WELLNESS FAQ
How should I transport my cat?
Each adult cat that you bring should be in their own carrier, which should be inspected to make sure it's secure. Kittens under 6 months from the same household can share a carrier if they have enough space and get along together. Verify that all screws, bolts, and clamps are tight, and that the door can be securely closed. Please put a towel or puppy pad in the carrier to minimize any messes that may happen during transport. Cover the carrier with a towel to minimize stress during transport. Label the carrier with your name and the cat’s name.
What if my cat doesn’t like the carrier?
Making the carrier a positive place starts at home and will help ensure a successful, minimal stress and safe trip to the wellness clinic. Keeping the carrier out in a room the cat feels safe in and setting up a cozy space with blankets and giving toys and/or treats while in the carrier will help foster a positive association with the carrier for most cats. The blankets and carrier can be sprayed with synthetic feline pheromones (Feliway) at least 15 minutes prior to leaving the house. Hold the carrier from the secure bottom when transitioning from the house to the car, and place the carrier in a secure spot in the car to minimize shifting of the carrier.
What happens at the appointment?
Cats will receive a thorough physical exam to make sure that they are healthy enough for wellness services. If the attending veterinarian determines your cat is too sick to receive wellness services, immediate referral to a full service veterinary clinic or hospital will be recommended. A list of full service veterinary clinics and emergency hospitals can be provided upon request.
What if you can’t examine my cat?
Leaving their normal home environment to go to the veterinary clinic can be incredibly stressful to our feline friends. Their reactions can include fighting (including biting and scratching), attempting to flee, or freezing. Stress can result in impaired healing, lead to chronic health problems, and prolong the time required to perform services. Madison Cat Project’s veterinary staff members are trained through Fear Free, an organization that provides education on how to reduce fear, anxiety, and stress in pets and to improve the veterinary experience for both pets and their guardians. Please visit https://fearfreepets.com for more information on this training. The staff is able to utilize multiple techniques to provide calm, minimal stress care to the felines they care for. See above section for recommendations on how to prepare the carrier for the veterinary visit and safe transport. For some individual cats, efforts by both the veterinary team and the cat’s guardians to minimize stress are not enough. In these cases, a visual exam will be done to facilitate prescription of stress reduction medications and a follow up appointment will be scheduled to perform the wellness services requested under influence of these medications. These measures are utilized to minimize the adverse effects of stress on your cat and provide the calmest, safest veterinary visits possible. Any history about an individual cat’s preferences or stressors cat guardians can provide is greatly appreciated by the veterinary staff.
Can you prescribe medications for my cat?
Madison Cat Project will be able to provide parasite preventatives, stress reduction medications, and deworming medications (if recommended by the attending veterinarian). All of these medications will be available as long as a valid Veterinary-Client-Patient Relationship has been established (what is required for a VCPR varies depending on what medication is being requested). If a valid Veterinary-Client-Patient relationship has not been established, medication is unable to be prescribed. Any requests for medications for a medical condition that is being managed by a full service veterinary clinic will be sent back to the managing full-service veterinarian.