I have a female cat who is scared of my cat carrier. What can I do to make her not be afraid of it anymore?

Question

It's a fight to take her to the vet. She runs when she sees it and she doesn't like being picked up either.

Answer 1

If you have a place where you can leave the carrier out for several days (or longer), place it there and remove the door. Make a comfy bed inside and cover the carrier with a towel. Now, it becomes a little hidey-hole. Of course, the cat is still going to know what it is but, that's ok. If kitty has a favorite treat, place one or two in the carrier. A toy that she's comfortable with and likes is a good idea, too.

Use your imagination and try to think up 'pleasant' things to go along with that carrier. Place her wet food near it, gradually moving it closer. Play with her with an interactive toy, causing her to run in and out and jump on top. The idea is just to get her comfortable with the carrier.

One of my cats is in any carrier the minute it's put on the floor and the door opened. Then, I have to 'dump' him out so I can put the cat I actually need in the carrier in it. He sleeps in them when he can.

If you don't want to (or can't) take the time to get the cat comfortable and accepting of the carrier, the advice of placing the carrier on it's end and placing the cat in backwards works very well. I noticed you said the cat doesn't like to be picked up. One of mine is like that. I set the carrier in it's normal position with door open where she can't see it or isn't upset about it. While she's laying down, I pet her and lay a towel over her, scoop her up with the towel (all of her legs inside the towel) and put cat, towel and all in the carrier and shut the door.

Good luck!

Answer 2

Here is what I do since I have your problem x4,,,
I VERY QUIETLY get the carrier, not allowing it to clink because my cats recognize that sound from the other end of the house. I put it in a room, on end with the door at the top, and shut the door not allowing the cat to see it. I take the cat into the room blocking its view of the carrier and with somebody else there to close the door I drop the cat into the carrier from the top. After about 4 tries, this usually works. LOL. The amazing sight is the cat running BACK INTO the carrier at the vets after the exam...like LETS GO HOME NOW. It's not so much the carrier. It's the idea that the carrier means leaving home for the cat and going to the vets. We don't take joy rides with cats. Carriers are always bad news to them.
I had a cat recently who needed to go to the emergency vets and stay overnight on intravenous. After I had her home, whenever I put on my shoes, carried a laundry basket or anything else that looked like a carrier to her, she ran under the bed. Anything that looked like I was taking her away...it took about a month for her to get over it.

Answer 3

Try leaving the carrier open and in the house so your cat can explore it and get comfortable with it at times other than when she is about to go to the vet.

She might never love it but she will get used to it. Oh, and ironically, once at the vet's office you often encounter the opposite problem - suddenly they don't want to come out of the carrier! Haha