Helping Cats Overcome The Carrier Barrier

One of the biggest mistakes people make is only bringing out the cat carrier when it’s time to go to the animal hospital, according to Dr. Carney. That creates negative associations, which can be compounded if the carrier has been outside or in a garage, where it might smell like other animals or be too hot or cold, depending on the weather.

Instead, always leave the cat carrier open in a safe part of the home so a cat can come and go. Place soft bedding inside the carrier and periodically put a special treat inside. Play with a feather toy around the carrier so your cat gets used to being around it, and spray feline facial pheromones like Feliway on the carrier and its bedding — but never directly on the cat, Dr. Carney emphasized.

She also stressed the importance of not placing the cat carrier near a washing machine.

“Think about it: smells always change in a laundry room. It's often in a high traffic pattern in a household. There are sudden noises that explode out of somewhere when the dryer flip-flops direction or the washer goes to a spin cycle. Anything like that that's sudden, loud, can upset a cat,” she said. “With the carrier in there, it’s like the cat thinks it’s in a war zone quite often.”

Whenever a cat starts going into the carrier on its own, praise the cat in a calm way that conveys positive emotion, Dr. Carney recommended.

“Then caregivers can just slip over, close the latch on the carrier for a short interval and open it before the cat starts to try to get out, because again, you want a positive association,” she said.

Once the cat is going in and out of the carrier and allowing you to close the door, pick up the carrier and move to another room — then open it and praise the cat. Later, try walking in and out the front door with the cat in the carrier.

Be careful not to swing the carrier by the handle, which will stress the cat. Instead, tuck it into your chest or place an arm around it so the cat feels supported, Dr. Carney said.

Gradually introduce taking the cat in the carrier to the car — sit in the car for a moment and head back inside together. Then try a short ride around the block. While driving, speak soothingly to your cat or play calming music, like tracks from “Music for Cats.” You can also spray feline facial pheromones in the car before your trip. (They typically wear off after 4-6 hours, Dr. Carney noted.)

When the big day arrives and it’s time to head to the veterinary clinic, act like it’s any other day to avoid creating anticipatory fear in your cat. Wait for your cat to enter the carrier — or make it enticing with a treat or a toy — and calmly close the door.

“The caregiver’s very relaxed approach is much more important than I think a lot of caregivers realize,” she said. “People give off smells, movements, changes in their intonation and breathing pattern that the cat detects.”

For cats who have a negative association with the animal hospital, drive a different route to get there. Be sure to keep the carrier in on the floor of the backseat of the car for safety, Dr. Carney added.

Choosing A Cat Carrier

Most veterinarians prefer a cat carrier with a front door as well as a top that can be opened quietly to extract the cat without causing stress, according to Dr. Carney.

Meanwhile, cats tend to prefer a well-structured carrier that is rigid — particularly on the bottom, so they feel supported — but padded on the inside with bedding.

“A lot of cats prefer the circular carrier with the dome, and the dome lid completely zips off,” she noted. “That’s very, very nice for a cat and for the clinician handling the cat, because a comfy cat, of course, is a curled up cat. Not a fear ball, but a relaxed curl.”

By following her tips for helping cats overcome the carrier barrier, many of Dr. Carney’s clients have been delighted when their cats — even older cats — have become easy to transport to their annual exam or elsewhere.

She’s seen positive results in her own cats that she and her husband adopted as adults — Calamity Jane, Hi Ho Silver and Wyatt Earp — and her daughter has been training her new kitten, Parmesan, to become accustomed to his carrier since bringing him home.

“She started from day one,” she said. “The kitten loves his carrier.”

Ultimately, helping a cat feel relaxed in and around a carrier will pay dividends by helping feline family members get the veterinary care they need.

“We want to see them so that we can help caregivers keep those cats with them as long as they can,” Dr. Carney said. “The tricks definitely work — and they’re not tricks. They’re actually based on how a cat thinks. And that’s what we really have to do to win. We have to think like a cat — see the world how the cat sees its world.”