Getting her into a cat travel basket..

[KisstheTeapot14]

After a fruitless half an hour trying to catch her and get her into her travel box we had to cancel the vet trip (blood in poo intermittently - I have the enchanting job of poking about in her litter tray for daily inspections).

She was in the living room and managed to find various places to hide. Can't pick her up even on a friendly basis only had for a week - She had been staying at cat rescue for a few months and possibly stray before that. She is a nervous cat not used to being handled at the best of times given her history. I recall the lass at the sanctuary saying 'good luck getting that one to the vets'

I put treats and food in her basket and she was in there purring at 11pm last night.

Maybe if I get her used to it as non threatening I can lure her in on Friday for rearranged vets appt?

Tips welcome.

Youtube vets demonstrating how to get cat into travel box have got THE most placid and cooperative cats featuring in the videos!

It was not like this yesterday with Ivy :( Think we were equally traumatised by it.

We made friends later when I gave her some salmon after tea time and I apologised for my earlier misdemeanours.

I'd leave it out in the living room with the door open with a blanket and treats inside so it looks inviting

Am doing this - sprayed it with catnip spray too - just moved it to bathroom this morning and put food in. Going to be on the sparing side with food so she will be hungry tomorrow at 9 am :)

Low human cunning.

Had to laugh - she was trying hard to open pack of dreamies with paw last night (what is in those things?)

Bathroom is little and has fewer spaces for a certain small black cat to squeeze into!

It's a bit embarrassing when i get to vets but I use a massive box to take mine in because they're so much more willing to get in. It's more for a small dog and vet always comments but it makes vet trips 100 times easier.

We have a cat that won't be picked up. Not feral and had her from a kitten, she's just a complete psychopath. I go on the basis that the vet is best for her health so minor stress is better than not going. It helps to have two people, although can be done with one. I normally wait until she's not in the room before getting the basket out. Stand it on end so the door is at the top, sometimes inside a box or something to prop it up. Lure cat out of hiding with treats, gently pin down, then hold by scruff and under belly or bum to support with feet pointing outwards so she can't get you with claws. Then quickly lower the cat backwards (bum first) into the basket, makes it harder for them to starfish in the doorway because their legs are pointing the wrong way so they just slide in. Use the hand that was on their neck to block the hole while you flip the door shut with your other hand. It's the only way that works for us.

Outside of vets visits the baskets live under the spare bed with blankets in and the door removed so they are used to seeing them and they often sleep in there. Helps reduce the stress a little.

It's easiest in a small room without hiding places if you have a skittish cat. The bathroom for example would work well if you can tempt her there with food or treats first.

I leave the baskets In the spare room, then sit on the sofa and let them come to me. Grab them and carried upstairs and deposited in basket with minimal fuss. (Disclaimer; only works with very docile indoor cats! )

We have to go into operation catch cat. You close all doors leaving cat in an area with limited hiding places and no escape options. Then we have a tin of tuna with the spring water left in at the back of the cat carrier. Then she either goes in without much fuss or you start the fun game of catch and scratch. Best to start an hour before vets to avoid cancellations

The bathroom for example would work well

We thought that too but cat outfoxed us knocking down part of bath panel and going under the bath. But if you have secure bath panels should work.

Leaving the basket open or making it ‘attractive’ for the cats never worked for me. They still peg it when they see me holding it, even if they just napped in it.

I got a top opening carrier, the vets always think it’s a picnic basket.

It’s still not the easiest, but it is simpler for me to plop them down rather than trying to push them into a normal style one.

How are you trying to lift her? Does she let you get near her to sit with or stroke her?

I used to have to trick mine. Big pile of treats or fish. While they’re engrossed, I stroke them from the neck down then get to halfway and lift them (from behind so no flapping paws can’t touch me).

I don’t bring the basket to them though always leave it hidden nearby, I take them
to it.

I have one who gets in an absolute panic when picked up, she just trashes every part of her body until she’s free and this way has worked almost every time.

I also found closing them in a small space, with the basket in sight just panicked mine even more but it may work better for others.

Hopefully you’ll have a positive update for us tomorrow!

Sorry meant to say, if your carrier is a front opening one try putting it on its side so the entrance is at the top and then ‘dangle’ her in, so her feet go in first. I found that easier too, before I got a top opening one.

Lots of cats don't like the cat boxes as they look dark and scary, yes I know cats love dark and scary places, but cat boxes are different for some reason. I used to have the fully open cages, but you don't seem to be able to get them anymore, but I have had great success with the soft carry bags with zips all round so you can get them in the front or the top, they also have mesh sides so much more open. I have got a small dog one for my cat, as I couldn't actually physically get him into a cat box once he was past kitten-hood.

