Is the sample collection painful for my cat?

It's about the same as a person. So your furry friend will feel a little prick in the area. But other than that, they don't seem to mind too much.

It is a needle poke, so the cat reacts as they might to a vaccine. We know some cats are over-reactors while others let us do whatever we want to do. It's not pain-free, but we make it as painless as possible. We like to use distraction and some other fear-free methods. We'll spray catnip. We spray catnip on a towel, sometimes hiding their head or letting them hide in a towel. They like that. They feel more secure. There are other things we can do, like leaving them in the carrier. We have a whole video on carriers that we like and don't like. But if the top easily comes off and the cat can stay in the bottom part of that, that's an excellent carrier for your cat because they feel more secure not being completely removed from that carrier.

The process is no more painful than a blood draw at your doctor's visit. A needle is inserted into the vessel from the outside, similar to human medicine procedures. Cats may feel a little pinch, but the discomfort disappears once the needle is removed.