My cat Darwin was the Sucky Customer!

[idrinkarum]

Took my cat to Petco yesterday to have him groomed. (He's a long haired and will only let me brush his head and not the rest of him for some odd reason). Anyways, took him, and then family and I ran errands. Ended up in some no cell phone service areas so I popped back into the Petco before going home to check on Darwin aka Darwinius Steele.

Found out that he bit the groomer! I was mortified! Went home, worried about the biting (as far as I know he hasn't bitten anyone during grooming time). When the groomer called, I apologized, found out he just nipped her when she tried to shave around the back end - between his legs and stuff otherwise he was a loving little kitty cat and was rubbing his head all over her. :angel:

I did give her $20 for her efforts/troubles. Told her I like to keep my kitty's groomers happy and because he had nipped her, I was trying to make amends. I'll definitely use her again, Darwin looks sooooo good and adorable with his lioncut style.

[protege]

Goofy kitty.

Mine bit one of the vets at his last checkup. So when I brought him home, and had him at the local vet's, the first thing I did when making the appointment, was let them know that he *will* bite if he thinks he's being hurt. Usually though, he'll meow a bit before his teeth come out.

[reformedwaitress]

Our vet HATED my cat. They had this net they would use on unruly cats. That is, they had it until they tried to give my cat a shot. He ripped a hole right in the top of it. he would claw and hiss and bit at anyone -- unless it was me. So I had to take him to the vet and physically hold him all cuddled up to me the entire time. Anyone else, he would destroy, but me? Nope. He did always cry pitifully the whole time.

The vet said he had never seen a cat with "Mommy issues" like mine. :rolleyes:

what can I say? He loves me!

[Rubyred]

It's never my cat that the vet has to worry about....it's my dog.


She's a Doxie/Jack Russell X and she has been known to get nippy with people ( I got her as an adult so I have no idea why she does this...I think it's a small dog thing), but I always always warn everyone about her.

Last time we were at the vet I told him that he should probably put a muzzle on her just in case....but he wouldn't believe me.:eek: .....until she almost took his fingers off while giving her shots.

Some people. Seriously...if I tell you that my dog bites you should probably listen.;)

[DGoddessChardonnay]

We had a cat who our vet practically BEGGED to put to sleep whenever we would take her in for a checkup.

Zoey was handraised and the only suriviving kitty from a litter of 7 - her mom was a feral cat w/hellacious attitude. Hard to believe where Zoey got her attitude from:rolleyes:

One minute, this cat would be the sweetest in the world, rubbing up against you, purring. The next second, she'd whip out the claws and the teeth would sink into wherever they could find skin:eek:

She'd done this to several people who would come over, even though they were WARNED beforehand NOT to touch Zoey. She even did this to my ex b/f (Onslow) one evening and got him on the side of the head (she was sitting behind him on the back of the sofa and I guess he moved wrong or something.)

Last straw came when she lunged after my mom and my brother had to pry the cat off Mom's back . . . not 20 minutes later, she was at the vet's office with Zoey in the carrier. Our vet asked what took Mom so long to make her mind up to have the cat put down.

I guess with some cats, there's just no taming them. Her mom was wild and I guess Zoey was too. :shrug:

[Blueberry]

My vet had his nurse hold the scruff of my kitten's neck while he jabbed her with a needle.
Well I guess she didn't hold my kitten very well because as soon as that needle was in her thigh she whipped around and gouged him good. It was right under his fingernail.

[myswtghst]

My mom has a 93-lb yellow lab who can get an attitude, but she gives plenty of warning--snarling, growling, etc before she ever snaps at you. She's gotten me once, and I can honestly say I was probably asking for it. We've warned the vet that she doesn't like having her nails trimmed, so they know to put a muzzle on her.|

The big problem with Sunny is that she says hello with her mouth--she kind of mouth your hands, not biting, but if she's being too exuberant, which she often is, it can hurt! She doesn't seem to realize how big she is, or how sharp her teeth are.

And as someone who has spent years working at vet offices, we expect to be bitten at least once in a while. It's pretty much unavoidable, and as long as an animal isn't always sucky, and it's owner is understanding, it's not a big deal. The worst instance I ever had was a ticked off flying squirrel that was getting its nails done. That thing bit clear through the pad of my index finger. :o I was not happy!

[idrinkarum]

Both of my cats, Darwin & Kyra, act like I lock them in a deep dark dungeon for weeks on end and only let them out when there are other people in the house. They are always purring, rubbing up against anyone who is willing to pet them. They especially like repairmen. Have no clue why, but they do.

[BookstoreEscapee]

They especially like repairmen. Have no clue why, but they do.

