On Getting Cats Used to the Cat Carrier Box

[johno]

As usual, this is what worked for me. YMMV.



1) Leave the box out and open where they can see it and move in and out of it at will.

2) Put a favorite sleeping blanket, rug, towel in the box.

3) Put favorite toys in the box.

4) Put treats, food & water in the box.

5) Leave out for a few days or weeks.

Let them get used to the box and finding "good" things in it.

6) If you play "chase" games with your cats and they run into the box. Do NOT drag them out for more play.

Let them think this is a safe place to be.

We actually use ours as a "end table", our cats play in it, sleep in it, and now simply look confused when we close the door and carry them outside in it.

...that is till they sense we are close to the Vets office....

Comments

[elizabear.livejournal.com]

Yes, exactly - I did basically this, and now my cats are self-loading. They only realize there's a problem and try to escape when I shut the door. This isn't a problem on the other end, since I shut the carrier door while in the exam room to keep them from retreating into the carrier, and they're happy when we're done and I let them back into the box and take them home.

A note for those who might not have thought about it: I always use the seatbelt to secure the carrier in the car, just in case, by feeding the belt through the top handle and buckling it.

[farvneho.livejournal.com]

is YMMV the Young Men's Motor Vehicle?

*young man, when you're short on your dough
young man, when you need a tow...*

Heh...

[admiralmemo.livejournal.com]

Our cats have no problems with the box. They do have problems with the car. They have no problems getting into the box, or us carrying them in there, but the moment they're in the car and it's moving, they get all fussy. So, we take them out. What happens then? They're roaming the car and fussy instead of in the box and fussy. It's no-win, but we deal with it.