Help! How do you get a cat into a carrier...update! SUCCESS!!!!!

[Trinityagain]

who really REALLY does not want to go but has to? Details: the last furrball that we added to the herd, Silver, came into the herd last August. At that time she had worms. Because she was the most ferel cat we have ever added, we could not get her into a carrier at that time so we got some off the shelf worm stuff. It seemed to work as they disappeared...or so we thought. About 2 weeks we saw that they are back. Ok made an appt for this morning thinking she is a lot better now as far as trusting us and hoped for the best...it didn't work. She didn't try to climb the walls this time but still...no dice. We tried everything.....so I cancelled and rescheduled for next Saturday. She has to go, they won't give me worm meds without seeing her, which part of me understands but at the same time....any ideas? We've left the carrier in the living room hoping that'll help a bit. And on the funny side of this, while the carrier was there this morning, before we tried to get her in, at least 3 members of the herd went in to check it out! I kept hoping she would go in and I would be able to just shut the door but no such luck...:rolleyes:

[happylabs]

Here is what I have found works for me. If you can get a small towel or blanket over the cat and sort of wrap them up so they cannot get their feet out you can get them in without them using their paws as leverage. If you stand the carrier up on its end you can gently drop them in. I usually put my carrier out for a few days too so they get used to seeing it. It can really be a challenge though. Good luck!

[Edwina's Secretary]

Backwards. I stand the carrier up on end and lower either E into it back end first!

Quickly and without hesitation! :rolleyes::D:D

[blue]

Backwards. I stand the carrier up on end and lower either E into it back end first!

Quickly and without hesitation! :rolleyes::D:D

I do the same to get Erp in a carrier.

My parrents have to do the towel, wrap, insert method with their cats.

[sasvermont]

I also drop mine in ass backwards but I also put the carrier in an area where the dearest furchild cannot escape, i.e. hallway behind a closed door, or the bathroom. That way you can trap kitty in the small area and play cat and mouse for only 1/2 an hour rather than 2 days. I usually feed all the cats in this small area, a few days in a row, before the "stuffing" event!

Oh, and you may want to wear hockey or football gear.

I have one kitty that is a dream and two that are impossible, at best!:eek: Guess which two are difficult? Yep, the two Abys! They act as though I am going to murder them. Once at the vets, you cannot get them OUT of the carrier and then when the time comes, they rush to get back in to go home!

[happylabs]

LOL @ hockey or football gear! :D

[blue]

I was thinking welding gloves and jacket for the realy stuborn cat.

[krazyaboutkatz]

When I had Cirrus, who was also a semi-feral cat, I had to put the carrier behind the toilet and then I'd get a broom and chase him into the bathroom and close the door behind me. Then I'd use the broom to chase him into the carrier and I'd quickly close the carrier door. Back then I only had the hard type of carriers so it was easier to close the door quickly. Good luck.:)

[Scooter's Mom]

Backwards. I stand the carrier up on end and lower either E into it back end first!

Quickly and without hesitation! :rolleyes::D:D

That is how I do it, too!

[CultureJunky]

I put the carrier on the floor then put them in backwards, they seem to be able to handle this better, because they can't see where they're going, they're not going head first into a horrible box. Hold the paws together on the front and the back end with your hand mostly around their bum. It seems to work for me, and also where I work when I put the cats back in their boxes to go home.

[jenluckenbach]

All the suggestions are perfect, but for the truly stubborn or fearful, use a pillow case.
Place cat in the pillow case and tie shut. Might sound suffocating, but they sleep tightly under covers, as you know, so there must be enough air flow for them through the material.

[Randi]

I can sympathise, Fister was impossible to get into a carrier years ago. The first problem was getting hold of him. :rolleyes:

Apart from the good advice you've got already, one thing you could do is give him a tranquilizer, just a mild one like 2-5 mg of Valium. Ask your vet about that.

Or have the dreaded box standing in the bathroom or kitchen on the counter and chase him out there with a broom or vacuum cleaner. Close door quickly! Grab him and lower him into the box.

Another thing you could do, is to grab him while he's asleep, hold him tight and have someone ready with the box.

