Zip In The Pink Chair

On Tuesday we brought Zip to the Vet to get his vaccinations.

I’d been working on getting him comfortable in the cat carrier by throwing treats into it.  But in the days leading up to the visit to the Vet, Zip wouldn’t go into the carrier to eat the treats when I was in the barn.

He’d wait for me to leave then eat them.  I know because the treats would be gone the next day.

So when he didn’t go into the carrier on Tuesday, I picked him up and tried to put him in.  But he was having none of it and squiggled out of my grip and took off.

Out of the barn and under the gate he flew.   I knew he ran into the pole barn even though I couldn’t see him because all the sheep came running out as if they were being chased by a bear.

Zip was already on the other side of the fence, hiding in the marsh when I caught up with him.  But he was  hiding in plain sight, just a few feet from me.

So I squatted down and gently talked to him.

He played hard to get for about thirty seconds, then started flirting, rolling on his back and rubbing his head against the fence.  Not long after he walked into my arms.

I picked him up in one arm and held him by the scruff of the neck with my other hand.  He settled down until he saw the crate, but I was ready for him and eased him into the crate with enough confidence that he gave in.

I thought it might take him a while to forgive me, but once we were at the Vet, after cuddling with Jon, he leaned into my arms while Dr Roosevelt checked his ears, teeth and eyes.

After getting all his shots, Zip was more than happy to go back into the crate.

Zip doesn’t hold a grudge and now I have another whole years to try and get him comfortable with the crate again.  I don’t know if it will work, but I’ll keep at it.  Maybe he’ll forget all about associating the crate with the Vet.

If not, we’ll be back at again next November.