The kitten featured in this video has a history of fear, anxiety, and stress related to medical handling. KPA CTP Cari Tetzlaff demonstrates steps that she took to help condition the kitten to participate voluntarily in a vaccination. Cari starts by gently pinching a small amount of skin between the cat’s shoulder blades, where the injection will be given, and pulling it up slightly (a technique called skin tenting). She clicks and rewards the kitten with lickable treats after each repetition. Once the kitten is comfortable with skin tenting, Cari switches to using a lick mat to keep the kitten occupied, applying slight pressure with a capped syringe to simulate an injection. Cari repeats this process, clicking and treating after each simulated injection, until the kitten is comfortable with each step of the routine. Finally, once the kitten is at ease with the entire sequence, Cari administers the actual injection, which is followed by more treats. Success!

Training a cat to tolerate injections can take time, but by breaking down the process and rewarding positive behaviors, injections can become a routine part of a cat’s care. For more tips on how to prepare your clients’ pets for critical veterinary care, at home or at the veterinarian’s office,  check out our Better Veterinary Visits course!

Happy Training!