How to get a cat in a carrier?

[Jeckybeanz]

What is the best way to get a semi-feral cat into the crate? She lets me pick her up barely but I don't think she would tolerate me putting her in a crate. I want to know what is the least stressful way? Any advice would be appreciated.

[marie73]

I put my carriers on end, with the opening at the top so I can drop the cats in. With one of my cats, I had to sneak up on her, wrap her up in a little blanket and deposit her in the carrier, blanket and all, all in a flash!

[Jeckybeanz]

Thanks!!! Right now I have the carrier out where she can see it and smell it and investigate. Trying to get her use to it. Friday is the big day she gets fixed.

[marie73]

I used to be able to get them in by tossing a treat in there, but they caught on to that trick pretty fast.

[coyt]

type your thread title into youtube. you'll get a lot of helpful videos and demonstrations including the method Marie was just talking about

[Jeckybeanz]

I have been looking on Youtube but I thought I would ask what method works the best?

[jawramik]

My cat Coda likes her carrier. We always let her have access to it and leave a snuggly blanket in there to make it an inviting place. She often sleeps in there. So when we need to put her in there, it's no big deal. Usually I just pick her up and put her in front of it and she'll just walk right in.

Cal isn't quite so easy. If I try to pick him up and put him in a carrier, he'll grab onto the sides with his claws and try to avoid it, but he's very food-driven, so if I just put a treat or a bowl with a little wet food (he goes absolutely crazy for any wet food and would probably follow an open can of it off a cliff if given the option) in the back of the carrier and his obsession with eating always wins out over any trepidation he may have about going in the carrier, so if your kitty is food-driven, bribing them inside with their favourite thing to eat might work.

If your cat is too smart/timid to fall for that, I'd go with the youtube research. The method of dropping them in to a carrier with the open side facing up seems like a pretty solid idea.

[Jeckybeanz]

Thanks so much for the advice everyone.

[Ritzpg]

It helps if you have two people. Ritz hates the cat carrier, but I've gotten better at scruffing him BECAUSE I don't get as upset, nervous. Ritz really picks up on my nervousness (though not any other emotion). I've also learned that it is best if I put a towel, blanket on top of Ritz once she is in the cat carrier. It is easier for her to bury under and harder for her to claw her way out of the cat carrier and hurt her nails. Of course once she is in the cc, I immediately put a blanket over it. Cats like darkness when they're afraid. Good luck--and thank YOU for getting your cat fixed. She'll thank you for it... later

[catloverami]

If the cat won't walk into the carrier for treats, or I'm in a rush, I have the carrier ready with door open on a table, pick up the cat so it doesn't see the carrier, and with one hand hold it under the belly behind the front legs and squeeze the front legs together with thumb and baby finger with the index and finger next to it up against the chest, and hold the hind legs togehter with the other hand. You should have complete control with this hold, and the cat won't be able to grab the edge of the carrier to keep you from putting it in. This is a good way to pick up a cat every time you have to pick it up and not just to put it in a carrier. Walk backwards to the carrier and at the last minute put it in. If the cat is really difficult to crate, you can blindfold it with a scarf or put a blanket over it and then put it in. Give it some treats in the crate, altho some cats dislike a crate so much that they won't eat them.