Something about a man in uniform? :eyewaggle:

[Ljt09863]

i thought my cat,Demon would be horrible for his first vet appointment. i named him Demon for a reason...but he has calmed down ALOt since we got him. i thought he would be bad though because he doesn't like to be held in one spot. one evening, while we were out of the house, Demon did something, and had a huge chunk of hair ripped out of his leg. i mean, this had to be an inch and a half long, and half an inch wide. we don't know how, or where it happened, cause we never found the hair. we put Corona(not the alcohol) on it. but it was hard to do, cause he fought....

so i thought that when he got his shot, he would be horrible. i told the vet ahead of time, and she had a nurse come in and hold him down. the nurse got a real good grip on him, only to have Demon give out a little meow...nothing else. just a tiny meow. didn't even fight.

i feel bad for Demon though....we had to get rid of our other cat a week ago, and he has been so sad since. you can tell, because before, he was NEVER a cuddly cat. now, he is always after attention, wanting to cuddle. i also feel bad for him cause he got neutered yesterday.....but he seems to be doing really really good. :D

[myswtghst]

Both of my cats, Darwin & Kyra, act like I lock them in a deep dark dungeon for weeks on end and only let them out when there are other people in the house.

My two, Lily and Franzia, are exactly the same way. I work second shift and live alone, so I don't have company very often, but the cats get to sleep in my bed with me, and I usually have them on the couch with me when I'm watching tv or reading, so they get attention.

As soon as someone walks in, especially my dad, who adores them, they act like they haven't seen people in years. They're rather obnxious like that. :rolleyes: The last time I brought a date over to watch a movie, he was allergic and I had to lock them in the bathroom because they wouldn't leave him alone. :p Yeah, that didn't work out so well...I guess I need to ask a guy if he's allergic to animals before I accept a date from here out.

[Skandranon]

It's very true that if a dog/cat is prone to biting, the vet/groomer needs to know. Pet muzzles come in all sizes, even cat, and can be easily fitted. I work for vet hospitals, and it seems biting/scratching is a frequent occurance, even with protection. Must of the vets shrug it off, but it's important to take every precaution available, for health and insurance benefits.

We've got a collection of cartoon drawings up in an exam room, depicting "common" vet scenes. My favorite is the snapping turtle with the owner saying "While I'll be, it does have teeth!" and the vicious, snarling little purse dog with it's fawning owner saying "Oh, Precious is such a sweet little baby."

[tollbaby]

hehe I think I gave our vet nightmares last week, I brought my ex's two cats in to be vaccinated, and then back a few days later to be neutered. Funny thing though... even if they HATE being at the vets and don't want to be touched, rubbing their ears vigorously will keep their heads facing straight forward while the vet vaccinates them. BOTH cats are HUGELY hyper and HATE people, but they both stayed perfectly still if I rubbed their ears. weirdness.

Apparently they reacted oddly to the sedative when they were castrated.... the vet tells me one had to be wrapped in a towel and secured with ropes because he was thrashing so violently :( I'm a bit peeved with the vet's office for not phoning us, but we WERE picking them up that night :( Unfortunately, poor Pie strained his hind leg muscles and has been walking funny ever since.

And next week I bring him MY cat.... the man looked worried :roll:

[AFpheonix]

We just got the colts gelded.....the vet went pretty overboard on the sedative, but I don't blame her, yearlings are big!

My elderly dog can be a little poophead, but we always warn the vet, and she gets a muzzle put on and it's all good.

The vets hate my mare. When I had her up at the trainer's barn and they were going through doing shots, they'd get to get to her stall and ask with trepidation, "We don't have to do HER, do we?" :lol:
No, we do our own shots. You're safe.

[Seshat]

My oldest cat developed a phobia about vet's treatment rooms. I don't know why - she used to be okay, but in the last few years she's become a howling, fighting nightmare as soon as she realises she's in a treatment room.

In the waiting room she's fine: but she'd almost certainly react to a big dog coming in, so the vet needs to take her somewhere out the back.

Anyway, I've decided not to mess around with it. I authorise whatever sedation, muzzles, grooming bags or whatever else the vet feels is necessary to calm the kitty and keep kitty and vet safe. Sooner or later the odds might catch up to us and she'll die under sedation, I know that, but she's an arthritic old cat and needs her health monitored.

Fortunately, our younger pets have learned that 'loving time' includes having their humans check them all over, and think that the vet is just loving them. ;)

[Melxb]

My two cats, Diego and Lola, don't mind the vets for their yearly shots. They HATE the car ride. Our vet's office is only about a mile and a half away--a five minute car ride if that. Yet, whenever they get in their carriers and get in the car they meow NONSTOP. And loud. I don't blame them, but it breaks my heart to put them in my car knowing they hate it so much.

They like the vets office a lot. When they get out of their carrier and both are purring in my arms, the girls in the office yelp, "I wanna hold Diego!" or "I wanna hold Lola!" They're very friendly cats and they LOVE when people give em a little love. The shots, eh, I'm not even sure they notice!:rolleyes:

[FenigDurak]

Both of my cats, Darwin & Kyra, act like I lock them in a deep dark dungeon for weeks on end and only let them out when there are other people in the house. They are always purring, rubbing up against anyone who is willing to pet them. They especially like repairmen. Have no clue why, but they do.

