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Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

Rehoming cats who soil their carriers

15 replies

Starfishing7 · 26/04/2023 03:07

We are in the process of looking for a new home for our two lovely cats and have someone interested in coming to meet them. Apart from the issue of how sad it will be to see them go, I’ve started worrying about the actual process of new owners getting them home, as well as getting them to the vet etc. in future, because both of them hate going in their carriers and will almost always wee/poo and sometimes vomit while in there 🙁. They also make an ear-splitting howling noise from the second their doors are shut. The carriers we have got are quite large and heavy as they were used to fly them home from overseas in 2019, so I am going to buy new carriers to go with them if/when they go.

My question is, is there a type of carrier I could buy that would make them less stressed? I know that it would help to leave the carriers out for them to investigate them for a while before putting them in, but any other tips? Would smaller carriers just automatically help because they would feel safer being more contained?

Also, is it likely we will even be able to rehome them knowing this is the case? I would have to be honest about it with prospective new owners, and I can’t imagine anyone not being completely put off by it? It’s been awful for us but thankfully they’ve only needed to go in them once a year for their jabs (touch wood!) so we’ve just got through it, but I hate the idea of putting anyone else through it.

Any advice would be appreciated!

OP posts:
TescoFinestMyArse · 26/04/2023 04:44

Would it help if you got one big carrier and they went in together?

EnoughEnoughnow · 26/04/2023 04:56

Ask your vet if they have any ‘tranquil treats’ for cats. I’m in Australia so brand names will be different but I had something called VitaRapid which had chamomile and ginger and B vitamins. There’s also calming sprays that you can spray their carrier bedding with that my vet recommended for mine

CatsVacation · 26/04/2023 04:57

Speak to your vet clinic about giving them gabapentin for the journey to make them less anxious- that should make a huge difference.

Gigi89x · 26/04/2023 05:00

Its very common for cats to wee/poo in carriers, happens to mine a lot. We put a puppy training mat in the bottom of the carrier to soak up any wee etc, works very well.

helpfulperson · 26/04/2023 05:34

I'm not sure why it's such a problem. One of mine does that. Puppy pads and a quick wipe down of cat with wet wipes afterwards.

Tockomtele · 26/04/2023 05:59

And please tell the new owners so they can mentally prepare.

JanetandRita · 26/04/2023 06:35

Cover the carrier with a towel or blanket. It will calm them. I'm a professional animal welfare worker and this is what we do. Put them on the floor of the vehicle and keep everything nice a quiet.

Don't drug them, it doesn't stop stress and vets don't recommend doing it anymore because cat us still stressed they just don't show it because they are drugged.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr · 26/04/2023 06:40

JanetandRita · 26/04/2023 06:35

Cover the carrier with a towel or blanket. It will calm them. I'm a professional animal welfare worker and this is what we do. Put them on the floor of the vehicle and keep everything nice a quiet.

Don't drug them, it doesn't stop stress and vets don't recommend doing it anymore because cat us still stressed they just don't show it because they are drugged.

I'm a vet and this is incorrect. The drug acepromazine used to be used for travel, which is indeed outdated and worked as you say. But there are other options now which truly do reduce anxiety.

JanetandRita · 26/04/2023 06:45

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr · 26/04/2023 06:40

I'm a vet and this is incorrect. The drug acepromazine used to be used for travel, which is indeed outdated and worked as you say. But there are other options now which truly do reduce anxiety.

Show quote history

Our vets say otherwise! And are feline specialists.

JanetandRita · 26/04/2023 06:46

However I'm not going to argue with a vet on this one, it's just the advice I'm given.

JanetandRita · 26/04/2023 06:53

Here are some practical tips which may help in lieu of drugs https://icatcare.org/advice/travelling-with-your-cat/

Up to OP, speak to your own vet if you feel it might be necessary.

Travelling with your cat | International Cat Care

https://icatcare.org/advice/travelling-with-your-cat

JanetandRita · 26/04/2023 06:54

*you was missing there. Phone is not cooperating this morning!

dogandbonio · 26/04/2023 06:54

They sell lightweight fold up carriers on Amazon for dogs and cats. When we got a puppy we left the carrier in the house for weeks, put a familiar blanket in there and regularly put treats in so she went in and out all the time. It can definitely help.

coffeecupsandwaxmelts · 26/04/2023 07:14

Loads of cats soil their carriers - it really isn't anything to worry about and any prospective cat owner should be well prepared for it.

We just used to put a taped-down puppy pad in the bottom of the carrier and then just clean it out afterwards if they had an accident.

It's really not a big deal.

Toddlerteaplease · 26/04/2023 14:50

Just tell their new owners that they don't travel well. And arm them with poo bags and wipes. Why are you rehoming them?

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