# experiences with cat muzzles anyone?



## Kelae (Sep 4, 2004)

After Quinn's last trip to the vet, I'm considering getting her a muzzle but I'm not sure how well they actually work. They all look like the cat would be able to get them off and I'm worried that it might actually make her behavior worse since she won't be able to see.

She's gotten worse with every vet visit. She recently had surgery to have a bladder stone out and I had to come in to get her out of her cage because they didn't want to wrestle her too much due to the healing incision. This week we were back for a check on the incision and she absolutely lost her mind! They didn't even try to do anything more invasive then listening to her heart but she was biting, hissing, growling and SNORTING! I can only imagine what she would be like if she was injured and in pain.

Anyway, does anyone have any experience with muzzles?

Kel


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## jennifer2 (Mar 5, 2005)

Well a muzzle won't help with calming, it is strictly for protection of others.
My vet actually works around Korbel's psycoticness. When Korbel hisses, she checks her teeth, stuff like that.
What has helped with Korbel is that they've given up on keeping her in a cage. They set aside an exam room if Korbel needs to stay for any reason. They just set her up in there with a litter box and the staff can go in and check on her. Korbel does much better that way, but she has extreme cage aggression, so I'm not sure how that would work in your situation.
As for muzzles, I've never tried one on her but I know they make them. If you're concerned about Quinn biting someone it would be worth looking into. Also, I've heard of people using a light sedative on aggressive cats before taking them into the vet. THat might be another option to ask about.


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## Kelae (Sep 4, 2004)

I was in no way asking if I could put a muzzle on Quinn for more then the few minutes it would take for the vet to examine her. I just don't want her to bite anyone and this last visit she did her best to do just that. I'm crossing my fingers that by the time her annual checkup rolls around next October she will have forgotten about her recent surgery experience and overnight stay at the vet.

She's never been a fan of going into the office but has restricted her objections to growling and the occasional hiss in the past. It's only since her surgery that she's taken this dramatically more aggressive turn. Since I don't anticipate having her into the vet again for nearly a year *knocks on wood* I guess I'll just be sure to speak with the techs and the vet then and let them know that Quinn's a touchy case. I always stay with her and occasionally hold her for the vet and she seems to do better that way. Maybe I'll insist on doing that at the next visit. At least we'll be able to see how she does and if it's really bad again I can discuss the idea of a muzzle with the vet then.

Kel


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