Does your cat run and hide whenever the dreaded carrier comes out?  Wouldn’t it be great if she just walked right in!  We’d like to offer some suggestions for getting your cat used to her carrier so that the trip to Cat Care Clinic is a positive experience for all involved! 

Step 1

First, purchase a carrier that ideally opens from both the top and sides.  Many of the soft sided carriers have this feature.  Keep the carrier out, open and visible in your home at all times (not in the garage where the screws may rust).  Let your cat jump in and out of the carrier if she wishes and reward her with a treat for doing so.

Step 2

The next step is to set the carrier near her food dish.  After a few days of the cat not caring that the carrier is present, start feeding her from inside.  Place the food just inside the entrance, moving it a little farther back each day.  Eventually start placing treats inside the carrier so that she walks in without fear. 

Step 3

After a couple more days, start leaving only a small portion of her food (~20%) in the carrier.  When she goes inside to eat, zip up the carrier with kitty inside and carry her to another room or down the hall.  Sit the carrier down and open it up, letting her hop out if she wants (but leaving the food inside to finish).  Repeat this process in a half hour, with another 20% of her food.  Repeat until she’s eaten her meal.  You are teaching your cat that being in the carrier is no big deal.  Your cat may look at you strange when you first begin moving the carrier, but should still want to finish her meal.  If she becomes very upset or complains loudly, make the meal more enticing by adding a small amount of tuna.  We don’t want to open the carrier while she is complaining, as this will only reinforce that behavior. 

Step 4

Eventually you’ll want to take your cat for a car ride while she’s inside her carrier.  Again, to let her know that being in the carrier is a positive experience.  Talk to her in a normal voice and try not to be too stressed yourself or she will pick up on your nervousness!  Once you arrive at Cat Care Clinic and are safely in the exam room, you may open the door to the carrier but don’t force your cat to come out.  Let her take her time and let our technicians help to coax her out when the time is right. 

In addition, we carry a product called Feliway which may be sprayed inside the carrier to help reduce your cats stress level.  Ask your Cat Care Clinic veterinarian about this product.