Nightmare getting my cat into carrier

[Serenityinaz12]

I’ve always had problems getting my cat Snuffy into a carrier and just had one of the worst experiences so far. It was awful and I’m sure it was terrible for him too. Can someone please help me I don’t know what to do. And we are way beyond “just slowly introduce him to it by putting food in there” or something.

Here are things I have tried:
1. Getting a bigger carrier, sitting it on its back, and slowly lowering him in. This worked for the first time or two until he realized that picking him up could equal being put into the carrier then he stopped letting me pick him up. Or he would spread his hind legs, or front legs when trying to lower him in creating a tough and stressful time.

2.Towel method, cat burrito - worked like a charm the first time and not bad the second. Then he realized towel laid out, anywhere = cat carrier. So he will avoid it like the plague. I JUST tried today having the towel laid out somewhere, putting him onto it, then wrapping him. It was a disaster. Just picking him up at all of course stressed him out then placing him on the towel to wrap him was a massive struggle. I finally got him wrapped enough to get him into the carrier but this will never work again and was way too stressful for him and me.

3. Vet example: scruff - cat carrier sitting normal, just with door open. Scruff Snuffy with one hand, hold hind legs together near the body with second hand. Quickly put him in. Looked great when the vet showed me at the vet. In practice? No. He will NOT allow me to scruff him and I hate doing it too. He will not relax or submit or whatever you want to call it to the scruff, he will squirm and attempt to flee because he knows the carrier is coming. I had to scruff him today just to get him to sit enough for me to wrap the towel and it was awful I hate doing it and he was trying to get away the whole time.

I’m at a total loss. I HAAAAAAATE putting him through the stress of this and it stresses me out horribly too. I feel like such an awful cat parent after the struggle to put him in but I just want to take care of him he needs oral surgery today. He’s finally in there now thank god.

Please, PLEASE, is there anything I can do to make this go easier going forward?

 

[Alldara]

Is the only time Snuffy goes in the carrier to go to the vet? Or do you travel also?

You could try a backpack instead. I had a cat resist the carrier because it made him uncomfortable, but take to the backpack well.

Where you're going with Snuffy, is the carrier mandatory? Can you use a harness and leash? I used to take Lily to the vet on a harness and leash like a dog. Solved her vomiting everywhere.

You may have to resort to anxiety medication from the vet.

 

[Serenityinaz12]

Is the only time Snuffy goes in the carrier to go to the vet? Or do you travel also?

You could try a backpack instead. I had a cat resist the carrier because it made him uncomfortable, but take to the backpack well.

Where you're going with Snuffy, is the carrier mandatory? Can you use a harness and leash? I used to take Lily to the vet on a harness and leash like a dog. Solved her vomiting everywhere.

You may have to resort to anxiety medication from the vet.

No a leash and harness isn’t an option - but I’ll try getting a cat backpack just to see if it helps and I didn’t think of the medication. Thanks for the tips

 

[cejhome]

The only way we could get our previous kitty, Nilla into a carrier was to give her gabapentin the night before any vet visit, anything that involved getting her into a carrier, etc. - and then a dose 2 hours before the event. No matter what we did, we couldn't desensitize her to carrier/vet visits/car rides, etc. The gabapentin worked great - she would still struggle, but at slow speed, so I could get her into her carrier easily. We tried everything!

I was able to drive 5.5 hours from our old house to our new house when we moved to another state without issue - I had a medium sized metal dog crate, cat bed, tiny litter box. I did the gaba the night before and the morning of and she did great - she settled down and slept after about 20 minutes in. Not a peep out of her. I covered the whole crate with a light colored blanket. I stopped a couple times to check on her, she slept through everything. I think the highway drive was smooth enough to keep her sleeping.

