Getting the Cat into the Cat Carrier

Options
124»

Comments

  • hb2
    hb2 Posts: 1,398 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post Name Dropper
    Options
    There are mixed opinions about getting the vet to do a home visit. Yes, it can save the distress of getting kitty into a basket; on the other paw, it can mean that kitty no longer feels safe in their own home. There is no one 'right' answer, it depends on the cat and owner.
    It's not difficult!
    'Wander' - to walk or move in a leisurely manner.
    'Wonder' - to feel curious.
  • room512
    room512 Posts: 1,412 Forumite
    Name Dropper Combo Breaker First Post First Anniversary
    Options
    A home visit wouldn't work for us as all our cats hide when we have visitors. My mother in law comes to stay and the first time one of the cats wouldn't come in for the three days she stayed and had to be fed on the patio! Luckily, she has got used to her now but even so a stranger wouldn't see her. Had a cat sitter to feed them twice a day for a week and she saw all three in the distance every time she came! It's embarrassing as when it is just us they are all super friendly. Maybe it is because they are all rescue cats that we have had since kittens.
  • UKTigerlily
    UKTigerlily Posts: 4,702 Forumite
    First Post First Anniversary
    Options
    tesuhoha wrote: »
    Well we managed to get the cat to the vets. I distracted her with Dreamies and then my husband grabbed her and tried to push her into the carrier. However, it was not all plain sailing. She fought with him and his arms ended up very badly scratched, dripping with blood. We had to treat his injuries before we went. I asked him why he didn't use the gloves, which he had got out and he said they would have frightened her.

    When we got her to the surgery she had wet herself - we had puppy pads but she was smelly. The vet took her to clean her up and she was such a darling little cat, you wouldn't think she was the same wildcat as half an hour before.

    She is still overweight but because of the healthy food diet I devised for her she has lost some weight. They said it wasn't enough and they want her to go to their slimming club with a weigh in once a month. I said to them you have to be joking, look at his arms. So the nurse is going to ring me with details of a prescription diet.

    I think though, those diets are not good food and if she is losing weight on my diet, which I recently put together, then that should be good enough. I worked it out to be 160 calories and she doesn't seem too hungry on that. Before when she had the prescription diet she was always crying pitifully for food.

    The journey home was a breeze. They always seem to know and she has taken herself upstairs to chill and calm down.




    I'm not a Vet, but personally I don't see the need for special food for weight loss. If the cat takes in less than it burns off, it will lose weight, whatever it is fed. You've already got some weight off, so i'd keep doing what you're doing!


    I read a suggestion to cover the carrier so the cat feels even more secure, and to wait outside so it helps to keep him/her more relaxed; i'll be trying these when my own cat goes back on Friday!
  • peachyprice
    peachyprice Posts: 22,346 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post
    Options
    splishsplash wrote: »
    This is pretty much what I do:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IajGu89jSU
    .

    If you have a difficult cat, your type of cat carrier is a disaster. You have no way to hold them in it while you close it. The design in the video means you run them in head first and close the door before they can turn around.

    I could never get that close to my cat with a towel, she'd be upstairs under the bed as soon as I walked in the room.

    Catching her is a two person job and we only get one chance, if we get it wrong and she escapes we can't go anywhere near her for days, I now have to ring the vet when we're both at home to see whether or not they're fully booked, catch the cat, then phone back to make an appointment.
    Accept your past without regret, handle your present with confidence and face your future without fear
  • tesuhoha
    tesuhoha Posts: 17,971 Forumite
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker First Post Mortgage-free Glee!
    Options
    peachyprice wrote: »
    I could never get that close to my cat with a towel, she'd be upstairs under the bed as soon as I walked in the room.

    Catching her is a two person job and we only get one chance, if we get it wrong and she escapes we can't go anywhere near her for days, I now have to ring the vet when we're both at home to see whether or not they're fully booked, catch the cat, then phone back to make an appointment.

    Sounds like my world. The other one needs to go now and she is even more of a nightmare.
    The forest would be very silent if no birds sang except for the birds that sang the best






  • Gavin83
    Gavin83 Posts: 8,749 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Post First Anniversary
    Options
    peachyprice wrote: »
    I could never get that close to my cat with a towel, she'd be upstairs under the bed as soon as I walked in the room.

    Maybe try shutting the bedroom door before you start the process?
  • peachyprice
    peachyprice Posts: 22,346 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post
    Options
    Gavin83 wrote: »
    Maybe try shutting the bedroom door before you start the process?

    She would go under the bed and pee there.

    I did manage to shut her in the bathroom once, then she had nowhere to go, that was about 6 months ago, she won't come in the bathroom now unless we're in the shower or sitting on the loo. She really knows how to bear a grudge.

    She even knows the sound of flea drops packaging being opened and hides for hours.
    Accept your past without regret, handle your present with confidence and face your future without fear
  • warby68
    warby68 Posts: 3,021 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Post First Anniversary
    Options
    Had to take a very reluctant cat last week.

    Decided to get a new carrier and bought a soft one of sports holdall material and mesh- front flap opens completely and lies flat to ground - top opens so its light and bright. Only £18 from Amazon.

    Started putting bits of tuna at far end and didn't take long for her to go in to eat it. Kept doing this over a day or so and then at vet time zipped it up behind her. Marvellously easy after multiple abject failures with the plastic things. Couldn't believe our luck.

    Just to prove it wasn't beginner's luck and that once wise to it she wouldn't be caught again, she's still happy to go in to get the odd tuna treat.
  • TripleH
    TripleH Posts: 3,018 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post
    Options
    We had to do a 4 hour car journey (moving home) a couple of weeks ago. The younger 2 happily went into the large cat carrier they were sharing (poor deluded fools). The oldest refused to go in hers and did everything she could not to get put in. In the end she was carried down to the car and we set off at 6am.

    After crying a bit she pooed on my wife and went into the cat carrier herself where she was shut in for the rest of the journey.

    The younger 2 seemed quite calm, the middle one cuddled up to a hot water bottle for about half the journey. On arrival however she crawled into their space ship and stayed therr for 3 hours.

    All 3 are happily settled in the new place and seem to like it more than our old home just to end on a high point, i just dread trying to take the younger 2 anywhere again!
    May you find your sister soon Helli.
    Sleep well.
This discussion has been closed.
★ ★ ★ Meet your Ambassadors

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 343.2K Banking & Borrowing
  • 250.1K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 449.7K Spending & Discounts
  • 235.3K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 608K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 173.1K Life & Family
  • 247.9K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 15.9K Discuss & Feedback
  • 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards