The Easy Way to Put Your Cat into a Cat Carrier
There are very few cats who enjoy being shoved into their cat carrier, most likely associating the kennel with an unpleasant experience such as visiting the vet. There are things you can do, though, to reduce the struggle and make putting your cat inside its carrier a fast and easy exercise.
Making the Cat Carrier a Pleasant Place
First of all, leave the carrier -- with the door taken off -- in the house so your cat has free access to it. Make the carrier a non-threatening and even pleasant place, with a favorite toy that's been sprinkled with catnip placed near or just inside the rim, for example. You can actually start to feed your cat in close proximity to the cage, moving slowly forward until such time as the animal is happy to eat inside the kennel. The goal is to disassociate the carrier from only unpleasant things (like trips to the vet) to non-threatening and pleasurable times.
Quick Methods of Putting Your Cat in a Carrier
If your cat is not responding (or you don't have enough time to accomplish desensitization), lots of experienced cat owners have different methods of getting their cats into the carriers:
Use a carrier that has a hinged door on the top instead of or in addition to the door on the side. Many people find it easier to lower a cat down from above, rather than put her in face-first.
If you have a standard carrier, try tipping getting a helper to tip it up on an angle. That way, the cat is sort of looking downhill when it enters, and gravity helps get her inside.
Another tried and true method is "tail first". Have a partner hold the carrier so the door is facing the ceiling. Lower your cat into the carrier tail first. Close the door, and very gently lower the carrier into its travel position.
The Use of Scents
To make the experience of being inside a carrier easier on her cats, one experienced cat owner has had success in using feliway, a synthetic copy of the feline facial pheromone which used by cats to mark their territory as safe and secure. She sprays the stuff onto a cat blanket (with which she lines the cat carrier) some 20 minutes before it's time to leave the house. She also puts a flower essences product (called Rescue Remedy) on the cat's ears. This essence is known to reduce stress, and the scent is breathed in by the cat or if the cat washes her ears, she ingests the all-natural and safe product.
Isolate First
Remember that you do not want to be chasing your cat around the house, trying to get it into its carrier. Make sure you isolate your cat first, simply by closing the kitchen or bedroom door, and then bring the carrier to the cat.
Last Resort
If your cat is resisting all other strategies, one vet suggests using a pillowcase to trap the cat. Roll the pillowcase down as you would pantyhose when putting them on; put the pillowcase over your cat, and then quickly unroll it. Place the whole works into the carrier.
Actually, the true last resort (or maybe the first and best choice of all) is to see if your vet makes house calls.
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