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The educated and engaged veterinary team is knowledgeable about helping owners understand cats' needs and environment enrichment by engaging in conversations using open‐ended questions such as “How many litterboxes do you have… where are they…how often are you able to clean them…?” and “Tell me about mealtimes in your home…” Note: the most important part of asking open‐ended questions is listening to the answers (see 9.2 Asking Good Questions). Therein are the clues for true patient status.

Regarding mealtimes, we know that cats are solitary hunters and as such, their normal feeding preference is without oversight or interruption by other animals, including cat housemates. If a client describes feeding their cats within eyesight of each other, during the nutritional assessment and recommendation, information on how to feed (location, frequency, puzzle/foraging feeders) is as important as what to feed.

It is also important to know that simple changes in a cat's routine have been shown to induce stress‐related illnesses. Sickness behaviors have been documented and include gastrointestinal (vomiting, diarrhea) and lower urinary tract signs (feline interstitial cystitis) [5]. All are common presentations to veterinary clinics and environmental stress should be carefully explored in these cases.

Many cats will benefit from anxiety abatement in advance of collecting the cat for travel. Having carriers out in advance of transport, using synthetic facial pheromones in and around the carrier and bedding, nutritional supplements and diets to promote calmness, and even antianxiety therapeutics are examples of tactics and treatments used widely (see 6.6 Fear Free Concepts). Gabapentin can help prevent and diminish arousal and is routinely used in advance of travel for this purpose. It is important to recognize that tranquilizers merely diminish the cat’s ability to respond to fear and arousal, and do not help the cat feel less stressed or fearful.