Tips to catch a cat

[Amichelle84]

We have to take our cat to the vet tonight and he's notoriously hard to catch to put in his travel cage. We usually have to cancel appointments for days and both get covered in scratches. Stressful for him and us.

We really need to get him to his appt as he has blood in his urine.

Does anyone have any tips and tricks to make this less stressful for him?

I've had the cage on the bed and have just been having a nice cuddle with him and given him a couple of treats. He had a little sniff of it and seems calm so far...

This every time. Preferably get them when they’re asleep.

Cage in the lounge, cat is asleep on the settee. Oik her up by the arms, feet in first, shut the door.

Or do it like DH, ask her nicely whilst gesturing to the carrier, chase her around the house whilst she mugs you off, line up 10 treats to her carrier and then chase her as she runs off leaving the last two to evade capture and then ring to cancel appt.

Rule no 1: Hide the basket

• Get cat relaxed in room
• Pick up
• Whip basket out of nowhere
• Shove in gently and close door

He's bloody escaped! Came in with tuna and he was out

Uh oh.

No good for this trip but sounds like you need a new cage.
Seriously recommend the industrial looking wire ones with a top door.

Now you know why I typed metal gate and padlock…….

Oh no! Escaped in the house or escaped outside? I have one who shreds you if you try and put him in a basket. Usually takes two of us and a towel and chain mail gauntlets

Double check it's fixed shut

I did say....

I was walking from the car to the vet with DCat to once only to hear a crash and realise the bottom had dropped out of the carrier and he was on the floor in the bottom half and I was holding the top half in my hand. Luckily he was too shocked to run and I could slam the top back on.

I then bought a bag- style carrier that is in one piece and had zip openings. No kitty is getting out of that.

It's quite a crappy one tbf. Caught him again just with a few more scratches this time.

This. Especially the coat and gsrden gloves.

Glad you got him back in! We have a cloth carrier with a zip opening at the top. Much easier than the metal one we used to have. Hope the urine issue isn't serious.

My cat burst through the zips on one of the bag type of carrier. This was in the car on the way to the vets. We had to turn around and go back home.

I'll look in to a cloth one, sounds good!

Thank you, me too! I think it might be stress, hoping it is stress anyway as he is still young and only coming up to 3.

This!! This is how my daft DCat comes back from the Cattery cos he messes about that much. Go in and he's stood at the door miaowing excitedly to see me but as soon as I go in ready to bring him home it's like he's saying nah stuff this I'm staying here a bit longer and then runs off to go sit back in the bed. Take him to the Vet however for his vaccinations and he walks back into his carry case no problems. At home I usually just lob a treat in and then once he's part way inside just shove his bum in and slam the door shut.

It was the type that my little girl cat managed to learn how zips work - metal cage and padlock (she can nudge flap bolts open too)😳

My boy gets so stressed that he usually pees or poos in the carrier. The vet gave us gabapentin for him. He gets it 1.5 hours before the appointment and he’s so stoned that he’s practically liquid.

I suggest asking the vet to give you a prescription for future visits. Poor kitties get to awfully stressed!

We have same issues (though I see kitty is now caught - well done, it can be a major mission). So many cancelled trips. DH did it last time and counter intuitively left all doors open other wise she gets wind that something is up. I don't know how he managed to lock her in but he did. He said he just went quietly up and closed door softly. Me and DS were outside awaiting confirmation of deed done.

She's a rescue and probably been feral in the past. She's as quick as greased lightening and can squirm out of any grasp. The towel stands no chance she's off before we can even come near. I have watched all of the YouTube videos about cat capture.

We do always feed her in cage these days (door open) so its somewhere she is happy to go.

She does like to keep her back feet outside just so she can do a quick getaway.

She's a house cat so we need to take her at least 2 x a year for manicures with the nurse. She's soft as butter at all other times, but gets the feral gleam in her eye when its V E T time. Even the cat sanctuary people had to have 2 goes and parting shot was ''good luck getting that one to the vets'', as they waved us a cheery goodbye. Not blooming wrong there.

Ironically she is well behaved at vets, apart from deep rumbling growl at dogs (and she's a tiny wee thing) and walks back into carrier calm as a cucumber when clipping and weighing is done and dusted.

As per posters talking about sedation, we have often joked she is like BA Baracus and needs a knock out pill in order to 'fly'. Will bear that in mind!

I trained my boy to not stress about being in the carrier.
I got a carrier with an opening in the roof.

1. I’d put him in, give him treats, then let him out after a few minutes, treats. Did that three or four times.


2. He went in the carrier, treats, out to the car, sit in the car for a few minutes but don’t go anywhere, back inside, treats. Two or three times, because he was so much better about going in the carrier.


3. In the carrier, out to the car, go for a short drive. Come back home, treats. Did that a couple of times.

He doesn’t fret about going in the carrier now, and the vet can lift him out of the carrier. It makes life so much easier.

I used to have sedate him to get him in the carrier, now he goes in without a problem.

Do you think the vet would give me some?

We never ever get the cage out first, or you've already lost. You can't put on coats or get ready first either, or they know what's up. No idea how. Lock the catflap in the morning.

We have two, so we co ordinate as they are often in different rooms. We shout "ok!" We each pick up a cat at the same time and bring them to the porch and shut them in with us. Get the cages out of the porch cupboards, put them in. Job done.

You can get carriers that unzip to become beds. The idea being it is a place of safety the rest of time, and not as scary when they are in it going to the vet.

The vet will give you a tranquilliser for him if he gets really distressed about visits. My boy would still fight after he was doped, he hated it that much.

For a potentially fighty cat, approach with treats while a big blanket is thrown over them, wrap in blanket and lower into crates. I have 2 bag types of the carriers as i take both cats at once for boosters etc. I secure the zips underneath and then add cable ties to it, keep spares for the journey home after vets. Dispenser treats and leave carrier out for a few days so it can be explored after the vets trip

@Amichelle84 you can explain to the vet. Most don’t want your pet stressed no more than you do. Good luck!

I was just going to say 'make sure that the carrier is securely locked' but I see it's too late.