When she and I got to the new house (had minimal furniture that my husband had brought down via Uhaul before - bed with no frame, etc. I brought her crate in 1st, brought it into the master bedroom, closed the door and opened the crate. She came out and actually explored the master bedroom and wanted a snack! She did super. She actually wanted to look around in the house and insisted on going out on the screen porch with me. The move didn't bother her - I packed up all our stuff and every weekend for a couple months. We would pack the Uhaul (van or small box truck) together - I really did - he is awful at fitting things in. Then he would drive down a load and unload, stay the night and come back. In the meantime, I was packing up stuff like crazy. It really worked well. My trip with her was my 2nd trip down to the new house. After that my husband's last trip was the final one and then the mover's came with the rest of the stuff. Worked very well!

The gabapentin made it so easy moving her and helping her that first day in the new house. She loved the new house - nice window ledges, nice big screen porch, etc. She was able to enjoy it for a couple years and then we had to put her to sleep from cancer.

Our new kitty Buddy (adopted July of last year) is a champ - carrier? No problem. Car ride? No problem. Tropical storm? No problem. Vacuum Cleaner? No problem.

 

[NekoM]

In the past I’ve put the carrier out of sight, wrapped up my cat in one of my hoodies covered the head for a second so he couldn’t see the carrier and lowered him through the top.

 

[Antonio65]

Is the only time Snuffy goes in the carrier to go to the vet? Or do you travel also?

When my cats were tiny kittens, I would put them into their carriers once a week to weigh them and monitor their growth. They took it as a game, and loved it, they even walked into the carrier on their own, purring.
The weigh process was just a few seconds long, then they were free to leave, but most of the time they would like to stay in to prolong the game.
Now that they are grown up cats, still remember that game and do not fear the carrier, they go in and purr, even if it's a trip to the vets

I think that using the carrier as part of a game when they are still very young might be a good way to get them used to it.

 

[Antonio65]

Our new kitty Buddy (adopted July of last year) is a champ - carrier? No problem. Car ride? No problem. Tropical storm? No problem. Vacuum Cleaner? No problem.

 

[lollie]

You need to try to plan your appointments around nap time if possible. Forget letting him see the towel or carrier beforehand. Wait until he‘s fast asleep. Have the carrier open nearby. Drop a big towel over him and have him in the carrier before he knows what has hit him. It’s the only way for some cats.

My first cat when I was young- yes, four paws on all sides of a hard sided carrier while we were pushing on her behind. We finally realized we just needed to plonk a towel over her head so she couldn’t see.

You can certainly give gabapentin the night before and day of as well. It only slightly reduces stress though.

 

[Serenityinaz12]

The only way we could get our previous kitty, Nilla into a carrier was to give her gabapentin the night before any vet visit, anything that involved getting her into a carrier, etc. - and then a dose 2 hours before the event. No matter what we did, we couldn't desensitize her to carrier/vet visits/car rides, etc. The gabapentin worked great - she would still struggle, but at slow speed, so I could get her into her carrier easily. We tried everything!

I was able to drive 5.5 hours from our old house to our new house when we moved to another state without issue - I had a medium sized metal dog crate, cat bed, tiny litter box. I did the gaba the night before and the morning of and she did great - she settled down and slept after about 20 minutes in. Not a peep out of her. I covered the whole crate with a light colored blanket. I stopped a couple times to check on her, she slept through everything. I think the highway drive was smooth enough to keep her sleeping.

When she and I got to the new house (had minimal furniture that my husband had brought down via Uhaul before - bed with no frame, etc. I brought her crate in 1st, brought it into the master bedroom, closed the door and opened the crate. She came out and actually explored the master bedroom and wanted a snack! She did super. She actually wanted to look around in the house and insisted on going out on the screen porch with me. The move didn't bother her - I packed up all our stuff and every weekend for a couple months. We would pack the Uhaul (van or small box truck) together - I really did - he is awful at fitting things in. Then he would drive down a load and unload, stay the night and come back. In the meantime, I was packing up stuff like crazy. It really worked well. My trip with her was my 2nd trip down to the new house. After that my husband's last trip was the final one and then the mover's came with the rest of the stuff. Worked very well!

The gabapentin made it so easy moving her and helping her that first day in the new house. She loved the new house - nice window ledges, nice big screen porch, etc. She was able to enjoy it for a couple years and then we had to put her to sleep from cancer.

