Epic Battle - Getting Kitty into carrier

[veronaz]

Seraphia, that's actually a pretty good idea your parents had. 

[wolfie]

I have found that your anxiety over this makes them realize something is up so they prepare or hide. I always have the first appointment of the day so I can get up, get dressed grab them and go. SO far it works well for us. For the worse I have a towel that I drop over them and wrap and then stuff them all in the carrier. within a few minutes they are out of the towel but are in the carrier so all is good. I also have a top loader - much easier to drop them in.

[SamiHami]

All I can say is good luck. It's an epic battle for us as well. It's absolutely amazing how strong Sammy is when he fights going into his carrier. It's definitely a two person job. Feet first, head first, whatever-we have not perfected a method with this kitty. He truly lives in terror of the carrier.

[veronaz]

Agree a top loader is easier.

But I find that using a towel is not the best idea because claws get caught.  A smooth cloth or old pillow case seems to work better.

[MindsEye]

Does he really need to be in a carrier?

One of my cats is a really big guy, even the biggest carrier that I can still lift and carry is too small for him to be comfortable in.  So when he has to go to the vet, I put him in his harness and clip on a leash and off we go.

The harness has an attachment so that he can be buckled in to the seat next to me in the car, just like some dog harnesses.

And before you ask, he doesn't walk on the leash.  It is just there for extra security for me (I put my arm through the loop) when I carry him. 

This works largely because he is a pretty calm dude.  If he was nervous or high strung I probably wouldn't try it.

I don't know what your cat is like... but would a harness/leash work better then a carrier?

[veronaz]

I don't know what your cat is like... but would a harness/leash work better then a carrier?

Mine?  No way.

Have you seen this famous video of "Pinky"?  Can't help laughing at the end.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VywxLBN-Pos

[redcat]

I was recommended a technique I've found very useful.  This is for a plastic carrier, with a hinged door at one end.  Tip the carrier on its end, with the door at the top.  Open the door wide, then pick up the cat, and basically drop them in, back feet first.  I think because gravity's working for you, you eliminate a lot of the pushing that normally is such a problem.

[MindsEye]

For my old kitty, I had a carrier like this - http://www.amazon.com/Petmate-19-Inch-Kennel-Metallic-Coffee/dp/B006060VCU/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1396456117&sr=8-5&keywords=cat+carrier

Top loading for the win!

I would also put her security blanket (yes, she had a little fleecy security blanket) in with her to help keep her calm.

[MindsEye]

I don't know what your cat is like... but would a harness/leash work better then a carrier?

Mine?  No way.

Have you seen this famous video of "Pinky"?  Can't help laughing at the end.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VywxLBN-Pos

ahahahaaaaaa!!! Hilarious!     I had never seen that video before.

Yeah...  leash/harness is not for cats like that.  Like I said, my big boy is super calm and will just sit there.  Not recommended for all cats, YMMV!   

[PastryGoddess]

Gretchen: Pick up and drop in head first.  She's 17 pounds, gravity works wonders

Zoe: Bribe, pet, play, bribe, pet..pick up, put head in and shove the rest of the way in

Grace: I wrap her completely in a towel and put her in the carrier.  If she see the carrier coming, she will fight.

[Outdoor Girl]

My old cat was pretty calm but she did not like the carrier.  I'd put the harness on her and clip on the leash, mainly as added security but if I put her on the floor in the waiting room, she would wander around.

Keeping her on the front seat beside me was easy-peasy, though.  I just turned on the seat heater!   

[ITSJUSTME]

Is the problem picking her up/running away or just getting her into it?

We quit using the carriers when we found a harness & leash was easier for us.  I'm sure not all cats would cooperate.

If you are able to pick her up easily try wrapping her in a towel or t-shirt so her legs & feet are less available for scratching and blocking.

If you have trouble with her running away from you my DH employed this trick - he would enter the room backward, his back to the cat, who seemed to thing he was actually leaving the room.  When he was close enough he nipped around and picked up the now affronted & amazed cat but somehow it always seemed to work.

I like the harness because it gave me something to hold onto and the cat was free to sit in the window at the vet and look out, always a favorite pastime.

[Ginger G]

Out of my four, three are relatively easy to get in the carrier and one is basically a nightmare.  Unfortunately he is the one with health issues and has to go to the vet the most often, I have to take him tomorrow in fact. 

I have given up trying the zipper-close soft-sided one with him, he gets the hard plastic one with the little cage-type door.  What I do is wrap him up in a towel completely, no head or paws sticking out at all.  Then I stand the carrier on it's end and drop him in feet first.  The towel goes in with him so he has something to hide under.  When I get to the vet, we don't even take him out, we just remove the top and they can examine him that way.

[Vall]

When we bought our carriers, we made sure to buy ones that look okay with our decor.  So we leave them out around the house with the doors open all the time.  The kitties will use them to play in, sleep in, or when they want privacy from the other kitties (we have a herd of 5).

Somehow, they know when it's time to go to the vet.  Sometimes we have issues catching them but they go into the carrier pretty easily.  If we can catch them when they're napping, it's a cinch.

But none like the ride in the car.  They meow, whine, howl, etc. the entire trip to the vet.  Once they are out of the car, they'll usually quiet down.  When they don't, it's so embarrassing to be sitting in the waiting room with a howling carrier.

Great idea using the seat heater!  What a nice treat for kitty.

[Outdoor Girl]

Great idea using the seat heater!  What a nice treat for kitty.

Especially for a 20 year old cat - I'm sure her old bones felt better with the heat on.