You’re Cat Wasn’t Abused- it’s Just an A$shole.

Don’t shoot the messenger

Okay, before you begin typing your angry response, let me explain a little. One of the major perks of working as a veterinary technician (at least at first) is the bi-annual event known to those of us in the industry as “kitten season.” In March/April and again in September/October it happens- calls flood in from people who have come across either a whole litter (leave them alone!) or a single, helpless, tiny kitten (okay- we would rescue it too). Usually the person on the other end of the line is absolutely desperate, having given zero forethought to what they would do with the little bundle(s) of joy when they scooped them up off the streets. Most veterinary hospitals have a “cap” at how many of these little guys they will agree to take in- primarily because they take up so much time and energy from the staff. Bottle-feeding every two hours, constant warming and re-warming of hot water bottles, stimulating them to use the bathroom after each feeding… it’s absolutely endless. It’s also extremely rewarding when they thrive, and especially so when they finally develop their own little personality and are ready to find a home. So where’s the downside, you may be asking yourself? That happens, my friends, when that little bottle-baby comes back for his annual exam exactly 12 months later and doesn’t seem to remember or even give one single f@ck how many sleepless nights you spent caring for him before his little eyes were even open. He only wants one thing- to shred you into tiny little pieces with his perfectly honed nails (naturally he’s too spoiled for his owners to attempt trimming them at home). Y’all…this little guy wasn’t abused- he was the exact opposite- HE WAS CODDLED- like a precious egg. And he’s just an a$shole.

I’m sorry that I have to be the one to break the news to you, but it’s the truth. Ask anyone who has worked in the veterinary or shelter world for long and they will tell you the same thing. At least seventy five percent of the time bottle-baby kittens grow up to be arrogant, entitled little brats. Do we still love them? OF COURSE! I’ve had one or two myself over the years and don’t get me wrong, they make great pets. What they don’t make, is great patients. When I worked as a technician I heard so many owners excuse their cat’s aggressive behavior by saying they were “obviously abused” by the person who raised them. I had to bite my tongue and nod along more than once because you try not to correct the owners if possible in order to keep the conversation flowing, but those days are over! 😂

This same “abuse” myth has carried over to the grooming world as well. If a cat is difficult for us to groom or needs a sedative, the owner is immediately at-the-ready with a contrived tale of neglect or absolute torture- often when they have NO IDEA where the cat actually came from! They just assume this! I’m not sure how this explanation became the go-to excuse for bad cat behavior, but it has. Would we assume the same thing about a child that was a brat? Would we assume their parents were abusive? Or would we think they were spoiled- and say to ourselves that someone really should “put them in their place.” I think I’m more inclined to say the latter, but it’s certainly a conversation-starter either way (One that I won’t be having with any of those kid’s parents, by the way).

Unfortunately we did see cases of abuse and neglect. In every single case that I can remember, the cat was extremely frightened (hiding in the back of the cage if possible), and unbelievably sweet and affectionate when carefully approached. These cats SHOULD HAVE wanted to attack us, but that was never the case. They weren’t confident enough to do something like that. They just wanted someone to gently scratch under their chin and talk in a soothing voice. There was no “suiting-up” with the raptor gloves or awkward struggling with cat muzzles for abused cats. One simply needed to move slowly and be gentle.

The same technique is recommended for working with cats in general. Most cats who behave badly in new situations are simply frightened, and a mild sedative such as Gabapentin given prior to such experiences can help them have a more successful veterinary or grooming visit (not always). But can an owner of a cat who was raised in an animal hospital play the “frightened card?” These cats smell familiar smells (often returning to the same clinic they were raised in), and see familiar faces! The same faces that lovingly doted on them for several months. They once ruled this place, with the staff often giving them full reign of the halls when the doors were locked. Maybe their behavior is a mixture of being overly-confident around humans AND being frightened at the same time. What do you think? Is anyone reading this the owner of a badly behaved cat or a bottle-baby or both? What are your thoughts?

My final two cents on the subject are this: the staff still likes you, even if your cat is an a$shole at the vet. They don’t mind if they have to don the SWAT suit, and they don’t even mind when your little buddy tries to claw their eyes out for simply trying to get a current weight on them. What DOES bother us, is hearing owners say that the last technician or veterinarian or groomer did something that SCARRED your cat for life. No they didn’t. Chances are, your cat was coddled. End of story. And if you’d say something like that about your last (insert animal handling occupation here), then you’d say it about me one day too- and trust me- you don’t want to do that, because I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger, and whatever else Samuel L said in that famous scene in Pulp Fiction. So embrace your little brat and don’t worry about what the staff thinks about him. They understand how kitten season works, and they still look forward to it anyway!😸

Shannon & Whitney

>^..^<

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