Despite popular belief, it is now possible for you, the pet owner, to help provide Fear Free visits to your vet or groomer with proven non-sedative methods that are safe and effective for your feline friend......Below is a list of suggestions & options.

Fear Free Cat Grooming Guide

Gabapentin For Cats

FOR CATS WHOSE STRESS SCORE IS BETWEEN 4-6 of 6

Gabapentin is extroidinary in the treatment & blocking of the Fight or Flight signal in cats when used correctly. Gabapentin is NOT a sedative class medication.

Although Gabapentin has been used in Veterinarian medicine for over 20 years now....it did not surface to the public regarding its use as a pretreatment for stress in animals until around 2017. When used correctly it will quite literally block the FIGHT/FlIGHT signal while keeping your cat fully cognitive and aware of their surroundings.

CLICK HERE.....For More GABAPENTIN GUIDE & PRETREATMENT GUIDE

Additional Stress Reducing Options

CAT-IN-THE-BAG

A carrier bag designed for stress free travel for cats Cat-In-The-Bag

Made in Pennsylvania! A new way to travel with your cat. Recommended to all our clients who suffer from cat carrier stress & travel anxiety. Also purrfect for vet visits. This will allow you to hold your cat close to you while waiting for your vet visit. This bag can also allow vets to fully examine your cat right away without any drama from trying to take your cat out of their carrier

CAT-IN-THE-BAG WEBSITE

Pheromones

A spray for stress relief that communicates to cats that they are SAFE or in a a safe place. Scent is a cat's #1 form of intelligence

Feliway is the most popular name brand. Spray onto your cat's Cat-in-the-bag or inside carrier prior to transporting. Feliway is a synthetic copy of the feline facial pheromone, used by cats to mark their territory as safe and secure.

Every cat client upon arrival to our salon will receive 15 min of Feliway downtime prior to beginning their grooming. Feliway is sprayed on a thin baby blanket and placed over their carrier as they listen to our bird sounds and house music playing

FELIWAY WEBSITE

CBD Oil Drops & Cookies

WHICH CBD DO YOU RECOMMEND?

There are so many options.There are also many products that are not CBD but can easily be mistaken for one. Here is a good oil one that was recommended by a CBD rep cat client of ours...

SOCIAL CBD 1ml = 25mg is the strength of this formula. Click this link to shop for this product

CBD pet products have been available to the public for over 6 years now ..online and sitting on your pet store shelves (Pet store options may not have the best value,quality or strength) It is the purrfect pretreatment for any cat with a stress score of 2-3 of 6.

CBD is proving to be one of the most purrfect companions for cats for all things stress related but is also an extremely effective anti inflamatory supplement...

CBD OIL is a purrfect pretreatment for cats whose stress score goes up to 3 out of 6. (an extremely uncomfortable cat) Purrfect for car rides and as a pretreatment for fussy cats when you are trying to groom them at home

HOW SOON DO I PRETREAT MY CAT BEFORE GROOMING?

I recommend 30min to 1 hour before leaving your house. This will allow cat to be treated also for any cat carrier stress as well as travel stress.

THERAPEUTIC DOSE An easy way to start looking for where your cat's therapeutic dosage would be is to add mg after their weight. 12lb cat = 12mg. This is a starting point.

CBD CAT COOKIES are ideal for making hemp infused kibble. Something our pet parents are finding to be extremely effective. Ideal for when pet owners are on vacation and have left pets behind, moving homes, sudden loss of another pet, newly adopted cat in household, cat carrier stress, cats who are fighting, daily anxiety... (millions of cats are on Prozac daily)

HOW TO MAKE HEMP INFUSED KIBBLE Order a cannister of CBD cat cookies. Look for the daily cookie allowance per cat on the label. Crush cookies in a blender and add to cat's kibble. To make a batch just do the math and add crushed daily allowance of cookies + amount of kibble per day as the formula per cat

HOW LONG WILL A PRETREATMENT OF CBD LAST? CBD will linger in your cat's system for only a few hours which is why adding it to their food supply will offer 24/7 coverage when treating for daily stress, PTSD, ect...

WHY WILL MY VETERINARIAN NOT TALK TO ME ABOUT CBD?

