Cats are easily stressed when they are taken outside their normal home routine. To try to reduce stress for cats, we have the following policies in place:
- We dedicate Thursdays to cats to try to minimize the stress of dogs in our shop at the same time. We ask that you bring your cat no later than 9AM so we can start early and complete their groom early in the day.
- We ask that all cats be brought in a secure carrier to minimize handling while they are with us and so that we can replace them in a familiar carrier when they are done.
- We have a cabinet dryer that is quieter and less stressful during the drying process.
- We practice gentle handling techniques.
- We recommend that your veterinarian provide a prescription of Gabapentin for your cat prior to grooming. This medication reduces stress for your cat during the grooming process.
Gabapentin
Gabapentin Info from Fear Free Pet Website.
From the Nov. 15. 2017 issue of Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 20 healthy pet cats
In their discussion of the study results, the authors concluded:
Overall, the present study yielded good evidence that oral administration of a 100-mg gabapentin capsule to cats 90 minutes before transporting them to the veterinary hospital led to a significant reduction in stress-related behaviors during transportation and examination. Gabapentin administration also decreased aggression and increased compliance of cats during veterinary examination.