My cat cannot STAND his carrier. He's too smart for the old bait trick. The thing I don't understand is the fact that he loves small, confined places like under my clothes in my closet and in small corners covered by stuff. Why does he hate it so much?
2006-08-12 09:59:02 · 8 answers · asked by Leafy 6 in Pets ➔ Cats
Cats only hate carriers if they have (accidentally) been *trained* to hate them. In other words, any time they get in them something bad happens to them.
Mine love them.
Especially as kittens (but even as adults), I just set the carrier on the floor. Pretty soon two or three of them will be inside checking it out. Toys and a nice matt help..
We raise Ragdolls, and when a kitten is about to go home, I put their little receiving blanket in the crate while the owners & I finish the paperwork and instructions. All the cats wander in and out, and often the kitten itself. The smells are those they are familiar with. A toy helps. :-) By the time the kitten is ready to go home, it has all the great smells of Mom, the littermates and other kitty household members.
If you put your carrier on the floor as described, and your cat associates with all these good things, she'll decide this is a GREAT place to go. An added bonus is that when you DO take them to the vet, they seek refuge in the cage after the exam. It's such a simple way to train them!
Smiles and good luck!
2006-08-12 10:38:25 · answer #1 · answered by Ragdoll Kitty 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because the only time they are in them they go to the vets. Try leaving the carrier out and open. Perhaps even toss a toy insides it. Once your cat gets over associating the carrier with the Vet, things will be easier when you do have to put the cat in the carrier
2006-08-12 12:39:46 · answer #2 · answered by nemesis1im 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Cats don't mind carriers IF they are on the ground and don't move.
Supposedly a good way to train them to go in when you need them to is to leave them around all the time so they may become familiar spaces to be in. A towel inside will have their scent on it and be even more comfortable.
In my experience cats don't want to be where you want them to be just as a matter of principle. If I want to make my bed and I take Sylvie off it and place her on the equally comfy chaise where she frequently sleeps anyway, she will go somewhere else.
If a cat has curled up on "my" spot on the couch and I want to sit down and move the cat like a foot to one side in an equally comfortable place the cat will still take off.
2006-08-12 10:31:50 · answer #3 · answered by old cat lady 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Cats aren't dumb - they know where they are going if they get into that carrier! Plus, they only like doing anything when THEY want to! We have two cats and they are both just like that about the carrier! :)
2006-08-12 10:02:57 · answer #4 · answered by Jenny from MA 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I truly believe that they "know" that they are going to the vet. You get out the carrier, and they put 2 and 2 together. lol. This is what my cats do.
2006-08-12 10:12:35 · answer #5 · answered by ride2cowboy 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
cats are naturally very territorial. they like to be in open space. they get sort of clostrophibic (sorry about spelling) when they are put into a small place because their instincts tell them they should be in a large space. my cat likes to be underneath clothes because it is dark and warm. but ifhe gets put into a carrier of even into our bathroom he gets scared because he cannot find a way out.
2006-08-12 10:05:44 · answer #6 · answered by Shadow 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
they dont like being confined to a small place unless they choose it
2006-08-12 10:03:05 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
mine love theirs.
2006-08-12 10:11:24 · answer #8 · answered by macleod709 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