Because there are too many DEA restrictions that interfere with a Vet being able to advise you on "Leaf Products" as it is being referred to. If you have a hollistic Vet then yes they would be able to talk to you

Cat Carrier Stress

This is a cat's accute negative reaction to the sight of their cat carrier. Which can result in urinating,pooping in route as well as drooling/vomiting/panting ect.....

Leave your carrier out for a few days with the door open prior to a vet/grooming visit. Spray the inside with Pheramone to draw them to it. Put comfortable bedding inside. Put a few snacks inside. When it comes time for the visit.. DO NOT chase your cat around the house. You will cause adrenaline to be released into their system. Stay calm and gather your cat & calmly place into the carrier. (Most cats will follow you into the bathroom so you could do your cat roundup in there, just hide cat carrier behind the shower curtain) Cardboard carriers are also ideal for cat carrier stress & found at your local pet store. The Cat-In-The-Bag is designed specifically for cat carrier stress

Calming Car Music

Any calming music will help while traveling in your car

We prefer bird sounds with a soothing background as our salon music. Insingizi from Zimbabwe is then layered over that to create a ambient background salon sound. This sound will help them recognize also where they are at if they are a regular client

More Information.....

What is the SPA Scale?

A scale we use from 1-6 to indicate your cat's stress levels for Stress, Panic or Aggression (used by Fear Free Pet Professionals)

Each cat is given a score at the end of their initial grooming appointment. Our goal is to have every cat client reach and or maintain a SPA score between 1-2. For cat owners working with a pretreatment please keep in mind that it may take 2-3 groomings on average to reach the desired effects of a low stress grooming. If your lucky you will nail it on your 1st attempt.

STRESS SCORE GUIDE

LEVEL ONE = PERFECT

LEVEL TWO = PENSIVE

LEVEL THREE = "NOT HAPPY" Your typical miserable cat who is extremely uncomfortable

LEVEL FOUR = COMBATIVE cat is hissing, occasional throwing of paws/claws and will potentially bite, urinate, howl when in Fight mode / or open mouth panting, drooling, urinating/poop when in Flight mode

LEVEL FIVE = FULL ON COMBATIVE There is no break in their defences. Its basically "On Like Donkey Kong" for the cat / or open mouth panting does not subside or racing heart rate when in Flight mode

LEVEL SIX = TEMPORARY INSANITY The cat has lost it. This is the cat that is blindly jumping and bouncing off walls as they are biting to clear a path for escape

What If My Cat Is Extremely Aggressive?

For your first appointment here are the steps that we will take...

We will livestream your cats grooming so that you can see for yourself where your cat's stress levels are at
We are not the "Come Get Your Cat" salon....Your cat will still be groomed fully on their 1st visit unless you the owner or I intervene
If techniques alone are not enough to keep your cat between a score of 1-3, we will require a pretreatment of GABA for any future grooms
A 30 second video clip can be taken so you can show your vet what he/she is being asked to treat for any future grooming visits
We will give a overall SPA score from 1-6 after grooming is complete and explain what your cat's triggers are
A score between 4-6 would require Gabapentin (a non-sedative prescription) for any future grooming appointments. Prescribed by your vet and administered by you
We DO NOT groom sedated cats. So please request Gabapentin only from your vet if you are planning on pre-treating your cat prior to their grooming appointment.
The therapeutic dose for cats seems to be hit or miss with many Veterinarians. We have provided a GABA guide based on our 8 year case study of 500 cat clients

Do You Ever Refuse/Stop/Postpone Services For A Cat?

Yes. Here are some examples...

No verification of vaccines can be produced by the owner
If you arrive with your cat on a sedative by either you or your vet (Gabapentin is NOT a sedative class medication)
If your cat is at a level 6 (extremely rare)
When there is a combination of obesity +10 yrs of age combined with a stress score of 4-6
When open mouth panting does not subside
When the color in the gums of a senior cat starts to suddenly drain or they begin open mouth "puffing"
If no progress has been made in lowering high stress levels for your cat and they are still at a stress score of 4-6 (usually associated with a owner disregarding any of the recomendations or requirements that we had made on your last visit.)