Beware - The Dreaded Cat Carrier
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It is time to go
to the vet, and suddenly Fluffy is nowhere in sight. You
just brought the carrier out of the closet, and thought you
saw Fluff dive under the bed, so you peer underneath the bed
and there she is hunched in the farthest corner hissing at
you. Try as you might, you can't get her out, so with a
red-face you call your vet make your apologies and
reschedule the appointment. Now what do you do?
You return to basics and in doing so, you will allow your
cat to become desensitized to the perceived threat of the
cat carrier. The idea is to reassure your cat that every
time she goes into the carrier, bad things will NOT occur.
You can achieve this in several ways and by making this
carrier a part of your cat's daily routine, as well as using
it during the all-important trip to the vet you minimize
your cat’s stress in dealing with it.
Familiarize Your Cat With The Cat Carrier
Keeping the carrier visible in your home at all times helps
to acclimate the cat to its presence. The first steps in
getting your cat used to the carrier begin long before the
trip to the vet. You need to familiarize your cat with the
carrier slowly and gradually.
First off, before you even begin, wash the carrier out well
with hot water and vinegar. Let it air dry for at least 24
hours.
Bring the carrier inside, and start feeding your cat inside
of the carrier. Leave the door propped open, and place a
bowl of tasty canned food at the very back. If the cat
doesn't go in on her own free will, don't force her to.
Simply leave the food in place for 10-15 minutes, then
remove it and store it so it won't spoil. Try again later.
Do not feed her
in-between times anywhere but in the carrier.
Sprinkle catnip on the bottom of the carrier, and toss a few
toys inside. Ping pong balls or golf balls work well. They
make a wonderful sound when batted about the floor of the
carrier.
Spray the inside of the carrier with Feliway Spray, saturate
it well, put some nice padding inside to make a comfy bed,
and see if kitty will go in and curl up. You can either
leave the door propped open, or take it off completely. Once
the cat is comfortable about going inside the carrier, close
the door for about 5 minutes, than release your cat. Give
kitty a nice treat like Kitty Kaviar or kippered herring. Do
this about twice a week. Increase her time of confinement,
but never more than 10 minutes.
Before Taking Your Cat To The Vet
Prior to the vet visit there are a few things you can do to
further calm your cat and prepare her for the trip. Before
placing the cat inside, spray the carrier with Feliway
Spray. Pad the top of the carrier bed with soft bedding.
Place disposable diapers down on the bedding padding side up
to catch any accidents that occur when cats are stressed
out.
Take pipe cleaners and thread the pipe cleaners through the
slats of the carrier so the ends are sticking out inside and
high above the cat's head. Twist the pipe cleaners around to
hold them firmly in place, and then attach a lightweight
feather toy to the end. The toy floats high above the cat's
head, and she can bat at the toy when she becomes stressed.
Place the cat inside the carrier, lock the door, and cover
the carrier with a dark cloth. Transport the cat to the vet,
and instead of putting your cat carrier directly on the
floor or the seat of your car, prop it up on a soft pillow
(to cut down vibrations) and cover the carrier with the
cloth IF it is not so hot outside that the cat will end up
suffering. Try and place it in the best position you can,
away from any sun that might come shining through the
windows. If it is a hot day, leave plenty of air space and
put the cloth from front to back, leaving plenty air holes
on the side for air to pass through. Also be sure to use a
seat belt to keep the carrier in place.
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