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Making the carrier a friend NOT a foe

(Tips on helping your feline friend enjoy their pet carrier)

Many of these tips involve making the carrier a pleasant and familiar place to be:

  • Leave the carrier out, with the door open, in the living space of the home all the time if able, or at least often
  • Place very comfortable bedding, toys, and occasional treats inside the carrier for your cat’s enjoyment
  • On a regular basis, when your cat enters the carrier, close the door, pick up the carrier and walk around the house with it once, then set the carrier back down in the same place and reopen the door
  • Once your cat becomes comfortable with these “walk arounds” inside your home, take the carrier out to the car and set it down in the car without closing the car door, then bring it back inside and open the carrier door
  • Once your cat becomes comfortable with this step, repeat it but start closing the car door
  • Next, make one trip around the block with your cat in the carrier in the car
  • Repeat this last step until your cat is comfortable in the carrier riding in the car.

Vet Trip Tip:

When your cat is going to be taken to the vet, place a towel sprayed with Feliway (or another feline calming pheromone product) on the bottom of the carrier. Cover the carrier with a Feliway-sprayed towel prior to transport.