UPDATE! What if your cat won’t come out for the cat sitter?

[Debbrilacy]

Update: And good news! I had asked my vet what I should do if Kk wasn’t able to give Milo his insulin, since we were down to the last day. Milo’s numbers had been in the low 100’s the last couple days on 1.0 units of ProZinc, so she said to try him without insulin for the 8 days we’d be gone, and the sitter should watch him for any symptoms of abnormal behavior. We returned yesterday, and after being without insulin, but maintaining the strict diet, his BG today was 102, 96, 119 and 125. The vet was pleased and recommended we proceed with the same diet, no insulin, and BG home test once a week.


I’m sorry for so many questions. Milo is normally shy with strangers, but Kk has watched the boys before when we’ve been out of town and he likes her. She came over tonight so she could watch me give him his insulin. She carried his food to his perch, and we went to prepare his syringe. He bolted as soon as he saw the 2 of us coming. He wouldn’t come out until after she left, then came right out and jumped on his perch. We leave in 5 days for our cruise. Even if you have a vet tech come in to do injections, what do you do if the cat won’t come out? Has anybody had something like this happen?? My gut tells me Milo felt ganged up on, with both of us coming toward him,if that makes any sense. He’s not afraid of Kk, and he never runs from me. But now I’m full of “ what ifs?” and I am freaking out. Sorry for the long post. We’re going to try again tomorrow.

 

[CORKY]

I’m sorry for so many questions. Milo is normally shy with strangers, but Kk has watched the boys before when we’ve been out of town and he likes her. She came over tonight so she could watch me give him his insulin. She carried his food to his perch, and we went to prepare his syringe. He bolted as soon as he saw the 2 of us coming. He wouldn’t come out until after she left, then came right out and jumped on his perch. We leave in 5 days for our cruise. Even if you have a vet tech come in to do injections, what do you do if the cat won’t come out? Has anybody had something like this happen?? My gut tells me Milo felt ganged up on, with both of us coming toward him,if that makes any sense. He’s not afraid of Kk, and he never runs from me. But now I’m full of “ what ifs?” and I am freaking out. Sorry for the long post. We’re going to try again tomorrow.

Have you tried luring him out with treats?

 

[Debbrilacy]

Have you tried luring him out with treats?

Oh, yes. That’s the first thing we tried. And he wouldn’t budge. Neither food, nor treats.

 

[Laurie&Petey]

I would be stressing too! Can she come over every day, maybe even a couple times? She has to have a high reward for Milo to be brave. Maybe try having her go to him with a high reward treat (liver), then leave him be and see if he'll come out. But it may take several visits of reward only. If someone came over just to poke and prode me I'd hide too! Wishing you success and a relaxing vaca!

 

[CORKY]

I would be stressing too! Can she come over every day, maybe even a couple times? She has to have a high reward for Milo to be brave. Maybe try having her go to him with a high reward treat (liver), then leave him be and see if he'll come out. But it may take several visits of reward only. If someone came over just to poke and prode me I'd hide too! Wishing you success and a relaxing vaca!

@Sienne and Gabby (GA)

 

[tiffmaxee]

Can you block off his hiding places while you are gone? All my cats would hide so I had to add locks to some doors and make under the bed unavailable. One of each pair of cats would open doors. Now their only hiding place is behind a sofa so if I need to rake them to the vet that room is locked so I can eventually catch them. They are speedy.

 

[Debbrilacy]

@Sienne and Gabby (GA)

@Sienne and Gabby (GA)

Thank you so much! I’m sure I’m not the first who has experienced this, but man, it’s tough! I really think if it is just my friend and Milo, without 2 of us approaching him at once, he’ll be okay and she can inject him. He knows her well, and knows she brings food! She wants to watch me do it, and that’s what our problem is now. I’m going to try to videotape myself doing it! Fingers crossed!

 

[Debbrilacy]

Can you block off his hiding places while you are gone? All my cats would hide so I had to add locks to some doors and make under the bed unavailable. One of each pair of cats would open doors. Now their only hiding place is behind a sofa so if I need to rake them to the vet that room is locked so I can eventually catch them. They are speedy.

I’m working on that, but not sure how to block off under my bed. I’ll be limiting which rooms he can access. We are going to do at least 2 trial runs, with my friend coming over while I am out of the house, feeding him, and then (hopefully) giving him his shot. In the meantime, I’ll try to eliminate those hiding spots! As you said, they are speedy!

 

[CORKY]

I’m working on that, but not sure how to block off under my bed. I’ll be limiting which rooms he can access. We are going to do at least 2 trial runs, with my friend coming over while I am out of the house, feeding him, and then (hopefully) giving him his shot. In the meantime, I’ll try to eliminate those hiding spots! As you said, they are speedy!

just another reminder, cats are very sensitive to stress, you stress they stress, so try take a step back for a bit, breath in berth out, and then try again when he sees you relaxed, perhaps the preparing suitcases and such can alarm your cat

 

[Debbrilacy]

just another reminder, cats are very sensitive to stress, you stress they stress, so try take a step back for a bit, breath in berth out, and then try again when he sees you relaxed, perhaps the preparing suitcases and such can alarm your cat

Absolutely agree! He is very sensitive, and he knows what that suitcase means.

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

Gabby could be very apprehensive with cat sitters. There were a few she absolutely freaked out with to the point of losing bowel control. She refused to allow anyone to test her. Fortunately, she was usually food motivated so my sitter could give a shot when her head was in her food bowl -- except when that didn't work. I did have an exceptional cat sitter. When Gabby was on the top shelf of my closet and refusing to come down, she fed Gabby while she was nestled in my sweaters and gave her a shot from on top of a step ladder. There were times when the sitter had to skip a shot.

You may want to share this link with your cat sitter if you can't get a video of you giving your cat a shot. There's a video in the Testing and Shooting Tips link in the post.

Thank goodness my current younger cat doesn't need any specialized care. She's very good at hiding and is the prototype of the scaredy cat. She hides if any stranger is in the house.

 

[Debbrilacy]

Gabby could be very apprehensive with cat sitters. There were a few she absolutely freaked out with to the point of losing bowel control. She refused to allow anyone to test her. Fortunately, she was usually food motivated so my sitter could give a shot when her head was in her food bowl -- except when that didn't work. I did have an exceptional cat sitter. When Gabby was on the top shelf of my closet and refusing to come down, she fed Gabby while she was nestled in my sweaters and gave her a shot from on top of a step ladder. There were times when the sitter had to skip a shot.

You may want to share this link with your cat sitter if you can't get a video of you giving your cat a shot. There's a video in the Testing and Shooting Tips link in the post.

Thank goodness my current younger cat doesn't need any specialized care. She's very good at hiding and is the prototype of the scaredy cat. She hides if any stranger is in the house.

I really appreciate your response. I keep thinking “Am I the only one this has been a problem for?!” I’m glad I am not! My sitter/friend has been coming over every night, learning all the basics and tonight was our trial run. My hubby and I left the house, and Kk came in. Milo was lounging on his perch, he let her come pet him. Then she got the syringe ready, put it near the perch, and went to the kitchen to get his food. I always take his food into the bedroom on his perch, so my other cat doesn’t eat Milo’s, and so he can get his injection, as you said “with his head in the bowl.”
Kk got as far as putting his bowl on the perch, and …he saw her reach for the syringe, and in that split second he jumped down. She even took his bowl away and tried to use that to urge him to come back. No go! She was crushed. So she left in tears, I came home and gave him his shot, and went try again tomorrow. We leave Tuesday morning. Ugh!