Testing with an anxious cat - tips for place?

[judithvw]

Hi everyone!

Lately, I’ve been trying to do home testing with my cat, Sparkle. He’s very anxious, but he feels safe with me, so we decided I’d be the one to test him since we have the closest bond. Honestly, though, I get anxious too during the process.

Sparkle is 12 and has strong routines. One of these is his evening “relax time” on my bed, where he makes biscuits and we cuddle. I thought this would be the best time for testing since he’s usually calm then. When he’s making biscuits, I try to prick his ear so I can collect a blood sample while he’s eating a treat. So far, his ears haven’t bled, likely because they weren’t warm enough or we might need a bigger needle. Pricking his ears has worked in the past, but my biggest worry is that he might start associating testing with something negative, as he’s understandably surprised or anxious when I suddenly prick his ear. I really don’t want to jeopardize our evening cuddle routine—he has slept with me for years, and that’s very important to me.

I’ve also tried testing in other locations, but he’s less relaxed there. Even with warm ears and treats, he keeps backing away when I try to prick his ear. I know it’s not recommended to force a cat, so I haven’t, but progress has been slow.

Do you have any tips for what I could try next? How likely is it that testing him on the bed could make him stop coming there? Would it be better to test elsewhere and be patient? Am I handling this correctly, or is there something I could do differently?

Thank you for taking the time to read this—I really appreciate this Feline group!

 

[Lauren & Esse]

We have had better luck choosing one designated testing spot and doing all testing there. He HATED it at first, but over time it has gotten better--he doesn't love it, but he knows that things will be happening while he's in that spot. Testing while our cat was sleeping/cuddling did make him more distrustful. (He was also prone to associating certain treats with poking, then he won't eat those treats. Definitely not a problem all cats have. So maybe he's just not a trusting guy.) We use the bathroom counter because the lighting is good and it was easy to box him in a bit so he couldn't get down easily. It's also easy to clean up... occasionally you may hit a vein or get him on a well-hydrated day and get more blood than you bargained for.

You'll also ideally be testing him several times a day, so if you 'start' with evening relax time in bed, you'll then have to decide whether you try to 1) expand him to testing in other locations throughout the day or 2) bring him to the bed each time you test.

I recommend trying some 26 gauge lancets (these are the ones we use) and making a small "rice sock" to warm in the microwave and hold against his ear. Both of these helped us be more successful in getting blood on the first poke. Also check out the Hometesting Links and Tips page if you haven't already.

 

[Lauren & Esse]

Honestly, though, I get anxious too during the process.

Oh! One other thing. I found this very hard advice to receive but kitty really does feed off your energy, so the more relaxed and casual you can be, the more relaxed he will be. Someone here suggested singing softly while you test because it's hard to be stressed while you're singing a silly song. Weirdly that was also very helpful.

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

I don't know if you found this post on hometesting. It's a compilation of a number of posts and videos that may be helpful. (It's the same one Lauren linked.)

Keep in mind that treats are only one form of positive reinforcement. Use what works for your cat. With Gabby, it got to the point where I could pretty much test her anywhere. I tested a lot so that was helpful. However, she did know that if I was testing her on the kitchen counter, there was going to be a meal involved and she was a very food motivated cat.