How to get a cat in a carrier?

[Jeckybeanz]

Thanks Everyone. When will she get her appetite back? She won't eat dry food or the tuna I offered her. What should I do?

[Desert Hippie]

Originally Posted by Jeckybeanz

Thanks Everyone. When will she get her appetite back? She won't eat dry food or the tuna I offered her. What should I do?

Not eating after surgery is pretty normal. She should begin
to have some interest in food tomorrow. Watch that she's
drinking some and using the litter box normally tomorrow as
well. I'd just let her rest. She's had a hard and scary day,
and I imagine she isn't feeling too comfortable right now either,
so occasional checks and comfort words and pets should
be enough for tonight

[Venusworld21]

It's a little late now, but another option for cats who don't like crates is to get a bigger crate. I've used dog crates before when I've had to transport cats who really didn't want to go into a crate, or very large cats.

Glad she made it through her surgery well! 24 hours is pretty normal for reduced appetite. Try offering her small meals...she's been without for about 12 hours before the surgery right? Eating a bunch all at once might make her tummy upset. Offer her a few bites at a time. It'll probably be another 24 hours from now before she's back to eating regular size meals again.

[Jeckybeanz]

Thanks. The vets told me they gave her a slow release shot of narcotics that lasts up to 3 days. So tomorrow I will try feeding her again she is using the litter box. The vet also told me she was in heat and if we didn't get her in when we did we would have probably would have had kittens. They also said it didn't look like she had kittens before.

[Josta]

We, as new cat owners, had the same trouble to get him into the carrier. Then, we learned it's "TGIF"....Tail Goes In First.

After a few times of this, when Meow-meow got used to the carrier, he now goes in head-first, with just a little bit of encouragement.

John

[Jeckybeanz]

Thanks everyone. You are all great.

[Marcia]

Since the cat is largely feral and timid, it does help to have two people, but if that's not possible then position the carrier on end so the opening is up, in one quick motion grab the scruff of the neck (wear gloves if possible) secure the back legs with your other hand and plunk her in to the carrier and close the lid FAST! Learned this by watch Animal Cops!! I like the idea of putting a towel or ther covering over the carrier, too. Helps calm them down. Good luck!!

[Merlin_Guinevere]

If this is a repeat, I'm sorry.

Anyway, one of my cats is super easy to get into the case. I just stuff him in, and he's fine. The other one has left many claw marks on me as she attempts to thwart my stuffing efforts. She definitely will not go in head first. Putting the case vertically worked two or three times. Now it is just as dangerous as the head first method. Someone told me to put her in butt-first, and it worked wonderfully. She went in so easily, and I was able to get the door closed with no effort. Not only that, but the car-ride was much more pleasant for her since she remained calm from the very beginning. If nothing else works, try the butt-first method. They can't see it coming, so they don't have a chance to panic about it.

[LaurulFeatherCat]

Don't worry; she will just be glad to be home when you bring her back from the vet. I only ever had two of the 35 cats I have had to have spayed or neutered hold a grudge for more than a day or two.

The worse cat-in-the-carrier experience I ever had was with my TuxCat. She and her sister were feral kittens and Tux hated to have two hands put on her; she would literally freak and do anything to get lose. When spay day came around, I did catch her, but she bit me for the first time ever and I involuntarily let go of her. I had to wait for my BFF to come over to help me catch her again. It only worked because we trapped her in the bedroom and the bedroom has a cat door cut into it. I set the cat carrier with the open door up against the cat door and Kim chased Tux out of the bedroom right into the carrier. I warned the vets about her being feral but they said they had no problem with her at all. Tux didn't let me touch her for two months. But now, a year later, she is all but a lap cat; but still does not like to have two hands on her at the same time.

[nicichan]

Glad everything worked out for you!

For my cat, getting her into the carrier definitely needs two people. I've been trying for ages to get her used to it, I leave it out and often put treats in it, but I think she can tell when I'm going to try and lock her in it because she won't go in by herself then. The only way that works for me is for my boyfriend to hold the carrier at an angle with the open side halfway up, then I grab the cat and hold on to her back legs and chest and put her in tail first and she kind of slides into the carrier. We then have to be very quick to close the door. Ugh, I wish she didn't hate it so much and it was a bit easier!