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Expert: - 6/7/2010


Question
dear jana, my older cat is not well, but he is not coming indoors, i cannot catch him, he runs away, but i can see that he is not feeling well, he is usually always in the backyard, but now he stays away from the others and doesn't eat that much also. i want to show him to the vet, but i don't know what to do. unless he comes home, i can't take him to the vet, i am very worried, since i dont' want anything to happen to him outside the house. i am very attached to him, and i don't know how to deal with it. please advice. thank you, shonali

Answer
Can you set out some canned food and lure him into the house with it? Try to not run after him - come out with some stinky wet food like cat tuna and call him, then get down and sit quietly until he comes to smell the food and eat it.

If he won't come then he is scared of something. Chasing him will only make him run away.

The last resort is that you borrow a have-a-heart trap and catch him that way. They are easy to set and you place some canned food on the trip plate then the cat goes in there and sets it off. Then you can bring him in the house and then to the vets.

Cats just respond better to gentle calling and quiet movements. If you bring him some food, just quietly pet him while he is eating then gently grab him and carry him into the house.

That is about all I can tell you. I do hope that you catch him!  

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Jana Connell RVT, CVT

Expertise

PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING TO ME: I am NOT a vet and do NOT diagnose diseases. That is only for a licensed Veterinarian to do. I will give you suggestions and steer you toward calling your vet for help. You can call the vet's office and talk to the technician there or the vet at times. Don't be afraid to call them! If you have a serious issue with your pet please post it to one of the veterinarians in here- I will tell you the same thing in my answer. IF your pet is injured or in an emergency situation, CALL YOUR VET- Do not wait and post in here. Just call the vet's office and get them in to see the vet right away. Critical treatment time is lost if you seek answers here when you should have your precious pet at the vets!! Don't sit at home waiting for an answer when your pet is critically ill or injured!! I can answer most questions about small animal and wildlife care as well as small animal nutrition. I can also answer questions about all phases of dental care for small animals. I DO NOT answer questions about birds (unless it is wildlife or songbirds) or HAMSTERS/GERBILS/CHINS/GUINEA PIGS/REPTILES/FROGS/RABBITS/PET BIRDS OF ANY KIND so please submit these questions to the appropriate sections. I, as well as other experts in here, do NOT do homework questions- that is for YOU to do! Please respect these rules for all of us. Thanks!

Experience

I have over 35 years experience in the field of veterinary medicine. I specialized in small animals and did wildlife rehab for over 25 years, mostly raptors, squirrels and opossums. I am a Small Animal Nutritional Consultant with 6 certificates from Hills Pet Foods, CNM and Purina. I also specialized in Small Animal Dentistry which is a field I truly love.

Organizations
Audubon,World Wildlife Federation, American Society of Veterinary Dental Technicians.

Education/Credentials
Licensed with California and Oregon, RVT and CVT. Certified Veterinary Dental Technician Have over 500 logged hours of Continuing Education Credits(that means I keep up to date!).

Awards and Honors
Nominated for Expert of the Month for the last 5 years.

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