Veterinary visits cause significant stress for many cats, with welfare implications for both visit frequency and the quality of preventive care cats receive throughout their lives.
Veterinary visit stress in cats creates a welfare paradox: the acute stress of examination prevents the preventive care that would reduce chronic welfare problems from undetected disease. Owners who avoid taking cats to the vet because of transport distress are making an understandable but welfare-costly decision. Cat-friendly practice principles — hiding spaces during waiting, pheromone use, minimal restraint, calm handling, and quiet examination rooms — dramatically reduce cat stress during visits. Combined with carrier training at home, these approaches make veterinary care far more accessible and welfare-compatible for cats throughout their lives.