S'called being a Love Sponge. Remmy does it too. As does my friend's cats Gui-on and Mara, and my other friend's cat Janson (though Janson drools when he's happy). My parent's cat Charley is a sort of sporadic love sponge. She only wants attention when the dog is getting it. ;)

[myswtghst]

Gah, reminded of another kitty story. When I got my cats, I lived in MI. We moved around a bit so they lived three places, and were in the car (and around dogs) for a lot of their youth. They were fine in the car all the way home from MI to IL, a 4 hour drive with only a short walk at the halfway point of the trip. (Yes, I walk my cats. I did not want an open litter box in the car with me). Yet when I moved from my parents house to my apartment (10 min car ride, max) they made an absolute mess of the carrier and yowled the whole way. I still don't understand it.

[protege]

Kitty does not like his carrier, and will fight like hell to avoid getting into it. Usually, it's easier to stand it on end, and drop him into it ;) Anyway, when I brought him home from Grandma's, he wasn't too happy about it--he cried the entire way home...an hour and a half of kitty crying sucks! Then, once at my house, he wouldn't come out of the carrier. Or, at least not for very long. He'd come out, walk around the entire basement, and then go hide. It took him at least 2 days to get used to not being an *outside* kitty anymore. Now, all he does is sit on his chair, or curl up under the coffee table. He does *not* want to be outside at all!

[MadMike]

The two kittens we got last summer (well, they're not really kittens anymore), actually like riding in the car. I make sure to take them for a ride every so often so that they don't start associating the car with the vet and start hating it.

The one likes it so much that sometimes he'll even stand by the door to the garage and start meowing. Of course, he's also the one who likes people food, and sometimes I take him to the drive-thru to get a little snack for both him and myself, so maybe it's the food he wants, and not so much a ride in the car.

[ChanceNCinny]

Slightly off topic and sorry if it is a treadjack (didn't mean to but it looks kinda like it when I re-read it)

A little back story; about two years ago we got two rabbits (right after Easter from the pound when there was the large influx of rejects; please get chocolate bunnies for Easter not real bunnies). Not wanting anymore baby bunnies hopping around we took them both in to be looked over by the vet mostly for the purpose of determining gender (so far the pound is 1 for 6 for getting the right gender on our adoptions). Turns out we had a boy and a girl.

Smudge, the boy, is very skittish about people. Doesn't like to be touched and won't even tolerate a person within 5 feet of him. We discoverd at the vets office that if you hold Smudge in your arms with his feet in the air and pet his forehead he falls asleep. The vet was very amused to have a sleeping rabbit in his arms that allowed for an examination without even fussing. Maple, the girl, loves to be petted, will go right up to strangers and will stand on your feet to get you attention. Strangely enough she didn't like the vet and gave him a hard time. Go figure. We did get Smuged nuetered so no baby bunnies here.

And for the curious the rabbits run loose in our backyard during the daytime and are trained to go in their cage at night (which is why Smudge doesn't have to be touched by a person and can have his space). We shake the treat jar, they run in the cage, normally, within 5 minutes and they get a handful of treats (dried and/or fresh fruits/vegtables). All our fences go down a foot (we double check for tunnels though) and are too high for dogs to jump. We do have 3 cats but they are very used to the rabbits and don't try to attack them. The few times the rabbits have gotten out because someone didn't lock the gate and Maple pulled it open (we were curious so we watched one day, she grabs the bottom edge with her teeth and pulls, repeating until it is open enough) we have found them in the front yard or neighbors yard sleeping and being watched over by one of the cats.

[ForestDragon]

Smudge is one weird rabbit. :D

Our blind Jack Russell doesn't mind going to the vet - at least until the actual exam begins. I think it's mostly because he's waaaay off the ground and can't get any traction on the table, but he does get held and comforted if needed by one of us while the vet's doing his/her thing. The only time he ever got sucky at the vet was when he was having to have a drainage tube removed from his neck after he had gotten attacked by a husky - it must've hurt because he lashed out and snapped at the vet. I imagine that she'd done this sort of thing a lot, because she just snipped the loop, got a good hold and whipped it out, getting her hand out of reach just ahead of the snap. (I imagine it might have hurt a bit less if she had done it slowly, but she would've gotten bitten then.) Black Jack was all apologetic wags and submissive posture after that, since he had been taught for years that biting is a Doggy Mortal Sin. He doesn't bite in the normal course of things due to this, but he can get excited when people visit and occasionally forgets himself and starts grabbing at pant legs. "You can't leave nooooooww!"

[Banrion]

(I imagine it might have hurt a bit less if she had done it slowly, but she would've gotten bitten then.)

Nope, it's like a band-aid, better to do it quick and get it over with. My brother had to have a catheter inserted through his back directly into his kidney for drainage. It hurts alot either way, it's just a matter if it hurts alot for a long time, or for a short time.

[Primer]

Kitty does not like his carrier, and will fight like hell to avoid getting into it. Usually, it's easier to stand it on end, and drop him into it ;)
Try a carrier that has a 2nd "door" on the top. It's a bigger space to shove at, and you don't have to try to balance everything while handling an upset kitty.

Every year we have "Kitty Cat Round-Up" where all the cats are corralled and taken to the vet for their shots. Fun times!

The various dogs are spread out throughout the year...in fact, I need to call for an appointment for the doxie mix soon!