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...

[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!

[blue]

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

Quickly and without hesitation!

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! 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!

[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!

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.

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,
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!!!!
Good Luck with Silver.

[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!

[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