Getting cats in carrier

[ReallySleepy]

Really Sleepy, I did that with my first two cats, but then getting them out on the exam table was nearly impossible. So now I swear by cat carriers that also have top doors.

The first clinic I used also had that problem. The one I use now, they just pick the carrier apart. It's very convenient to be able to decompose the carrier, but carriers are different in that respect. Mine is an Atlas 30 - it is likely not available everywhere.

 

[Heart For Cats]

The first clinic I used also had that problem. The one I use now, they just pick the carrier apart. It's very convenient to be able to decompose the carrier, but carriers are different in that respect. Mine is an Atlas 30 - it is likely not available everywhere.

Convenient to get a screwdriver and take carriers apart? That does not make any sense.

During one appointment the vet left the room to dump my cat out headfirst. That was when I knew my cats needed a soft carriers with both side and top doors.

 

[ReallySleepy]

Convenient to get a screwdriver and take carriers apart? That does not make any sense.

There are apparently limits to what can be discussed online. The Atlas 30 has four flaps that keep the lid in place. They can be flipped open very quickly.

 

[LTS3]

Any carrier, hard plastic or soft sided type, with a top door such as this works best:

I also found this new type of carrier on Chewy.com:

Standing a regular one door loading carrier on end to put the cat in may not work because the ridge where the top connects to the bottom makes the carrier unstable.

My cats have no problem going into their carriers when it's time to leave the vet but getting them into the carrier to go the vet is difficult unless I corral them in the bathroom first while I get their carriers ready (see my earlier post).

Some cats can claw their way out of a soft sided carrier so if you use one, check the seams and the mesh for any signs of wear and tear and replace the carrier before a hole forms and the cat just makes the hole bigger and bigger until the head can squeeze right through.

 

[Country Cat]

I have used an old cardboard beer case for an unruly cat. They have holes so the cat can get some air and the entire top opens up. I used a Bungee cord to keep it closed. Worked pretty well in a pinch!

Is your mama cat still nursing kittens? They're often a handful until the kittens get larger. I think it's the hormones.

Not nursing anymore. They are 5 months yesterday.

 

[kathy1]

Has anyone used feliway spray and if so does it work?

 

[Tobermory]

Has anyone used feliway spray and if so does it work?

I lightly spray Feliway on a towel and put it in the carrier about 15 minutes before I need to grab the cat. I’ve used it for years. You’ll get differing opinions about whether it works or not, but I think it depends on the cat. It’s like catnip: Some seem to be “immune” to it; it works for others. I figure that if it helps at all, I’m going to use it. I do know that it helps with inappropriate scratching. If Mocha starts scratching somewhere other than her scratchers (she’s very fond of the rug in the front hallway), I spray the spot with Feliway and she stops. I do have to reapply it every few months.

 

[noani]

Any carrier, hard plastic or soft sided type, with a top door such as this works best:

I also found this new type of carrier on Chewy.com:

Standing a regular one door loading carrier on end to put the cat in may not work because the ridge where the top connects to the bottom makes the carrier unstable.

My cats have no problem going into their carriers when it's time to leave the vet but getting them into the carrier to go the vet is difficult unless I corral them in the bathroom first while I get their carriers ready (see my earlier post).

Some cats can claw their way out of a soft sided carrier so if you use one, check the seams and the mesh for any signs of wear and tear and replace the carrier before a hole forms and the cat just makes the hole bigger and bigger until the head can squeeze right through.

Do you have any links/ product names for the first one?

Been looking but the Amazon basics one, according to reviews, has a design flaw where the top door will open on its own when picking it up. It's the only rigid top door one I've been able to find though.

 

[LTS3]

It's a Petmate 2-Door Top Load Pet Kennel. You can find it anywhere online and in pet stores. The manufacturer also sells it directly https://www.petmate.com/petmate-2-door-dog-cat-kennel/product/21225

Many Amazon Basic products are cheaply made and don't last. For your pet's safety, invest in a sturdy pet carrier.

 

[noani]

I just went down a rabbit hole and found so many good looking ones - but not a single one that will ship outside of the US, or only at a cost of about 50,60 dollars for shipping.
On Amazon Italy it's 80 euros.... I'll have to continue searching I guess, thank you!

 

[LTS3]

Antonio65 also lives in Italy and might know of good sources to buy a carrier from.

 

[noani]

Thank you for the suggestion! Let's see if he has some leads all I can find available says the top has popped open and I'm not about to risk that anytime soon. Or ever really.

 

[lisalu]

We adopted two cats from the shelter because owner passed away and since then we can't get them in carrier to go to vet. We tried food and treats. Any other suggestions

As a new cat parent, I'm amazed to see that a cat will happily go into a shoe box, paper bag, or basket but will not willingly go anywhere near the carrier.

Maybe someone needs to invent a carrier that resembles a cardboard box, and cats will just hop right in. lol

Oh, and I have a carrier that opens on the top (as well as the front) so I can more easily lower the cat into it. I pick her up and put her in butt first so she can't see where she's going and it's not too hard that way.

 

[Antonio65]

It won't be helpful immediately, but I lure my cat into her carrier once a week with a couple treats in the back of her carrier. I close it once she's fully in with her tail out of the way. Then I pick up the carrier to weigh her, put it back down

Are you, too, weighing your cat every week?

 

[Antonio65]

I just went down a rabbit hole and found so many good looking ones - but not a single one that will ship outside of the US, or only at a cost of about 50,60 dollars for shipping.
On Amazon Italy it's 80 euros.... I'll have to continue searching I guess, thank you!

Are you looking for a carrier with a top door?
Where I live, up in the northwest, we have plenty of physical large stores (chain stores) where you can look around and find something suitable, both with a single door on the front, and with the top door too, so you can check them and see if they look sturdy enough for your purpose.
I don't know what chain stores you have available in your area, the ones where I usually go seem to have no shops in Sicily, apart from Arcaplanet that has three stores only in and around Catania (are you anywhere around this city?).
What I saw in these stores here, were all between 20 and 40 euro, but I have to admit that I didn't paid much attention to them because I don't need them at the moment.

Fortunately, I've always been rather lucky with cats and carriers.
My previous cats, that lived with me for 17 years, had a good relationship with their carriers. One of the two was bit more reluctant and sort of a fighter when it was time to go in, but eventually we always made it.
All the other cats I had after them, most of them were foster cats, would just walk in the carrier as soon as they would see it.
Just like the two cats I have now. But I understand this is the exception rather than the rule.

 

[noani]

Yes we have arcaplanet, zoeworld and something called krüpet just popped up a few weeks ago. I'm in Catania yes
I haven't been able to go to arcaplanet, maybe this weekend when my partner is back with the car.
Zoeworld had two very small ones which didn't work. Krüpet owner told me no such thing exists when I asked ... Semu ne manu di nuddu

 

[danteshuman]

Am I the only evil person that likes to lock the cat in a bedroom first? If possible give them an hour to relax in the room if they are stressed. Then just pick the buggers up (or drape a towel over them) & put them in the carrier. If they fight, tip the carrier so the long part is facing up. That way kitty drops to the bottom & you slam the crate door shut before kitty can climb up & out.

I do leave the carrier out, 24/7 if I can. Still I have yet to get one cat to like the carrier or go in willingly!