How do I get my cat to not be scared of her carrier?
Friday, March 12th, 2010 at
9:32 am
I just got a cat and she gets really scared when I put her in her carrier. She just meows and meows. Is there a way I can help teach her that it’s not a bad place?
Filed under: Cat Supplies
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Leave it out. Hopefully you have a hard plastic gate with a front gate. Take the front gate off and put a soft blanket inside of it and toss a catnip mouse or two inside of it. Eventually you cat will come check it out and may even end up napping in it. You can even take it slower than that. Take it apart and just put the lower half on the floor so it’s open. Then once she’s gone over to it and investigated it and gone inside it add the top after she gets out and see if she comes back to check it out.
Once she seems comfortable with the crate take her on a short ride in it – and give her a reward afterwards. This way she’ll equate the crate with treats and not just scary car rides or going to the vet.
If you don’t have a hard plastic crate like this by all means get one. The soft purse style ones are horrible for cats and can be quite frightening for them. They’re also nearly impossible to clean and can often be escaped from.
put a treat or toy in it when you put her in it and she may start to like it and make sure yo start out slow and leave her in there for shorts amount of time.
Put Pillows In Her Carrier (Small Pillows)
This is a good way to handle this problem. Leave the carrier out with the door open. Let kitty go in and out when she feels like it. Then, the next time you have to take her some where in the carrier she will know what to expect. It worked well for me when I had 6 cats. I had a couple of them that were so afraid of the carrier. After a while my cats got used to it.
pet her before you put her in and after she is locked in talk in a happy voice and actually be happy (tey can sense emotions extremely well) while she is in the carrier give her some of her facorite food and put lots of blankets or things that she enjoys in the carrier. or when you are just at home and it is time for her to eat put her food and water in the carrier. do this every time you put her in the carrier until she is comfortable
about a month before you need to use it take it out of storage and but it in a room in your house that is used often. then start putting treats next to it. after a few days put some treats inside the carrier. soon your cat will be very comfortable. i used this technique with my cat and it worked like a charm
Limit her time in it as much as possible. Don’t put her in it unless it is to transport her to the vet in the car, etc. Keep her out of it as much as possible, she’s terrorified of it.
Open the door of the carrier and put something soft inside for her to sleep on. Sprinkle cat-nip all over the inside of the carrier once each day. She’ll get more used to it.
But honestly, if you’re only using it for transporting her, it won’t be an issue. Don’t put her in otherwise, cats don’t need to be caged and shouldn’t be caged like that.
start by leaving it open in your house so she can get use to it. try putting toys/treats/cat beds or whatever she likes in there. don’t force her or lock her in there until she is comfortable