I need to get my cat into her carrier, but she's afraid. Any ideas?
Friday, March 5th, 2010 at
11:55 am
One of my cats is very fearful of getting into a carrier and being taken anywhere. She’s had some bad experiences due to her being afraid. But she has a vet appointment today, and in about 4 hours I’ll have to get her into it again.
I’ve had the carrier out for a while. It’s large and has a soft rug inside, and my cats actually like to sleep in it sometimes (without the cage-door). Last night my husband put the door back on it and she’s acting nervous.
Any ideas on how to get her into it?
Filed under: Cat Supplies
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You could try enticing her into the carrier with a treat or some canned cat food. If she loves tuna (I haven’t met a cat that doesn’t), you could try putting a can of that inside.
If she has a favorite toy, you could try putting that in there to lure her in.
Is she generally a loving cat? Maybe putting an article of clothing with your scent will calm her down.
Just a few ideas off the top of my head. Good luck!
Set the carrier up on its back gate open. Pick cat up by scruff of neck and lower into carrier!!
Just pick her up and shove her in.
just start leaveing it out with the door on so it will become just another place to go…but for now you will just have to shove her in
Of all the cats I’ve had only one didn’t put up a stink over the carrier…..
You gotta move fast when doing this otherwise the cat figures out what’s cookin’ and has time to counter-attack your efforts…
get a small blanket or bathtowel, then drop it over the cat, scoop her up while she’s covered and put the whole kit and kaboodle into the carrier….close the door. She won’t see what’s coming, your speed will prevent her from re-acting….if she does you’re protected from unhappy claws, and she’s limited on movement because of the towel….leave the towel in with her, she’ll just make a nest out of it….and if it has your smell on it, all the better….but be prepared for some very loud protests once she’s in lol. Good Luck.
All of my carriers come apart. I take it apart and place the cat in the bottom half, the put the lid on it.
I’m not sure how cats tell time, but at the time you go to get her for the appointment, she will be hiding.
My vet showed me an easy way to put a hesitant cat into a carrier. Stand the carrier on its back so that the opening is facing up towards the ceiling. Hold the carrier between your legs so it doesn’t move. Take your cat and lower her into the carrier and then shut the door. Slowly put the carrier onto its bottom again. Works like a charm. If your cat causes a lot of fuss, wrap her in a towel before doing all this.
Set the carrier upright and put the cat in hind feet first, then shut the door quickly. That’s how I do it.
Mine is the same way! There’s only one approach to this that we’ve ever found—pick her up and put her in the thing–head first, and close the door. I’m sure, if she’s anything like mine, the hollering (like she’s being slowly killed) will begin. My cat is NOT a loud or "talkative" cat at all–he’s all but completely silent–EXCEPT when we have to put him in that carrier, and then, OMG–sounds come out of him that we never even knew he could make! It actually becomes quite entertaining and laughable. I’m just glad that neither the groomer nor the vet are that far away. If she’s like my cat, chances are she’s claustrophobic (mine is) and HATES being confined to small spaces, and there’s no way that you’re going to change her mind or comfort her in any way, or even make her THINK this is a nice place if she hates it. You just have to be brave and do it. She has to go to the vet, and she’s not going to take herself, so do what you have to do–just like we do, and accept the fact that you’re going to be serenaded with sounds like you’ve never heard before. She doesn’t understand that this is for her own good, all she knows is that she HATES that thing. Also, next time—don’t have the carrier out there in plain sight for her to see for a day or so. This just makes it worse. We have to spring the carrier on mine right at the minute that we’re ready to leave. If your cat gets rather wild and tries to scratch or bite when you go to pick her up, gently pick her up with a large towel over her, holding her feet close to her body and one hand over her mouth. Then, place her head-first into the carrier and let go of her, removing the towel and closing the door. Best of luck to you with this–I truly know how bad this can be, but it’s necessary.
My cat hates her carrier. I guess she knows if she is put in the carrier it means she is going to the vet.
Anyways I just take a towel (my cat has sharp claws-especially those back legs) and wrap her in it. Then I just stick her in the carrier and shut the door quickly.