Conference misery::feline_v1

    Lots of people have told me that this is a natural reaction.  The
    vet smell is what causes the friction.  I haven't experienced it
    with my two, but they are definitely an exception to the rule!
    
    /Roberta
    

    I though all cats did that.  Ours always did.  The poor unfortunate
    one who had to go to the vets gets treated like it had the plague.
    
    It definately is the smell.  Watch those little noses tweek when
    someone comes from the vets.  Then it's like, "Oh no, get away from
    me, I might catch it.!!! Snarl, Growl, Hiss and what ever.
    
    It's hard being the outcast after suffering the humility of a trip
    to the you know who's.  Just when you need to be washed, and rubbed
    head to head with your buddy, and  assured that everything is okay,
    you get NOTHING but mistreaded.
    
    I hope all goes well. Extra attention is a must at this time from
    "Mom".
    
    Barbara

    Maybe next time you have to bring one in for a few hours -
    try taking them both in - they can share the same cage. I
    have tried that and it seems to work.  They are not as 
    unhappy if they have a buddy with them and the vet doesn't
    seem to mind.  The cat that they have to handle is easier
    to handle with a buddy there.

    Unless one of them is sick or injured (doesn't happen often; the
    cats are even healthier than the humans in my house are), I try
    to bring both kitties to the vet at the same, because, if I don't,
    the reaction of cat who stayed at home is just as you described
    - I thought all cats did that!  I think it is the smell of the
    antiseptic the vet uses.  Actually, what my cats usually do is the
    stay-at-home cat will hiss at the front end of the vet-visiting
    kitty (who probably had a shot or two in her shoulder and smells
    like antiseptic in the front), who will then turn around and present
    her tail for inspection.  The stay-at-home kitty will then check
    the other end of the vet-visitor and decide that she is not a stranger
    afterall.  They stop doing this after a day or two, about the same
    time as I notice that the vet-visiting kitty doesn't smell like
    antiseptic anymore myself.

    It's certainly true with S&H that going to the vet together avoids
    the "who is this strange cat" number, but I don't know that I'd
    put the healthy cat thru a trip to the vet just to avoid this. 
    (Not to mention the extra added attraction to the owner of having
    to catch _two_ cats for this.)  When one of S&H comes home from
    the vet, the uproar lasts maybe an hour or two.  Can you try stroking
    both of them to redistribute the strange smells?  I've never seen
    SorH carry on for "several days" -- maybe it's because I do this.
    
    P.S.  Please keep us up to date on how your sick kitty is doing.
    

    re .5  > Not to mention the extra added attraction to the owner
    of having to catch _two_ cats for this
    
    Our cats are so curious that all I have to do is put the cat
    carriers on the floor a half hour or so before it's time to go.
    They climb in just to see what's up.  If I put a towel or blanket
    inside, chances are good that they'll fall asleep in there and I
    just have to close the lid and go.  I suppose one could assume that
    they're not too bright from this, but I prefer to think of them
    as just extremely curious.  :-)
    
    Karen, Tristan and Tenzing
    

    Thanks for the replies, it's nice to know I'm not alone with this.
    
    And I've tried petting both cats to redistribute the smells, to
    no avail.  Last time this behavior lasted a week!
    
    I just brought Tigger home from the vet yesterday afternoon, and
    when I left for work this morning it was still going on.  I'll
    let you all know how long it lasts this time.
    
    Ginny

    It's definitely the strange odors that the returning cat brings home.
    I've read several suggestions about how to help mask the strange smells
    for both cats and reduce their reactions.  One was to put some perfume
    on both cats (very small amount!).  They'll both smell the same, and
    the strange vet smells will be covered up!  I think I also read in Cat
    Fancy a few months back that lemon juice on the returning cat's fur
    (again, just a small amount rubbed in your palms and stroked gently
    over the cat's body) will eliminate any strange vet smells and won't
    last as long as perfume.  Don't overdo either technique...a very small
    amount will go a long way! 

    Definitely the smell.  We went through this when Tarot had to go
    to the vets with a cut paw, he came home not only smelling of vet
    but also with a large white bandage on one paw - doubly terrifying
    to Isis who instantly did her bog-brush act, all fur on end leaping
    away and spitting.
    
    One thing I find helps is to rub one with a towel and then rub it
    over the other and vice versa.  Then they both smell the same -
    a good trick when introducing a strange cat.  Things seem to calm
    down after a while.
    
    Regards
    
    Kate
    Reading
    
    PS Keep us up to date on how Tigger is.

    Funny you should mention that... Pookie had kitty kat perfume..and
    yes it is GIORGIO, I bought it at the groomers. I put some on
    her and Happy both last week. I had Happy at the vets fo her shots
    and I figured that the perfume would mask the vet office smell,
    and because Happy is always either stalking POOKIE, TRYING TO PLAY
    WITH POOKIE ETC, at least if they smelled the same, we would only
    ahave the usual hisssssssing . IT did work, POOKIE just satred at
    her and probably thought .... OH rats.. she is back..
    regards
    Kate