Give cats a better practice experience with the kitty burrito

Use these steps to safely wrap and restrain a cat for treatment.

     1. Place a towel lengthways on the exam table.

     2. Place the cat two-thirds the way on the towel, head facing away and tail end toward you.

     3. Take the shorter end of the towel and fold over the kitty, leaving her head out and wrapping the legs. Tuck the towel beneath the cat.

     4. Take the longer end of the towel and fold over the kitty, making sure to tuck the towel all the way underneath and over the top of the cat again. You should be able to hold the end of the towel to prevent unwrapping.

At this point, only the cat's head should be out for pilling and other treatment. If you need to trim the cat's nails, repeat the steps above, extending one leg outside the wrap. This will take some time to accomplish, but it will prevent anyone from being hurt.

Alternately, if you see your cat prefers to have only her head covered to calm her and give her the sense she's hiding, you can gently place the towel over her shoulders and head. Some cats become very tractable when you do this. And remember, practice makes perfect, so try this on calm cats first to improve your technique.