Getting Your Cat to Love Their Carrier

Many people have trouble getting their cat to the vets because they can’t get them in the carrier. It is illegal to travel with an unrestrained animal in the car and of course it would be unsafe for an unrestrained cat getting in and out of the car of if involved in a car accident. Most cats associate their carrier with negative emotional experiences such as a trip to the groomer, vet or boarding cattery. Cats can be conditioned to voluntarily enter their carrier if you follow some simple steps. Ideally this should start with any new kitten, but it’s never too late. 

The type of carrier is very important. It should be hard plastic on 5 sides, have a wire door, ventilation holes in the plastic and be large enough for the cat to stand up, turn around and lay down in. The door and top half of the carrier should be easily removed but be sturdy enough not to come apart accidentally. 

If your cat is already afraid of the carrier itself you will need to start with some desensitisation to the presence of the carrier. Take the carrier apart and start with just the bottom half of the carrier, with a soft towel or blanket in the bottom and some Feliway® sprayed in each corner once daily. Feliway® is a synthetic analogue of a Feline facial pheromone that cats transfer to safe familiar objects when they rub their face on them. It can help cats acclimatise to new things or a new environment, as well as cope with other stress. Place the carrier somewhere in the house that the cat will pass in it’s normal travels, but not in a way that blocks access to food, water or litter trays. Do not try to force the cat to interact with the carrier at all, but leave it there until the cat seems oblivious to it or even starts to approach it.  This may take a week or longer for some cats. 

Once your cat is not worried by the carrier itself we can start conditioning (training) the cat to get in their carrier voluntarily. This is called counter-conditioning in the assumption that the cat has been previously conditioned to avoid the carrier because of negative associations. Hopefully this is not the case with a naïve kitten. 

Start with the bottom half of the carrier as before, sprayed with Feliway® 15 minutes before beginning. This may not be necessary with a kitten. If your cat is playful you may entice them into a play session in the carrier with a toy. Do these exercises when your cat is hungry and interested in interacting (ie not sleepy). Put a piece of their favourite treat near the carrier. If they approach and eat it , repeat the process until you can put the treat in the carrier. If they are too nervous to eat, start further away and gradually decrease the distance. Repeat over several sessions, each lasting no more than 5 minutes. Your cat should start to anticipate getting a treat when you approach the carrier. Try waiting to see if they go in to look for a treat. If they do, reward immediately. Call them out then approach again and reward in the carrier. Repeat until the cat is eagerly entering the carrier. 

Now put the lid back on the carrier (but not the door). You may need to go back to Step 1 if your cat looks fearfully at it now. Repeat Step 2 from the beginning. Now put the door on the carrier (but keep it open; you may need to tie it back with string so it doesn’t flap and scare the cat). Repeat step 2 like this then start closing the door give a treat and open the door straight away. Begin to leave the door closed for a little longer at a time, giving treats all the while. You could even put a bowl of cat food in for them to eat or start feeding the cat in the carrier regularly. 

Now we’re ready for some action. Have a light throw or towel sprayed with Feliway® to drape over the cage while moving it and while sitting in the vet’s waiting room. When the cat is in the carrier, take them to the car and put treats in the carrier if they will eat, then bring the cat back inside and let them out. Repeat this several times, then start going for a small drive before coming home. Now you’re ready for a trip to the vet or groomer etc. Once you get there, use your towel to put on the vet’s table so it’s warm and familiar. Take the top and door off the carrier. Your vet should be able to do all or most of the examination with the cat sitting in the carrier. Take treats to give your cat during the examination etc. 

For every time you take the cat somewhere in the carrier that they don’t like you’ll need to put some deposits back in the cat’s carrier trust account. Go back to whatever step you need to and reward the cat for going into their carrier several times, until they’re comfortable with it again. Now you can put the carrier away if you like and bring it out periodically to remind the cat that it’s a good place to be, and not always associated with negative experiences. Happy travels! 

Dr Lisa Henshaw BVSc. MANZCVS (Behaviour) 

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