Our new kitty Buddy (adopted July of last year) is a champ - carrier? No problem. Car ride? No problem. Tropical storm? No problem. Vacuum Cleaner? No problem.

I just talked to them about this when I dropped him off this morning for his dental work and they also mentioned gabapentin so I will likely get some.

 

[Shawna87]

Have you tried using some calming spray in the carrier? I spray my carrier with calming spray and cover it with a towel that is sprayed also. Another thing I do is set the carrier out at least a week before the vet visit and leave it laying around with the kitties other toys.

Is it the carrier that Scruffy is scared of or going to the vet? My cat use to be great about her carrier until she had a very bad vet experience. Several visits after that she would claw so hard on her carrier that I thought she would break it. I switched vets to a cat specialist and it made a HUGE difference. She loves her vet now.

Ive also used gabapentin which the vet can prescribe and it’s honestly not that expensive! I think it was like $10 for two pills at my vet.

 

[Serenityinaz12]

You need to try to plan your appointments around nap time if possible. Forget letting him see the towel or carrier beforehand. Wait until he‘s fast asleep. Have the carrier open nearby. Drop a big towel over him and have him in the carrier before he knows what has hit him. It’s the only way for some cats.

My first cat when I was young- yes, four paws on all sides of a hard sided carrier while we were pushing on her behind. We finally realized we just needed to plonk a towel over her head so she couldn’t see.

You can certainly give gabapentin the night before and day of as well. It only slightly reduces stress though.

How does this even work? All videos of towel usage I’ve seen show them wrapping the cat up in a bundle which is what I’ve tried to do with him. Just that action alone is enough time for him to realize what’s going on and go nuts trying to escape.

So in your method are you just dropping the towel and instantly picking them up without doing the burrito wrap?

 

[Serenityinaz12]

Have you tried using some calming spray in the carrier? I spray my carrier with calming spray and cover it with a towel that is sprayed also. Another thing I do is set the carrier out at least a week before the vet visit and leave it laying around with the kitties other toys.

Is it the carrier that Scruffy is scared of or going to the vet? My cat use to be great about her carrier until she had a very bad vet experience. Several visits after that she would claw so hard on her carrier that I thought she would break it. I switched vets to a cat specialist and it made a HUGE difference. She loves her vet now.

Ive also used gabapentin which the vet can prescribe and it’s honestly not that expensive! I think it was like $10 for two pills at my vet.

He’s fine once he is in the carrier. It’s getting him in that’s the problem. Even the trip he is fine.

 

[rubysmama]

This was a suggestion from my vet, and amazingly it works perfectly. .

1. place carrier on the edge of a high surface, like a table or counter. Make sure carrier door open. Try not to let cat see the carrier.

2. pick up cat, and point directly at opening of carrier.
Because there's no where for them to go, other than inside the carrier, they will go inside to turn around. But by the time they've turned around, you have closed and secured the door.

Sounds simple, and may not work for every cat. But it works every time for my Ruby girl.

 

[lollie]

So in your method are you just dropping the towel and instantly picking them up without doing the burrito wrap?

I haven’t seen any of the videos. When I think of the burrito wrap, I’m thinking of when they have to do nails, etcetera. You shouldn’t have to wrap your cat up to get them in the carrier, that’s only giving him time to get mad. Just drop a towel (over the head especially) pick up and put in. As quickly as possible. This should take like two seconds. Don’t allow them time to fully wake up.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

I don't know if you have seen this article or not, but perhaps it has something in it that will help: Beware The Dreaded Cat Carrier - TheCatSite Articles

Also, I have a carrier with two door, one on the end, and one on top. That helps a LOT because the one on top is bigger for dropping them inside if you go that route.

One of my cats sounds like Snuffy, and even though as a kitten he had no issues with his carrier, now as a senior, he hates it with a passion. I have to make sure I am wearing a heavy sweatshirt before attempting to get him inside, otherwise I end up with scratches all over me. But recently I decided to try something different and just put the carriers out, one in the family room and one upstairs in the office. I took one door off of each, put soft towels and a worn t-shirt in each and stood back to see what would happen. Both cats started sleeping inside each one. So much so that when it came time for one of them to go to their Vet appointment, all I had to do was put the door on and go! When I got home from the Vet I figured no one would ever go back inside again, but no, they still go in there!

