Just Get in Already
Written by: Christina Mehra, Staff Writer @ Vetcentric.com

Crash. Bang.

"Get back here, you!"

Sigh.

It sounds like World War III has broken out in your house.

The moment that your usually docile, laid-back feline friend spied you coming toward him with a carrier in hand, he suddenly turned into a hissing, scratching maniac.

Nursing your bleeding forearms, you take a deep breath and head toward the telltale glowing eyes, peeking out from the black abyss under the armchair, to try again.

Getting the cat into his carrier is the major hurdle in getting him to the veterinarian. In fact, many cat owners are often late to their appointments after losing a round (or two or three) with their pets. "That happens all the time," according to Lori Goodman, office manager at the Cat Care Clinic, Orange, Calif.
Beth Rasin of Middleburg, Va., a self-proclaimed "cat transport novice," has only had to load her kitty, Fin, into his carrier once—and once was enough.

"I never used to use a carrier when I was a kid; my cats were always good letting me hold them," she said.

So Ms. Rasin was totally unprepared for the battle that ensued when her usually sweet kitty had to go for his second trip to the animal hospital.

"The first time that Fin was put in the carrier, I think he was too young to give us a problem, but when he went back for his shots at one year, all hell broke loose when he saw that carrier!" she said.

She eventually got Fin in by wrapping him in a towel and turning the carrier on its end, but neither owner nor pet felt good about the experience.

"My kitty is usually so good, and very affectionate and loving," Ms. Rasin said. "I’ve never had to fight him or force anything else, and I felt as if I’d betrayed him by cramming him into the crate when he hated it so much."

Because it was so difficult to get Fin into his carrier, they almost didn’t make it in for his vaccines that day. "Next time he needs shots, I think that I might give them to him myself rather than traumatize him as much as the whole experience did last time," she said.
When the whole ordeal was over, she added, "I gave him lots of extra love … so he wouldn’t hate me!" Although he, too, was disturbed by the trip to the vets, Fin quickly forgave his owner. "But," Ms. Rasin said, "I really don’t want to do it to him again."

Crate Training

Melinda Volkert, Middleburg, Va., has gotten used to traveling with her five cats. Each has a different reaction to riding in the car.

One of her cats loves the car, and will actually ride on the dashboard like a dog. One hates it, and pees on Ms. Volkert out of fright. "The other three don’t really enjoy it, so I try to distract them so they can’t panic," she said.

Ms. Volkert, who has had cats all her life, has found that these creatures can learn to tolerate crate travel with training, no matter what their personalities.

"I try to work with them so it is not traumatic," she said.

Ms. Volkert tries to transform the carriers into appealing hangouts by letting her cats get accustomed to them at home.

First, she bought a soft-sided carrier, as well as the hard plastic kind. "I leave both carriers open under the dinning room table. I also put a towel in the bottom and sprinkle catnip on the towel," she said.

The strategy worked—soon the cats came to the carriers on their own.
"All of the cats take turns sleeping in the carriers," she said. "For fun I sometimes shut the door and move the carriers around the house. My cats think the carriers are their safety zones.
Leaving the carriers out so they can sleep in them or play around them will really help your cat adjust to the times that he has to ride in one," she said.

This is a good idea, especially if you start this training when your cat is just a kitten, Ms. Goodman said. But she cautioned that if your cat is already on to you—she knows the sight of That Box Thing equals unpleasant trip to The Scary Place—then leaving the carrier out ahead of time may just tip your hand, possibly even causing the cat to go into hiding.

Ms. Volkert also has another trick for making the maiden journey more enjoyable—she uses another "family member" to set an example of calm behavior in the car.

"When [the cats] first started taking car trips, I’d bring my black Lab, Ryker, with us as they all love him and he rides in the car like a champ. I have found that this helps to make them feel more comfortable when their companion is not worried about the ride," she said.

Travel tricks

Mike Everett, an animal welfare associate at the Humane Society of Bolder County, Colo., has perfected his own technique of loading cats into carriers.

While cradling the cat on his forearm, he wraps two fingers around each front paw. The first two fingers hold one paw, and the ring and pinkie fingers secure the second paw.

If needed, he also reaches around with his other hand puts the back paws in the same grip. Then he loads the cat three-quarters of the way into the carrier and lets go. Most cats will not try to get out once they are almost all the way in, he said.

Co-workers have also had success with tipping the carrier on one end so it is vertical and gently dropping the cat down in, Mr. Everett said. This way the cat can’t push off the floor and resist.
If the cat is really difficult to pick up, you can wrap a blanket or towel around it and swiftly scoop it into the carrier. If all else fails, some clients will slip a pillowcase over their cat and use it as a bag to carry the cat into the hospital, Ms. Goodman said.

After you’ve made it to the animal hospital, Ms. Volkert said, it helps calm cats to let them out as soon as possible. As soon as she gets into an exam room at the veterinarian’s office, she takes the cats out of the carriers and lets them check out their surroundings.

Experimenting with different kinds of carriers may help as well. Some open on the side, others on the top. Some look like bags or purses, others are made of metal. You may find one type is more comfortable for your cat or is easier for you to maneuver.

Ms. Volkert said she has had good luck with the top-loading Samsonite soft-sided carrier, which has a zipper on each side. It allows the owner to set the cat down into it, rather than cram it in, she explained.

Whatever type of carrier you decide on, it is important to have something—and not just for trips to the vet’s. In case of a fire, a tornado, or other mandatory evacuation, you’ll need a carrier to bring the cat with you to safety.

Pets can get scared and hide during stressful times, like during natural disasters, according to Betsy McFarland, program manager for animal sheltering issues at the Humane Society of the United States. If a pet owner has to evacuate and can’t get his or her cat into a carrier, often the pet has to be left behind, and some don’t survive.

Just in case such an emergency arises, it is a good idea to get your cat used to the carrier ahead of time so that you can quickly load it in, Ms. McFarland said.

"Leave the carrier out all the time," she said. But pick a low traffic area and tie the door open, so it won’t swing shut and startle the cat. You can even try feeding the pet in the carrier.

When the cat is scared, try holding the animal and backing it into the carrier, she suggested.
While practicing loading your feline into its carrier, remember to protect your own skin, too, Ms. Rasin warned.

"If you have to force them, wear gloves and long sleeves!"

*Article courtesy of VetCentric.com
Originally published October 17, 2004
Written by: Christina Mehra, Staff Writer @ VetCentric
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