Ideas on Acclimating a Finicky Cat to a Carrier

I am a strong believer in making sure that your cat is acclimated to their carrier as soon as possible. This can be done at any age, but it is of course easier when they are younger. We haven't owned kittens, so this wasn't an option for us. Of course it can be done, as I have said, at any age. And it is a vital skill your cat should learn.

So no matter where you are in your cat's life, it is never too later to start carrier training with them.

As strong of a believer as I am in keeping kitty happy in the carrier, I am equally strongly against sedatives.

Many sedatives depress the respiratory rate and make it difficult for animals to regulate their body temperature. This can be a risk for both the youngest kittens as well as any geriatric cat, even if they are in ideal health. Why risk it? Keep your mits off the sedatives!

It's Never Too Late

Start small, or better yet, short. Build up a little every day until your pet is comfortable in the carrier. Since cats like small spaces it is easier than you think to make the carrier a place where they feel at home.

But you will never get there if you don't start somewhere. So if you know that you have a big trip coming up, and your cat is terrified of the carrier, start acclimating her to the carrier today. Don't spare your cat the stress up until a week or so before the trip. Do it now so you can start small and make it a happy experience.

Here are some ways to do it. Start by feeding them in the carrier, this is a bit trickier if you have multiple cats. What we did for one of our cats was to put catnip in their transport box.

Make sure that you also have a comfortable bed in it. Spend time with them in and around the box. Pet them in it, or feed them some favorite treats when they go inside.

No matter what you need to do, make sure that it is a happy, low-stress place to be.

Some people I know like to use Feliway spray or wipes to make it even less stressful for her. While I have never used them they may be something to look into, another thing to try are Composure chews to ease her stress further. Again I haven't tried them so I cannot attest to the effectiveness of them.

People will also suggest Xanax. This is one of the worst ideas I have ever heard. Drugging your cat with sedatives prescribed by your vet is bad enough, doctoring around on them with your medication is 10X worse! If you want to see if there is medication that will lower their anxiety levels speak with your vet directly.