Good luck! :)

[catmandu]

I ahve a lot of trouble with the Kitten Trio and only just recently have I been able to put John Hancock in a carrier,:cool::cool::cool:
Lat year we caught Scrappy 2 , and even with My Vet, His Aide and Myself holding on, we couldnt get her from GOING BALLISTIC and getting away!
She was a WILD CAT!!!!:eek::eek::eek::eek:
Good Luck with Silver.
:love::love::love:

[aTailOf2Kitties]

My cats never minded the carrier. I leave it out all the time under a table with the door open or removed. I have a comfy blanket in there and it's just another bed to them eventually. I always started out with the two halves folded together then eventually put the top on properly. Try to expose the spooky kitty to the box slowly by adding food or treats and go from there. Is this cat sociable with the others? Would she go in a carrier the other cats have been in?

Also usually the only worms you can actually see are tapeworms. Most over the counter wormers won't kill them. Your vet will give either a single Cestex pill or an injection. My 2 fuzzbutts got a general worming over a month and a half ago but I had to take them both back yesterday because I found tapeworm segmets on Havoc's rear end.

Good luck!:cool:

[RedHedd]

I have a top-loader Sherpa on wheels. When I know we have to go to the vet, I prepare the carrier ahead of time - make sure it's zipped open and easy to get to. I do this the night before or the morning of very quietly when Mitzi is sleeping. It's kept in the long hallway near the front door.

As the time for the vet appointment draws near I monitor Mitzi - where is she? What is she doing? If she's sleeping, that's a good thing. I will quietly snuggle her, smothering her in kisses and then gently pick her up for more snuggling and transport her to the port-a-prison. By the time she's fully awake, I've got the zippers zipped and she's ready to go. Sneaky, but it works :D

[Medusa]

Fortunately, all my Fur Posse are cooperative. Some even sleep in their carriers so it isn't at all threatening to them. However, when my calico queen Puddy was alive, it was a different story. I couldn't put her in a carrier in any way, backwards, upside down or whatever. I had to unscrew one side of the lid and lower her into it and I had to take her out of it the same way because she dug her claws in and I could shake the carrier and there was no way she would come out. I wore thick gloves and long sleeves but that didn't matter much because she would bite me and knock my glasses right off my face. Ah, I miss those days, believe it or not. Good luck w/getting your kitty in the carrier. If you must, unscrew one side of the lid as I used to. It works. :)

[Pinot's Mom]

We are very fortunate with Pinot and the carrier. She doesn't seem to associate it with bad things, so she's fine.
HOWEVER, our RB kitty Jamara was NOT the same! We were never, in 18 years with her, able to get her in a carrier. Her legs went straight out and she went into a big time panic mode. We gave up after a few tries and gave the carrier away. I would wrap her in a towel and hold her, shaking like a leaf, on my lap. She HATED the car, and HATED the waiting room at the vet's office! There weren't all these rules about pets in carriers that they have in vets offices now, so it was OK.
I hope you have better luck!!

[Trinityagain]

would you believe that this is the problem child? they look so innocent when they are asleep, don' they?

[GILL]

I have more trouble getting them out. We keep several carriers with the doors off. A fresh towel and they have a nice cozy bed. All 15 use them. They switch between the cat beds and the carriers. The last 3 weeks Bailey has taken over the one in the TV room. This way none are frightened by the carriers.

[Trinityagain]

well tomorrow is try number 2. We have a sort of plan in mind and I really hope this works. Please think positive thoughts that Silver will go into the carrier (with a minimal amount of blood loss for hubby and me!) and they can take care of the worms...

[Trinityagain]

Yahoo! Hubby is amazing! I wasn't allowed to be in the area so I have no idea how he did it but he did it! We have gone to the vet and back again...she does have tapeworms. They put a topical on her and said they saw no signs of fleas or anything else to worry about and she weighs 12 pounds. Everyone at the office just loved her coloring. She was pretty good, not happy by any stretch but not fighting or fussing....and this was actually a new vet for us. I will definitely be switching vets at this point!

Now to relax for a bit before going Easter dinner shopping!:D

[Cinder & Smoke]

Yahoo! Hubby is amazing!
I wasn't allowed to be in the area so I have no idea how
he did it, but he did it!

:eek:
:D

Some things are better left UNknown! :p

Back in the daze when Boots, da KAT (RB :( ), needed to be observed and
'watered' frequently, I bought him a Port-a-Prison so he could commute with us
to the Shop every day. 'Boxing da Kat' went well - ONE time! :rolleyes:

The novelty wore off 30 seconds after the door slammed shut.
After another 6 attempts to 'Box da Kat' that week, "we" agreed that he'd commute with his
collar and leash; and the Port-a-Prison could just stay home.

I was always thankful that the Humane Society wasn't present and monitoring
the 'stuffing' attempts. :eek: I don't think the Mutts took any pictures.

:cool: