How to Get a Cat Into a Carrier Without a Fight

The vet part is rarely the problem. The carrier is.

You take it out of the closet, your cat reads the room, and the next twenty minutes decide how the whole day goes. By the time you reach us in Fairfax you are both wrung out, and none of that had anything to do with medicine.

Here is what actually works, and why we care about it as much as you do.

Why does my cat hate the carrier so much?

Because it only ever appears before something they did not choose. Closet, carrier, car, strangers. Cats are pattern animals, and that is a very easy pattern to learn.

Nothing about that is your cat being difficult. It is a reasonable conclusion drawn from good evidence, and it can be un-taught the same way it was taught.

How do I get a cat into a carrier without a fight?

Stop making it an event. Leave the carrier out all the time, not just on the mornings you need it. Door open, a blanket from home inside, a treat dropped in every so often for no reason at all.

Give it a few weeks and it stops being a warning and starts being furniture. Most cats end up sleeping in the thing.

When the day comes, load from the top if your carrier opens that way, and take the whole carrier to the car rather than carrying your cat to it. If your cat is already worked up, put a towel over the carrier once she is in. Less to look at is less to worry about.

What if that is not enough?

Then tell us before you come. Dr. Reed Hall makes this point in the video and it is worth repeating: we can prescribe something ahead of time to take the edge off.

That is not a failure and it is not sedation for our convenience. A cat who arrives calm gets a better exam, which is the entire point of coming.

What happens once you get here?

Everything after the car ride is our job.

Town and Country is Fear Free Certified at the practice level, which means the whole building works this way rather than one room or one person. Quieter rooms. Non slip surfaces so nobody is scrambling on steel. Treats used as a working tool. Handling that goes at your cat's pace, and staff trained to stop when the answer is not yet.

Sometimes that means a slower morning, and occasionally it means finishing something at the next Fear Free Appointment. That is not a lower standard of care. It is why your cat walks in more easily the second time.

What is the visit actually for?

A full physical, front to back. Eyes, ears, teeth and mouth, then heart, lungs, lymph nodes, joints, legs, belly and bladder. Bloodwork checks the liver, kidneys and blood sugar along with a red and white cell count, and a stool sample checks for parasites.

Cats are very good at hiding pain. Kidney disease, thyroid trouble and dental pain all show up in that bloodwork long before they show up in behavior, which is the whole argument for going yearly, and every six months once your cat is somewhere around seven. Here is more on feline wellness exams in Fairfax, and on our wellness plans if you would rather spread the cost across the year.

If you want the full walkthrough, the video at the top of this page is Dr. Reed Hall going through it start to finish. You can also see everything we do for cats at Town and Country.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long before the visit should I leave the carrier out?
A week or two is plenty for most cats. Longer does no harm. The goal is for the carrier to become boring before it becomes necessary.

My cat is fine once she is here. Do I still need to do this?
If the carrier is the only hard part, that is worth solving on its own. A struggle at home is the single most common reason a cat misses the yearly exam entirely.

Can you give her something to relax before we come?
Yes. Tell us when you book, or call (703) 273-2110, and we will sort it out ahead of time.

Does my indoor cat really need a yearly exam?
Yes. Indoor cats get the same dental disease, kidney disease and thyroid conditions. They are just better at hiding them.

Booking

September is Happy Cat Month, which is as good a reason as any to finally get her booked.

Book a Fear Free Appointment online, or call us at (703) 273-2110 if you would rather talk to someone. We are at 9836 Fairfax Blvd, Fairfax, VA 22030.

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