hello :)! next time i go into the vet i'm planning on talking to them about this but i just found your blog and figure it cant hurt to ask. I want to teach and reinforce behaviors at home that will be helpful to the vet when my cats go in for their checkups and was wondering if you know of any good resources to learn what to do and how to do it! (preferably free/online but i am always willing to buy a nice book)
This is an awesome idea! The best things are usually getting your cat used to a crate, and training them to go into it on a regular basis. And then just getting them more used to the ride itself (this one can just be a whole bunch of exposure but if you can get them into the operant conditioning of “I’m being good in the car/on the ride over so I get a treat” that helps a lot, but not every cat is willing or able to eat if they’re too nervous, so it’s kind of a stretch goal).
http://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/how-to-crate-train-your-cat
There’s a general, good write-up for how to get a cat more accustomed to their crate, and it even encourages what sorts of crates work best for it. That itself can be a huge hurdle so if you can get into that, it’s a great accomplishment for both you and the cat.
Now, a book that touches on training, but moreso recognizes the types of training needed for the situation, is “The Cat Whisperer” by Mieshelle Nagelschneider. Not only does it cover some good groundwork for cat training, but honestly I consider it a must-read for any and all cat owners. It’s a FANTASTIC resource, and while yes, free is ideal, it’s a book that you can return to and use over and over again for a million different problems. It’s worth every single penny.
