Does your cat seem really stressed or upset during (or after) veterinary visits? That reaction is common, but that doesn't mean it's a "normal" reaction you or your cat should have to accept. Your cat should not be traumatized after a vet visit, so it is important to take steps to prevent that from happening. Understanding why vet visits can elicit anxiety, and stress and then taking steps to lessen their fear is important in helping create a more calming vet visit experience.

Many cats don't get the medical care they need because we fear putting them through stress, but there are many things you can do to help your cat feel more comfortable about the entire experience (one of them being finding veterinary care that isn’t traumatic for your cat). This will be less stressful for you and safer for the veterinary team.

Why Is Your Cat Acting Traumatized After Their Vet Visit?

Understanding the "why" behind your cat's behavior after a stressful veterinary visit will help you understand how to prevent it next time.

Change in Environment

Cats have attachments to places, one being their home. They are programmed to avoid danger and do what's necessary to stay alive. When they can't control their environment, or we take away their choices, they tend to become hyper-vigilant, stressed, scared, and even aggressive.

Because cat’s prioritize safety and survival, any disruption in their daily routine, like waking them from a nap or chasing them through the home to load them into the carrier, can trigger their fight or flight instincts Being in a small space, like a carrier, traveling in a car, and experiencing unfamiliar sights, smells, and sounds of a vet clinic are overwhelming. Cats convey their stress through various behaviors and body language, so knowing what to watch for is essential in lessening their negative response.

Building Stressors

Your cat may be completely stressed out before you even get to the veterinary hospital. This stress continues to build as they wait to be seen, with exposure to unfamiliar things, like dogs barking, new voices, and intense smells.

Unfamiliar Handling

The final straw for many cats is when the veterinarian must handle and medically treat them in ways they aren't accustomed to. Your cat doesn’t know that any of this is being done for their own good.

As you can see, from your cat's perspective, there are a lot of stressors they must endure throughout the process. It's no surprise that they may act traumatized during and after vet visits, but don't worry, you can help your cat.

What Are Normal Cat Behaviors After Veterinary Visits?

As established, common reactions to stressful experience doesn’t make those reactions “normal.” Every cat is one of a kind, and so are their reactions to stressful experiences. Remembering past positive or negative experiences effects their stress behaviors. Acute fear and anxiety behaviors associated with vet visits exist on a spectrum. Cats in avoidance mode tend to be frozen or ‘cat-atonic’ while cats in repulsion mode tend to lash out. The important thing to remember, is both equal similar degrees of fear, anxiety, and stress and require intervention. Cat behaviors commonly seen when feeling fear, anxiety, stress, or frustration include:

• Aggressive behavior toward people and/or other pets (hissing, growling, yowling, spitting, swatting/scratching, or biting)
• Excessive grooming
• Shaking or trembling
• Increased vocalization
• Hiding
• Restlessness
• Agitation
• Inappropriate elimination

Most cats return to their normal behavior and habits within 12-24 hours, and it can be even sooner if steps are taking to reduce vet visit stress, but if they aren’t back to their normal activity within a day, contact your vet.

How Can I Prevent My Cat Being Traumatized Before, During, and After a Vet Visit?

Helping to prevent your cat from being traumatized after a vet visit begins well before your visit and continues after you arrive home.

Before the Vet Visit

For cats with known fear, anxiety, and stress, talk to your veterinarian well in advance of your appointment. There are many ways to help reduce stress during the vet visit journey including talking to your vet about prescription medications that help alleviate feline acute fear and anxiety during transport and veterinary visits.

Use a carrier that meets your cat's needs by providing them security, safety and comfort. Learn more about ways to get your cat comfortable in their carrier before their next vet visit.

Heading To the Vet

About 30 minutes to 1 hour before you leave for the appointment, spray the carrier (and car if driving) with calming feline pheromones.

Warm or cool the car before you load up your cat to provide a comfortable temperature for them. You can also turn on soft music that can help your cat feel calm and relaxed. Most cat soundtracks include sounds mimicking purring, birds chirping, and others tunes in the feline vocal range as well as classical music which can be soothing.

When loading your cat into the carrier, do it slowly, calmly, and smoothly. Avoid fast or frantic movements as well as excessive force. Then, cover three sides with a blanket or towel for comfort.

Be sure to place the carrier securely in the car, belted into the back seat — you want to avoid the carrier moving or tipping over while driving.

During Your Veterinary Visit

If your cat gets really stressed during vet visits, consider a veterinary practice that is cat-only, Cat Friendly certified, or Fear Free certified. They have training, procedures, and environments that help decrease your cat's stress (and yours). If you can’t find one in your area, consult with your veterinarian before the visit to explain your situation and ask how they handle fearful cats. They may suggest a prescription medication to help calm your cat and recommend scheduling an appointment during quieter times at the clinic.

Here are some other ways you can advocate for your nervous cat during the appointment:

• Ask the clinic to move you into a private exam room immediately upon arrival or allow you to wait in the car away from the sights, sounds, and smells of the waiting room.
• Ask the veterinarian and technicians working with your cat to take a moment to talk to your cat, give a few treats, and help them feel more secure before beginning the exam.
• Ask staff to please use lowered voices, move slowly, take breaks as needed, and try to avoid pushing your cat too far past their comfort zone.
• Ask if your veterinarian can do as much of the exam as possible with your cat in the carrier, with the top removed or under their blanket so they feel less exposed. Having a warm blanket on the exam table, pheromone room diffusers, and limiting coming and going from the room goes along way in ensuring your cat’s comfort.
• Use treats and toys throughout the appointment to try and make it a positive experience for your cat.
• Stay calm so your cat isn't picking up on your stress.

When You Arrive Home After a Vet Visit

Once you arrive home, keep things mellow and give your cat space. Treats are also a great way to say, "Welcome home! Good things happen after you see the vet."

Some cats do best in a quiet room with a calming pheromone diffuser, away from other pets and family members while shaking off the stress of the visit. This is especially true if you have other cats. The smell of the vet clinic on one cat can cause stress and aggression in the cat who stayed home. When their scent changes, they don’t recognize each other. So, if one cat is hissing or aggressive with the other, give them some time apart.

You can also rub the cat who went to the vet with a blanket or something they sleep on. That will help disburse the vet scent and re-establish your cat’s natural scent.