£0.00
checkout
Subscribe to The Extraordinary Pet Blog:
RSS 
Email
Follow us 
Become a fan 
The Extraordinary Pet Blog
10th June 2009:
> How to Use a Cat Carrier Without Getting Scratched
How to Use a Cat Carrier Without Getting Scratched
The first time I used a cat carrier was when Josie was transported from her mother to our house. She hardly moved or made a sound for the entire hour’s journey. A couple of weeks later we needed to take her to the vet for her jabs, so out came the carrier and off ran Josie. Having dragged her out from under the bed, she was forced kicking and screaming into the plastic box, causing significant bodily harm to me. She then spent the next 30 minutes meowing at the highest volume she could manage which, when you’re trying to negotiate rush hour traffic, is not the most calming of environments. Thus, Josie’s fear of the dreaded cat carrier was borne.
But it doesn’t have to be like this and we’d learned by the time Jake and Lilly came into our lives. Travel is a stressful experience for any cat, and to a new kitten especially, the first journey away from its mother and siblings can be even more so. So once you’ve chosen your cat carrier, there are some simple things you can do to make sure that stress is minimized and that the cat doesn’t learn to flee from the carrier on sight.
Making positive associations between the carrier and the cat may reduce fear and make the whole experience less stressful for both you and your cat. Carrier experiences usually start with a human trying to force the cat into the carrier, so if you can avoid this that’s half the battle. But how?
Cats are curious animals, so you can use that to your advantage. Get yourself a good quality cat carrier and take it out early, preferably the day before you need it, and leave it lying around with the door open and some of your cat’s things inside it; toys, bedding or even one of your old sweaters will do. Basically anything that the cat finds comforting.
Within a day, it’ll have been in and out several times, guaranteed. By the time it comes to start your journey you should be able to gently pick your cat up and place it inside the carrier. When you return, again leave the carrier out for a day before putting it away, so that it doesn’t suddenly disappear only to appear again next time they have to make the dreaded vet journey. Job done!
Leave your comments on this post on our Facebook page.
Digg
Delicious
StumbleUpon
reddit