My Pet World: It's important to help your animals adjust to car rides
LAS VEGAS -- These reader questions were answered by attendees of the Clinical Animal Behavior 2015 Conference from Sept. 25-27, presented by the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior, Society of Veterinary Behavior Technicians and Academy of Behavior Technicians.
Q: Is it even worth it? Bingo gets so distressed about going to the veterinarian, even before the carrier comes out. And then when the carrier comes out, our house becomes a war zone. By the time I get Bingo into the carrier -- with my husband's help -- we might get scratched, and I feel Bingo loses our trust. Is it even worth doing all this just to see the vet? S.H., Oak Park, IL
A: No, it's not worth it today -- but you can lower the level of your cat's anxiety and at that point, certainly seeing your veterinarian for preventive care is very worthwhile.
"What's more, if you really need to get your cat to the veterinarian because of illness or an emergency, getting there without stressing him out, and stressing you out will be helpful," said veterinary behaviorist Dr. Theresa DePorter of Oakland, Mich.
She continues, "The goal is to help the cat to feel her carrier is a portable safe zone."
For starters, keep the carrier out all the time. Spray the carrier daily with Feliway, a copy of a calming pheromone.
Periodically, drop treats inside it so the carrier becomes a treat dispenser. Once Bingo voluntarily checks out the carrier to see if there's a treat inside, and does so without hesitation -- you're on your way. Now, begin to feed Bingo from the carrier.
When Bingo is joyously dining from the carrier, the next stop is to close the door and nonchalantly walk down the hall with Bingo inside, and then open the door, and now feed Bingo -- so he associates even a short carrier ride with food.
Give Bingo a tour of your home from inside the carrier. When Bingo is gleefully up for the adventure, you're ready for a car ride.
Similar to the carrier training, also take this slow. At first, just start the motor and head down the driveway. When you arrive back home, feed Bingo -- so the ride is associated with a great outcome. Eventually, drive around the block, then a quarter of a mile, etc. If Bingo is complaining in the car, you've gone too far too fast.
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