TECH
TALK
Brenda Lim, RVT
West Coast Veterinary Dental Services
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Handling Feline Patients:
Less is Always More
Create Comfort
Tactile and olfactory signals that
comfort the patient can be presented
several ways. Using pheromone products (eg, pheromone spray on bedding) before a feline patient’s arrival
is one simple way to relieve some of
the patient's anxiety.1
Imagine yourself basking in the sun, when suddenly you are snatched
up, covered, shoved into a small space, moved to an unknown destination, and unable to see anything. You arrive at a strange-smelling place
where you are pulled from the small container, forced into terrifying, abnormal positions, and poked by sharp objects. This is an all-too-familiar
experience for cats.
Here are some ways to avoid creating such difficult situations and
enhance the veterinary team’s relationship with cats.
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veterinaryteambrief.com September 2014
Less is always more for cats. Removing the carrier’s cover and allowing
the patient to remain inside during
the examination may greatly reduce
anxiety if he or she is comfortable
there. If removal from the carrier is
necessary, cover the patient with a
towel to hide any perceived threats
(see Towel Techniques), or use cage
covers for kennels. Minimal restraint
will allow faster, less stressful procedures; for example, measure blood
pressure while the patient is in the client's lap, and use the hind limb for
venipuncture. Also, allow the patient
to remain in sternal (vs lateral) recumbency during procedures, when
possible.2
Looking directly at and smiling near a
cat can be extremely threatening and
cause a fearful cat to become aggressive. Stay at the cat’s level, avoid direct eye contact, and use an enclosed
area for the examination. If possible,
examine the cat on the floor.3
PEER
REVIEWED
Allow the patient to remain in sternal
recumbency during procedures, when possible.
Vocal & Physical Cues
Team members must understand the reasons for a cat’s
reactions and be familiar with their postures and sounds
when they are fearful. By considering feline perception
and recognizing defensive vocal and physical signs, team
members can help feline patients feel more comfortable
and less threatened. Cats use multiple sensory inputs to
compute their responses to their environment and employ
many postures and sounds to ward off dangers (eg, hissing, meowing or howling loudly, hunching their back,
tucking their tail; see diagram in Clinical Behavioral
Medicine for Small Animals, Karen Overall, pages 58–59).4
Vocalizations also enable a cat to avert conflict by communicating fear, anxiety, and emotional arousal. A screaming,
stimulated cat is more fearful and less likely to be aggressive than a growling, less aroused cat. Avoid “shushing” a
cat; instead, use calm, soothing words. Keep noises to a
minimum (eg, use quiet clippers, provide separate, cat-exclusive waiting and examination areas to reduce other patient noise) to decrease anxiety and fear.
Challenges & Rewards
Cats can be extraordinarily challenging; however, veterinary technicians will find that working with feline patients becomes a very rewarding part of their job when
they master the techniques that increase a cat's trust and
comfort.
See Aids & Resources, back page,
for references & suggested reading.
•
•
READ ALL ABOUT IT
• American Association of Feline Practitioners.
http://www.catvets.com
Towel Techniques
The following sources provide helpful information on using
towels to calm feline patients:
BSAVA Foundation Manual of Feline Practice.
Harvey A, Tasker S (eds)—Wiley: Hoboken, NJ, 2013.
• Handling aggressive, fearful, or fighting pets. Vet
Changes World; http://www.vetchangesworld.com/
handling-scared-fearful-or-fighting-pets/
• Reading animal body language. Vet Changes World;
http://www.vetchangesworld.com/reading-animalbody-language/
Low stress handling. Sophia Yin, DVM, MS;
http://www.drsophiayin.com/lowstress
Towel wrap techniques for handling cats with
skill and ease. Sohpia Yin, DVM, MS; YouTube;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubKHlnsdMDE
September 2014 Veterinary Team Brief
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