Hide and Seek at the Vet: How One Cat Tries to Dodge Check-ups

Quick Smiles:

• A cat named Pete uses a charming “hide and seek” strategy to avoid his vet visits, according to a humorous photo shared by his owner, where Pete is seen burying his head in a blanket while in his carrier.
• Approximately 70% of U.S. households have a pet, often leading to situations where the pet has to be taken to the vet, a scenario that can be stressful for our furry friends.
• Veterinary care assistant Tracey Morgan shares tips to ease the stress of vet visits for cats, including early preparation, spraying the carrier with feline pheromone, using a familiar-smelling blanket, reducing external noise, and maintaining the owner’s calm.

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How does a visit to the vet become a hide and seek game?

Well, if you’re Pete the cat, you think that if you can’t see the vet, the vet can’t see you.

The adorable and humorous moment was shared on Reddit by u/Bmurr1985.

In the post, Pete is seen burying his head into a blanket, hoping to disappear in his carrier.

“If Pete can’t see the vet then the vet can’t see him,” the post reads.

If Pete can’t see the vet then the vet can’t see him
byu/Bmurr1985 inOneOrangeBraincell

According to the 2021-2022 National Pet Owners Survey by the American Pet Products Association (APPA), about 90.5 million families, or 70% of U.S. households, own a pet. With the rising number of pet owners, taking a feline friend to the vet has become a common scenario. However, this can be quite stressful for our furry friends, as they are thrown into an environment filled with unfamiliar smells and loud noises.

Thankfully, there are ways to make this experience less nerve-wracking for our feline friends. Veterinary care assistant Tracey Morgan, who works for an emergency out-of-hours veterinary clinic in Shropshire, U.K., provides some tips to help cats feel more at ease when visiting the vet:

1. Prepare ahead: It’s important to familiarize your cat with the carrier. Leave it out for a few days before the vet visit for your cat to explore, and build up a positive association by adding a few treats inside.
2. Spray with feline pheromone: This will help your cat feel more at home in the carrier.
3. Add a familiar-smelling blanket: Using a blanket with familiar smells can help relax your cat. Also, having an extra towel for them to hide under can be a good coping strategy.
4. Reduce external noise: Loud sounds can be stressful, so consider waiting in the car if the clinic’s waiting room is noisy.
5. Stay calm: Your pet can pick up on your emotions, so staying calm can help keep them calm too.

The hilarious post quickly garnered attention, with over 6,800 upvotes and numerous comments playing along. “Why did you name an empty carrier Pete?” one Redditor joked. Others shared their own experiences of cats hiding during vet visits.

One thing’s for sure: Pete might need a new hide-and-seek strategy for his next visit. Maybe he’ll take a cue from another cat owner’s comment, “Mine used to do the same! He’d try to hide in the trash cutouts on the counter. Then we figured out that if we covered his head with a dish towel, he’d stay perfectly flat on the exam table.”

In all the laughter and fun, it’s heartening to see the lengths to which pet owners go to make their feline friends feel comfortable. After all, there’s no arguing with Pete’s flawless logic!

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