Put carrier in room with nothing they can hide in or under. Go about usual day for a while to lull them into false sense of security. Then make a fuss of them & pick them up. Carry them into carrier room (holding on with both hands) & shut door. Start the wrestling game while they do star jumps & acrobatic manoeuvres that you didn't think were possible. Try not to laugh too much as it weaken you. Be forceful. Ensure their claws were trimmed the night before. Don't give an inch. Prayer is useful!
I've never tried putting them in backwards - I will definitely try!!!

My boy doesn't mind being picked up but hates his carrier. We've only used it once to take him for his jabs and OH got scratched to death.

In the end we had to ring the RSPCA where we'd got him from and where he was having his injection and they advised one of us to hold carried tilted up and OH to slide him in bum first quickly so he wouldn't realise. We got him but he cried all the way and was not happy with us for the rest of the day.

He's a rescue and I think he thought we were taking him back

Poor cat Orange, if you do it enough they realise you get to go home.

I put ours in the en-suite and scoop him in using the door to chivvy his bum.

Last time he figured out standing on his hind legs like a meerkat makes this impossible 🤦🏻‍♀️

My cat is a lot better now he is 6 but when he was young he was a nightmare. I know it will sound harsh and weird but it will get done quickly and then the stress is over. If you can do it in a small room so there is less chance of escape. Put the box on its side with the door facing up. Then hold the cat by the scruff and support its weight. Then gently but quickly place the cat in the box. Make sure the treats are in the box ready.

This is only used if you have done the nicey nicey approach of putting treats in and letting the cat go in. Sometimes it's more important to get them to the vet to get them seen to (our cat constantly got abscess when he was young) than trying to be nice about it. Think I only had to do it twice.

Thanks everyone. Anecdotes of starjumps and meercat impressions have cheered me up no end. Fingers crossed. Friend at work has dog crate if Ivy really won't cooperate on the cat box.

Yep. Shut all doors to rooms with hiding places. Get catbox on end, door facing the ceiling. Corner cat in small space (usually kitchen for us - tho remember to lock the catflap) then lower cat in, bum first, and put lid in place. Strangely enough, he can't wait to get back in the thing at the vets - and often exams are carried out with him still in it, with the top half removed.
He cries the whole time

Yes the crying all the way to the vets, the ignoring of treats, pointed sulking when returned home. I let my dh deal with it all.

Make appointment for cat mealtime.
Lure cat out of sight of bathroom with a few Dreamies.
Get basket out without cat seeing, take into bathroom, assemble, stand on end in bath with doors open.

Close bathroom door to hide basket.
Go round house and shut every door and window plus catflap.
Put on something with long, thick sleeves.
Feed cat in kitchen.
Grab cat, take to bathroom, push bathroom door shut with shoulder, insert cat, back legs first into basket, detach front claws/paws from my sleeves, shut door and lock it. Apologise to cat.

One of my old cats was outrageously difficult to get in the cat basket.Like a Tasmanian devil on speed.
What I used to do is wait until she was having a nap then throw a thick bath towel over her and trap her in it. Then put the lump in the basket and pull out the towel.
I was once waiting for her after she had an operation in the back room at the vets and I was waiting an extra 20 minutes or so for them to bring her out. All I could hear was her screeching.

If your cat chases lasers or bits of string... laser lead her in, or slip a piece of string through the carrier and pull.

Works beautifully most of the time for ours. No trauma, no forcing, just a surprised cat in a basket.

The worst bit about fostering cats is that you have to get them in carriers. Wrestling a cat into the carrier in front of their new owners without looking like a brutal cat abuser is an art. I definitely favour dropping them in backwards, ideally in one swift and smooth movement; picking them up and dropping them in before they realise what's happening. It doesn't always work and once you fail once it gets harder and harder. I have never managed to fool a cat into a box with treats or toys. One cat, who had been an absolute madam while I had her, totally fell in love with her adopter and literally walked into the carrier on command for her, much to my amazement.

I normally do the wrestling into upturned carrier thing, but it only works with mine if I sneak up behind her when she's relaxed. Last time, she was aware of what was going to happen, got very scratchy, and I'm afraid I dropped her. This led to the discovery of a new technique, where I chased her into the corner of a room, using (to my shame) a broom to keep her there. Then put the carrier next to the broom, and - with nowhere else to go - she walked into the carrier. We were both traumatised.

:( big fail this morning. No way was she going to be fooled into carrier by tasty fish at the back end. She popped her front end in grabbed the food and came out - tried to push her in with cardboard box side prepared earlier. I think she knew from the moment I called her for breakfast. Doesnt help that we have family staying so she is extra cautious. Rang vets and apologised again. We will take sample of poo (kept in fridge, mmmm nice) for them to analyse.

She is currently hiding out behind large mirror propped in bedroom. Not talking to me earlier, but let me stroke her daft nose just now so must be less sulky. I am basically scared that if I try and pick her up by scruff she will scratch or bite or both. I am a big wuss and feel like a failure.