease anxiety before the vet visit. We know many animals are distressed before vet visits. In fact, that anxiety might create a barrier to future visits, or going anywhere with the pet. And obviously anxious pets are not happy, an issue that can be rectified. We all do want happy pets. We know the problem exists (there’s already some data). But we want to know – and first with cats – know how bad the problem is.

Please help us to help cats.

To receive the the survey, Email me: steve@stevedalepetworld.com

Please send the survey back to Dr. Deporter via fax: 248-334-3693

Or email Dr. DePorter: TheresaDVM@aol.com

Surveys should be completed after arriving home following that visit to the vet. Only fully completed forms received within a week after your cats’ vet visit will be used for analysis.

(And please help Dr. DePorter and myself to spread the word – feel free to share with cat loving friends)