Every trip to the vet clinic is a learning opportunity for your kitten, especially when they’re young. Whether they develop the skills to be comfortable and have fun or learn to be scared and stressed depends on how the visit is managed.

Negative perceptions can form very early in an animal’s life from a single bad emotional experience. Fortunately, there are many things you can do to make their first vet visit a positive experience and set them up for a future of low-stress vet visits.
Read on to learn what you can do at home to help your kitten have a positive vet experience.
Tip 1: Train your kitten to be comfortable in their carrier
Many cats hate going into their carrier. This is because it often only comes out before a stressful trip to the vet or cattery. Chasing your cat around the house to catch them and forcing them into the carrier will only worsen their emotions around it. Sometimes simply the sight of the carrier will trigger a cat to run away and hide, potentially resulting in a missed vet appointment.
Your cat should be comfortable using their carrier long before you try to take them somewhere potentially stressful. This process of desensitisation should start as soon as you bring a new kitten home.
Keep the carrier set up in your kitten’s environment so that they become familiar with it. Make it a safe space they want to spend time in by building lots of positive emotional associations with the carrier. You can build up positive emotions by:
- Setting up a comfortable bed or blanket inside the carrier.
- Placing the carrier in a quiet, protected location where your kitten likes to hang out or an elevated location where they can survey the world from up high.
- Giving them fun toys or even special treats in the carrier.
All these things will help your kitten feel much more comfortable when they do inevitably have to go into the carrier to leave the house.
In addition to building your cat’s positive emotional associations with the carrier, it’s also important to consider the type of carrier that you are using. A durable plastic carrier is a good option and is easy to clean if there are any accidents. Always ensure it is undamaged and properly secured before the cat needs to go in, so you can minimise the risk of it opening or breaking unexpectedly. Such an event could cause your cat to become scared of their carrier.
Give yourself plenty of time to put your kitten into their carrier, as rushing can also cause stress. If you have multiple cats, they should be placed in separate carriers.
Tip 2: Use calming pheromones like Feliway
Pheromones are chemical substances released into the environment by an animal as a means of communication and to trigger behavioural or physiological responses in other animals of the same species. Some of these pheromones, like the feline facial gland pheromone, promote a sense of calm.
Feliway is a synthetic equivalent of the feline facial gland pheromone. It comes in a spray formulation that can be sprayed into the carrier before leaving for the vet clinic.
Spray Feliway into the carrier at least 15-30 minutes before the cat enters it. Spray one pump into each corner of the carrier, as well as a couple of sprays onto a towel which can be used to cover the carrier.
Tip 3: Make the drive to the clinic as low stress as possible
Travelling in the car can be very stressful for cats. Unlike dogs, who often associate car rides with fun adventures like a trip to the beach or the park, cats rarely associate car rides with pleasant experiences.
You can introduce your kitten to the car and build up positive associations with car rides to prevent these negative emotions from developing. Start by letting your kitten explore the car at home. Then introduce short trips in their carrier that end in play time with a favourite toy or special treat.
Other things you can do to make the car less stressful for your cat:
- Secure the carrier with a seat belt or in the foot well of a seat to minimise movement as much as possible.
- Drive slowly and carefully.
- Cover the carrier with a towel (ideally one you’ve sprayed with Feliway) to reduce visual stimulation and to help your kitten feel more secure.
- Ensure it is not too hot or cold in the car.
- Play calming music on the radio.
- Testing one
- Testing two
Some cats experience motion sickness. If you notice your kitten is vocalising excessively, becoming excessively restless or agitated, licking their lips, drooling excessively or vomiting, speak to your vet about options to alleviate these symptoms.
Tip 4: Consider what you’ll do when you arrive at the vet clinic
When you get to the vet clinic, you can do many things to help keep your pet as relaxed as possible.
If there are lots of other animals in the waiting room, consider staying in the car with your kitten until the staff can take you directly to the examination room.
Cats can easily become stressed by unfamiliar noises and scents. If you do need to take them into the waiting room, ask the staff if there is a quiet place where your kitten’s carrier can be placed away from other animals, especially dogs.
When you carry your pet’s carrier make sure you hold it securely and close to your body so they are not jostled around. Bring a towel or blanket that has familiar smells from home on it. This towel can be used to swaddle your kitten or provide a place for them to hide if they are becoming stressed.
Your kitten’s favourite treats or toys can be used as a distraction during their visit, and also help build positive emotions about coming to the vet clinic. Talk to your vet about fear-free handling strategies for their examination and any tests or procedures that need to be performed so that your kitten has a positive experience.
Bonus tip: Bring your kitten’s health records to the appointment
Organise your kitten’s health information so it is easily accessible. A folder with their important medical records, parasite prevention and vaccine history, diagnostic testing results, microchip number and dietary information works well. If your kitten is taking any medication at the time of their checkup, bringing them along is also useful.

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