Building a Great Relationship with Your Vet

Raising feral cats doesn’t just take one person. It takes a village. To care for feral cats, you’ll need some outside assistance—your local veterinarian. Not sure where to find one? You can request information from Alley Cat Allies. They have a global Feral Friends Network of vets, people, and resources for helping feral cats.¹ When you locate a good vet, you’ll want to build a great relationship with him or her. Your vet will play a vital role in your feral cat work.

Every vet/patron relationship begins with an opening conversation. Here’s our “cheat sheet” for what you need to discuss.

1) Pricing

Be open with your vet about your personal budget, and don’t be afraid to explain that you are doing volunteer work. Ask if he can offer a discount for multiple procedures. Work out set costs for surgery, pain medication, anesthesia, flea treatments, deworming, etc. Discussing costs beforehand will help you avoid unpleasant surprises.

Looking for a cedar cat house? Look no further! Check out ours at www.undercoverpethouses.com

2) Decision-Making

Explain to the vet that you want to be called before she makes decisions about the cats. You should have the option to decline humane euthanasia if necessary.

3) Appointments

How many surgeries can the vet accommodate in a single day? Is he/she flexible if you come with a few kitties more or less than planned? How soon after surgery are male/female/pregnant cats discharged? If necessary, are cats held overnight for recovery?

4) Policies

Ask your vet how old kittens have to be for a spay/neuter procedure. According to Alley Cat Allies, kittens may safely undergo this surgery at 2 pounds or 2 months old.²

Does your vet eartip the cats while under anesthesia? This is very helpful for identification.

Ask if your vet uses dissolvable sutures. These are best since they do not require followup appointments for removal.

To build a great relationship with your vet, be open about your needs and expectations. They will appreciate your honesty. If you respect your vet, he or she will respect you. And your cats will receive wonderful care!

www.undercoverpethouses.com -We sell the best cedar cat houses. Your outdoor cat will love it!

1. Feral Friends Network (Alley Cat Allies) Retrieved from https://www.alleycat.org/our-work/feral-friends-network/ on March 21, 2017.

1.Spay and Neuter (Alley Cat Allies) Retrieved from https://www.alleycat.org/our-work/spayneuter/ on March 21, 2017.