 

[Tobermory]

Here’s what I do when I have to get Mocha into a carrier. She’s a former feral and I can’t normally pick her up, but this has worked. It’s very close to what rubysmama has described.

1. I take the carrier out a couple of days before I need it. I leave it on the floor with the door open. My cats know that when I bring the carrier in, it’s time to disappear. If it’s been sitting out for a while, they ignore it.
2. When I’m ready to put Mocha in the carrier, I make sure she isn’t on anything that she can put claws into and hold onto like a barnacle. I usually lure her onto the wood floor with treats. While she’s eating her treats, I have my husband quietly pick up the carrier and approach me from behind so Mocha can’t see what he has in his hand. He has to make sure he doesn’t let the carrier make any “carrier noises.” It rattles if not held perfectly still, and my cats know exactly what that means. He holds the carrier level about waist height with the door open.
3. I swiftly pick up the (hopefully) unsuspecting kitty and in one smooth move, turn around and insert her into the carrier before she has a chance to react, grow additional legs all tipped with razors, and dismember me. You have to do it swiftly in one unbroken move.

If you don’t have a second person, a counter or table will work—anything that puts the carrier on the level and up off of the floor so there’s nothing for Snuffy to grab onto or push off from. Make sure the edge of the carrier is at the edge of whatever you’ve placed it on. If my husband isn't available, I use the washer, dryer, or kitchen counter.

They're very attuned to your body language and voice so try to act and sound as normal and matter-of-fact as possible!

 

[Alldara]

I think that using the carrier as part of a game when they are still very young might be a good way to get them used to it.

That sounds so lovely! Definitely a great idea for younger cats I've always left ours out as a bed, put toys and treats inside. I find they'll go to it when sick or scared. As he grew, Magnus had to switch to a backpack because he has minor luxating patella and sometimes some nausea. Sitting up is better. It actually helped Nobel once his arthritis progressed too.

 

[Pywacket21]

The first time he had to go to vet, dummy me used my soft sided dog carrier. BIG mistake what a struggle. Next time I borrowed daughters carrier. She left a towel in it with her cat’s scent in it. I put it in the living room, open. Both dogs, and cat had to investigate. It sat there for a week. Came vet time, put it on counter, caught cat, in ya go, closed door. I didn’t bleed!! I’ve ordered my own carrier now, he hasn’t seen it yet. Next vet visit I will do the same thing.

 

[nurseangel]

I have no advice, but I empathize with you. My RB cat Redman made the traumatic mistake of actually putting himself in the carrier when we planned to his first vet visit. It looked a little like a cat cave, I suppose. He got his shots, then they neutered him. After that, he would literally stick out all four legs and grab the carrier to keep us from putting him in. Now, all my cats run at first sight of the carrier. You can actually see the looks of relief on their little faces when one of their fuzzy friends is locked inside. The only thing I've learned when it involves a trip to the vet, there is no loyalty among felines. And Bree is the worst of all. She is the largest of our cats, she puts up a fight like a wild animal, and sounds like a siren all the way to the vet. On her last trip she was protesting so loudly that people were asking DH what he had in the cage. He joked he had bobcat and they believed him! Seriously, there is some great advice in this thread. DH and I are in the same boat.

 

[GranolaLouise]

I relate totally. Even if I put on my hat and shoes to take out the trash she gets all ready to run.
Now I have to do the carrier thing BEFORE I put on any outer clothing.
I give her several treats and while she is preoccupied, I scoop her up and whisk her into the readied carrier (hidden from view in the next room)before she has time to know what is happening.
She hates the carrier and Yowls all the way there, good as an angel for the vet even when she is holding her in the carrier, then yowls for me all the way back home.
It's nothing but DRAMA!

Burritos don't work with a squirmy escaping cat. I noticed that the video demos are all done on well behaved darling kitties!
I still have to figure out the nail clipping thing.
But the treat distraction trick works for me.