The low down on cat carriers

A new cat carrier can smell of the shop that it’s been in and smell heavily of plastic so if you can, leave it at home for a few weeks before you need to use it.

I mentioned in a previous blog to completely cover the carrier but some cats like to gather information so it’s better to leave it partially covered if possible, so your cat can gather information about the surroundings (or hide if they want to), you’ll know what your cat likes best.

There is a lot of sensory stimulation when in a carrier which includes:

The smell of the car.

The sight of the car.

The sound of the car.

There is a lot of movement when you are walking to the car and among uneven surfaces too.

If you are training your cat to become habituated to their carrier then breaking it down into different training goals is sensible. This includes:

Movement – when you pick up the carrier.

Visual  - speed of things moving past.

Auditory – the sound of the engine.

Olfactory/chemical – the smell of the car with air fresheners.

For indoor cats especially, you can imagine how they can be overwhelmed by this sensory overload. Desensitisation (making them less sensitive) to these aspects is very sensible.

What can you do?

You can create a relationship between food and the carrier. Carrier = food and therefore predicts good things!

It is a sensible idea to do this via operant conditioning so as soon as the movement in the carrier stops, the food stops aswell.

A buggy, or shopping trolley may be a great way of avoiding the shaking motion of what a cat feels inside a carrier. Popping the carrier inside a trolley and walking to the car will help stop the movement.

The car

Blocking out the windows is a good idea if possible.

The location

Place the carrier, if possible in the middle of the car on the floor to avoid motion and movement.

The carrier

It needs to be able to be easily cleaned.

Have slats so you can deliver food.

Be big enough so your cat can stretch and move around.

The car

Pheromone spray in the car is another excellent option although again, you want to do this hours before to avoid the alcohol smell.

The sound of the radio if played quietly can be a good option to block out the noise from outside.

Cats who hate the carrier

For some cats the stress of the carrier can be overwhelming they can

Drool

Pant

Be sick

Defecate/urinate

Some cats may associate it with pain if they are suffering from osteoarthritis

therefore speaking to your vet about medication options may be a great option to help them. Equally if your cat is travelling on a plane or you are moving house then speaking to your vet about options is really thoughtful.

What to carry?

 Carry spare bedding incase your cat does have an accident.

 Adapted from I Cat Care Conference 2022