Carrier Suggestions For Cats Who Hate Them?

[epona]

The easiest way to put a reluctant cat in a carrier is to put the carrier on end, scruff the cat, and lower her carefully into the carrier. There's really no easier way than that, unfortunately :/. Although perhaps a carrier with a top opening would be slightly easier.

That is what we do with Jakey - he is the sweetest cat ever but panics about the carrier and I have had scratches due to him panicking over being put in a carrier (this from a cat that would never ever deliberately hurt anyone, he's never even nipped anyone, just he fears the carrier and scrabbles with his back legs) - by far the best way is for my husband to hold the carrier up on end and me deposit Jakey in it, hind legs first - he still wails and scrabbles and is scared and the world is going to end, but gravity helps to get him in, and once he is in he settles down a bit.

One thing I found helped a lot with carrier acceptance was a small cat bed put in the carrier - it prevents them sliding around inside of the carrier and can provide some comfort.

A top-loading carrier might also be an option to consider - it would be easier to get a reluctant cat in it without having to take it apart!

 

[daftcat75]

Fun fact. My carrier is 3.8 lbs according to Chewy. So I just set her inside the carrier on the scale and do some math instead of trying to get her to stand still on the baby scale. I love this carrier. The vet was able to do most of the exam with her inside it just by opening up a side and the back. I just wish we didn’t have to use it so frequently lately.