Koa Kitty's Big Adventure

A few days ago, it was time to take Koa Kitty to the vet. There was a timing issue because she had a Rabies shot last year after more than a years' gap. If you can administer two Rabies' shots within a year, then you don't need another one for three more years. Otherwise, you have to keep going every year. She's an indoor kitty and chances of getting Rabies is very low, but there's a state law saying she must have these shots.

I was very nervous about getting her to the vet. I still can't pick her up and carry around like you can with a normal cat. I work on baby steps with her, but we're not there yet. And once she gets wind that you want to pick her up? She goes into survival mode. There is no way, no how that you can catch her again, not until a few weeks have passed.

I scheduled the appointment for a morning. Koa typically sleeps in her little bed around that time. I pretty much sneaked up on her, scruffed her which kind of hypnotized her, and scooped her into her top-entry carrier. She cried a little, and then went quiet.

For the ride in the car, I covered her carrier with a fleece pullover. When we arrived, I looked at her and her eyes were big as saucers, but she actually relaxed fairly quickly, going from terrified to just scared.

Last year, the assistant had to scruff her the whole time. This time, he held her securely and barely had to scruff her. We even got to weigh her and she didn't run away, though we were ready to grab her quickly if need be.

The vet was so kind, as always. When we took her out of the cage, he scratched her and rubbed her head, saying he wanted the beginning and end of the visit to be extra pleasant for her. He's so skilled at giving shots -- she didn't even realize it happened. At the end, we put her back in the carrier and he found some catnip for her.

After we got home, she didn't want to have a lot to do with me, though she didn't go into hiding and she did let me pet her a little. Since then, she's bounced back remarkably well. She seems to become more resilient with each new scary event. I'm so proud of my little trouper.