Getting the Cat into the Cat Carrier

hb2

Brambling wrote: »

When I picked up my cat from cat protection they suggested putting him in backwards which worked for them. Alternatively I have turned the carrier 45 degrees so the door is pointing upwards and lowered him down into it

Yes, I have used this technique a lot, it was particularly useful for my 'tripod' cat who had only 1 back leg!

Fire_Fox

My little girl 'starfishes' and U-turns, and I hurt her (osteoarthritis) cramming her the front door of the carrier one time. The vet advised this ....

Have them teach you how to correctly scruff your cat, and use a large top-opening carrier. I did not think I could do this alone, but it was not difficult.

I lined the bottom of the carrier with a thick piece of real sheepskin, put her in feet first and gently pressed her down to a lying position with one hand, closing the two section top with the other hand. Her own scent on the sheepskin may have helped (she had slept on it daily that summer).

tesuhoha

Thank you for all your replies. Some useful advice there. The appointment is actually on Monday.

She gets into such a panic that she won't eat Dreamies. I have to put puppy pads in the carrier as she always wees herself. I have a front opening carrier which is pretty good. I like the look of the cage carrier as my cat is pretty overweight although she has been on a diet forever.

She does the starfish thing and the hiding under the bed. We have never had a real problem till this year when both of them suddenly seem to have become very good at fighting us off. Our Bengal is even worse and even if we get her into the cage she emits loud feral howls all the way so people look round to see what is making the strange noise!

Once at the vet both of them become oddly passive and paralysed and its really hard to get them out of the carrier they didn't want to get in to in the first place. The journey home is a piece of cake though.

Their behaviour is so similar its almost as if they have got together and decided on the plan of action for when a vet visit is due!

minimad1970

I'm thinking of getting these for next time....

tesuhoha

minimad1970 wrote: »

I'm thinking of getting these for next time....

:rotfl: Actually, that is exactly what my husband used after having his hands shredded (he has a pair like that) but he still couldn't get hold of her!

UKTigerlily

Please get something like the cabrio someone linked (I also have it, and it's excellent), not the wire cage type, as they don't feel as safe & can't hide

tesuhoha

UKTigerlily wrote: »

Please get something like the cabrio someone linked (I also have it, and it's excellent), not the wire cage type, as they don't feel as safe & can't hide

My husband doesn't want to buy a new carrier but this is the one we have at the moment and it has always been very good. https://www.amazon.co.uk/SportPet-Design-Carrier-Plastic-Collapsible/dp/B00EI3ZKP0/ref=sr_1_237?qid=1566069853&s=pet-supplies&sr=1-237

Callie22

My cat is pretty good about getting into her carrier (in fact when we're at the vets she'll get back into it herself when she's had enough!) but when we first used it I used to squirt the inside with the Feliway spray and it seemed to help calm her down.

rach_k

We have a carrier like this: https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0116HV7FM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It opens at the front, or across the top, or the whole top zips off too (to become a pet bed). At home, I normally unzip the front entrance and shove her in that way, then at the vet I take the whole top off. She stays sitting in there while the vet does whatever is needed, then the top can be zipped back on. If we were having trouble getting her in the front, I'd take the top off, have somebody else 'squish' her (not cruel - about 2.30m into this! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAGfx7eB3gA) and then zip it on while they held her as long as possible.

We had a cheap plastic carrier for a while but I wouldn't recommend those for a cat determined to escape. Ours managed to badly hurt her nose trying to push her way out.

room512

We had to cancel about 10 appointments for one of our cats injections this year. In the end the vet said once she is in the box ring us and we'll fit you in! The carrier sat in the lounge for two months. Every evening as soon as the vet was shut she would happily go in and lie in the carrier. In the end she happened to go in whilst the vet was open and so I shut the door and the vet fitted us in. She makes such a noise and always messes in the carrier. She has a special message on her page on the computer at the vets about being a timid cat. Last time we were even given our own room to wait in! Luckily the other two go in no problem.
We have tried everything. Looking at the carrier that opens at the top I am sure she would jump out before we could shut it. She's a little terror but we love her. All three are rescue cats that we have had from kittens but she had a bad experience at the vets when she was spayed (she had an abscess and the vet just pushed on it to burst it). Before that she would go in happily.