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A vet who does house calls may help reduce pet's fear

By Cathy M. Rosenthal, Tribune Content Agency on

Dear Kathy, Visit this vet locator at https://www.vetlocator.com/housecallvets.php and plug in your ZIP code to find a mobile clinic or house call veterinarian near you. I found several options within a 25-mile radius of your town. Just know, these veterinarians often see fewer patients in one day, so their office visits may cost a little more.

Most veterinarians will provide medication to give to pets for their visit to veterinary clinics, so that is an option. Even with a house call, your dog may still need to be medicated to reduce her stress.

Another option may be to find a Fear Free veterinary clinic near you. These clinics go the extra mile to reduce a pet's stress, from bringing them in a quieter entrance to spraying pheromones on their clothing to calm the pet during an exam. I checked and while there are no Fear Free clinics near you, there may be a veterinarian certified in the Fear-Free program that can help. You can search at https://fearfreepets.com/certified-practice-directory.

Dear Cathy,

I started out with three feral cats more than eight years ago. I got them fixed and sheltered them. A large white cat recently appeared and intimidates my other cats. They run away and sometimes miss meals. I don't feed this cat and chase it away. How can I get it to stay away?

- Mary, Las Vegas, Nevada

 

Dear Mary,

There are not a lot of options when a "bully" shows up, but here are a few things to try.

If the white cat is only around occasionally, try feeding your colony cats at other locations or times to throw off the white cat. I also recommend trapping and fixing the white cat because it can reduce some aggression and territorial behaviors. It may take a week after the surgery before things settle down.

When you trap the cat for his/her spay-neuter surgery, have the vet's office scan for a microchip. If the cat belongs to someone else, your problem is solved. If not, another option is to relocate the cat. Do not dump or abandon the cat. Instead, look for someone who may want a barn cat or a business who may want a shop cat to handle rodents in exchange for feeding and sheltering the feline. This "re-homing" may be the best way to go.

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