Carrier for an unwilling carry-ee

[JorisBonson]

What carrier does everyone use? Boy cat is due his jabs in a couple of week and I'm already stressing about the chasing and wrestling needed to get him in his box. He also has elbow dysplasia so I get worried about aggravating it. Cheers!

We’ve just bought a top opening box from Amazon , it’s like a laundry basket with a lid .

Top entry carrier.
There's a reason these are used as standard in vets and rescues they are far easier to get unwilling cats into/out of.

Our nervous female has most of her annual health check sat in her carrier with her head buried under a blanket. She is brought out for a few seconds to weigh her, but vet can listen to her heart and palpate her abdomen etc without bringing her out of "safety".

We have this
www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/black-fabric-carrier?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=google_shopping&cm_mmc=Google--CPC--%20google_shopping-_-google_shopping&ita=1976&ito=google_shopping&istCompanyId=7255ccad-a1fc-4729-af31-478f79e5071c&istFeedId=385e6b9a-8b03-4076-a8bb-e4737df8549c&istItemId=itxmxpmpw&istBid=tzwt&cq_src=google_ads&cq_cmp=13034921204&cq_term=&cq_plac=&cq_net=g&cq_plt=gp&gclid=Cj0KCQjw_4-SBhCgARIsAAlegrUIoNKteacjWUR2EGpp0FuWEDWkg5Wt_19HKrkqHiCQ03p3eCOUE5QaAqAFEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
for Zelda 'the most anxious cat I've ever treated' according to our vet today!!!! She doesn't like it but we can get her in quite easily as it has a zip fastening.

We also have the zip one; it’s still quite hard to get Houdini in and keep him in, but it helps to do the zip up bit by bit.

Metalcote or similar wire one is a game changer. Large opening, easy to see what's going on so it's harder to trap errant paws/tail/head.

We have a top loading metal cage type one and a fabric zip one. The metal top loading one is far far easier to get a reluctant cat into.

One of our cats just claws away at the fabric one and can get the zip open however hard you try to secure it. Trying to find and capture the stray cat in the car at the side of a dual carriageway is no fun, trust me.

We used to fight to get our small cat into a normal carrier. She won most of the time. We have now bought a top opener cage and my goodness the difference! Still requires two people but none of us have the stress, blood or tears anymore. We got ours from a local vet practice but it looks exactly like this
www.amazon.co.uk/MDC-Cat-Carrying-Basket-Black/dp/B01DZXNH26/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=metal+cat+carrier&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1648656259&sr=8-5

We just throw an old towel over the top.

^^ the requiring of two people for it is not due to the cage, its purely to do with our very intelligent, very feisty cat. The only cat that has ever escaped from a post op cage in a vet practice that has been running for over twenty years. Whilst still recovering from a general anaesthetic. Couldn't even walk straight. The only one.

Normal people with the average cat will be able to use that crate by themselves. Only devil cats require two people

Normal people with the average cat will be able to use that crate by themselves. Only devil cats require two people

I'm sorry for your difficult cat but this made me smile after a shitty day, so thank you for sharing!

I have this one - moderna carrier

It has top and front openings

Top tip is before you need to leave, start shutting doors so they end up in a small room. Preferably with no carpet to cling to
Bathroom ideal - put the carrier in the bath and pick them up as if you were putting them in the bath but place in the carrier instead
And you usually get one go. I'm mean and do scruff, dump/shove in carrier, slam door and done. If you faff and have to try more than once it usually gets harder

I have a carrier called Doggie from Klickfix. Both my previous and current cat enjoy being in it. It is meant to be used on a bike but I have also used it for car rides. Car rides in other carriers have led to lots of howling and having a very hard time getting the cat into the carrier. This one is perfect. I‘m not sure whether this carrier is available in Britain (maybe via Zooplus) but there might be similar carriers there.

We have this one which is both front and top opening. catit.co.uk/shop/catit-cabrio-top-opening-cat-carrier/

[quote bookworm14]We have this one which is both front and top opening. catit.co.uk/shop/catit-cabrio-top-opening-cat-carrier/[/quote]
Oh I like this one, thank you!

We have that one too because it is strong enough to hold our 10kg Maine coon.

We’re happy with it. It’s very sturdy and the top opening makes it much easier to wrestle the little bugger into it! It also has food trays to keep them occupied when they’re inside.

I've got the curver picnic basket style carriers they are brilliant.

We've found, with all our cats, it's less stressful if we tip the front opening box up and drop the cat in, back end first. By the time they realise where they are it's too late. Job done.

Hi Joris.
We have the wire cage same as pixie dust. It's been a game changer
Our cat is a 5.5 kg ball of fury with 8 legs when we pick him up. We had a plastic cat box before.
It's so easy, top opening wide enough to just pop him in, and because he can see through the mesh, he settles down immediately.