Nightmare getting my cat into carrier

[misty8723]

The last couple times I've started leaving the carrier out for a few days before the vet visit, on the counter or table. If I open the door to the closet where the carrier is, they both scram. The day before or so I'll open the door, make sure the towel is okay and leave it. The day of the appointment I try to act as normal as possible. If it's Cricket, I close the door to the bonus room early because if she gets in the bed under there won't be any getting her out. The last time, she was sitting on the chair looking out the window. I went in, said hi sweetie what's up, petted her, grabbed her (gently) and she didn't put up to much of a fuss. Usually it's chase around the house, behind curtains, etc. Austin is a bit easier, but it's getting harder with him too. Same method. I have husband come and hold onto the carrier so it doesn't slide.
I wish there was some way we could explain to them what's going on.

 

[Cat McCannon]

...we are way beyond “just slowly introduce him to it by putting food in there” or something.

No, you're not. This is where starting a feeding ritual really pays off. Because Belle was caught in a live trap, she hated going into anything she might get trapped in. For awhile, that even meant the cubes on her cat condo. But we started feeding Belle in her carrier at least once a day to get her used to going inside. On her second trip to the vet (her first visit was just a few days after she was trapped), she was suspicious and I still had to place her inside. Belle didn't like her third visit to the vet, but getting her inside the carrier was much easier. Put her in her harness (another thing we'd been working on), put her dish inside and zipped up the carrier behind her after she climbed in to eat. I still got the Stink Eye from her.

Each time, getting her into her carrier gets easier. We also made it a point to zip her in to take her out on the porch and let her watch the world go by.

Start feeding Snuffy at least once a day in his carrier. Use the carrier to take him outside, or something. A kitty backpack might be better and will let you take Snuffy safely about the neighborhood. That way he doesn't just go in his carrier/backpack to go to the vet.

 

[Mac and Cats]

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!

This is basically what I do too. I also have a top open carrier, which has helped tremendously. Also, when I pick them up, I try to hold both back paws together with one hand so it will be more difficult to fight me once they realize.

 

[Tobermory]

This is basically what I do too. I also have a top open carrier, which has helped tremendously. Also, when I pick them up, I try to hold both back paws together with one hand so it will be more difficult to fight me once they realize.

A top-entry carrier might be good for my other cat, Iris. She doesn’t want to go into the carrier either, but I can see lowering her in and closing the top before she gets out. If I tried that with Mocha, though, she’d be out before I could bring the top down. With the side entry, she has only one direction for escape. By the time she’s whirled around, I’ve closed the door behind her! Different cats, different methods.

 

[daftcat75]

Cats can learn that it’s not the carrier they have to fear. They can save all that ire for the vet themselves like my angel Krista learned to do in her last few years. Then she became the vet’s problem and had to be dropped off for a sedation visit every time.

I got a carrier that Betty likes even without a trip to the vet. I leave it in her environment all the time. It’s part of her home base. I put treats in it the first time or two that Betty checked it out. But I really didn’t need to. She took to it. She lays inside it some mornings while she’s waiting for me to wake to feed her. Even after she’s been to the vet a few times in that carrier. She’s a nut. And a blessing. She takes her own meds too. Whatever I can pack into a capsule, dip in Hills A/D, and drop on the carpet for her, she will happily scoop up and wait for the next one purring the whole time.

Now if you don’t have a Betty and while you are waiting for yours to warm up to their treat-laden, always open, carrier and quiet home base, you can also use gabapentin. I have used it with Betty before a dental appointment that got canceled. She was a bag of jello which presented its own challenge of pouring that bag of Betty jello into her carrier. But I’m sure that’s a better problem to have than a wiggling, struggling, biting razor fluff. Betty’s never been one of those. But Krista was a few times in those last years. I once had to throw a towel over her while she was hissing and growling and ready to take my hand off, and drag her into a large cardboard box.
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[CodyMolly]

Hi okay totally understand your frustration..I adopted patches as a feral outside my house. I can’t pick her up won’t go in carriers I used to have to give gabapentin before the vet visit to get her dopey an hour before the vet. But I finally have had success every time! Now but a soft small cat carrier not hard. The ones that can fold up easy and breathable. PUT the cat carrier inside the cat condo if you have one. What happens is that when she knows it’s time to go to the vet she Runs right into to condo! She has no idea she’s running into the cat carrier! I quickly zip up the carrier and once I do I pull the cat carrier out of the condo. And that’s how I am able to bring her to the vet. She’s just frightened when she’s out of her own home. Other idea is maybe if it’s impossible do you have Mobile veterinarians in your area that come to your home. My area does have mobile veterinarians hopefully you do too. I used to cancel my vet appointments cause I never was able to get her. This condo carrier trick worked! Just measure your condo opening and your cat carrier zipper area so the opening fits and cat carrier fits nicely and roomy in the condo and hopefully this works for you too!

 

[arr]

I do the same as daftcat75 and leave the carriers out all the time. The cats like to sleep in them and when it’s time for the vet once a year or so, they walk right in with no problem.

 

[lollie]

I once had to throw a towel over her while she was hissing and growling and ready to take my hand off, and drag her into a large cardboard box.

I love the caution sign on her cage! Koshka did NOT appreciate what they did to her at one of her vet visits- anal gland blockage. They made me go back with them to get her out of her cage when I took her home, they were afraid of her. It’s on her chart now. New vet makes her take gabapentin. They don’t believe you when you tell them she’s really an angel.

I used to leave the carrier out too when she was young. Sometimes she would crawl in there to sleep. She doesn’t mind her carrier, she just doesn’t like- “Going bye, bye.” As soon as the vet is done with her, she makes a beeline for it. It’s her safe place.

 

[parkersdad]

If your cat is anxious about where the carrier leads to, I can't praise gabapentin enough. Took a while to get the dose right with my cat (was under dosed for a previous appt and went bazerk at the vet). Once we doubled it based on his weight it's literally the easiest thing to take him anywhere. I'd definitely talk to the vet about it if it's stressing both of you out.