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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

Help! Can’t get cat into carrier for her appointment this morning!

63 replies

Maggiethecat · 10/11/2023 10:54

Unusually difficult today!

OP posts:
JackieQueen · 10/11/2023 18:23

One of ours escaped from the basket in the car on the way to the vets. He suddenly jumped onto the dashboard, luckily my husband didn't have the window open! It was one of those old fashioned basket ones with the metal grill and leather straps, it went in the bin that day.

Original poster
Maggiethecat · 10/11/2023 18:39

Alltheyearround · 10/11/2023 18:16

Ours is a fiend, too quick for the towel. Even took the cat sanctuary 2 goes to get her in. They said good luck with her!!!

She is small and not fierce but can shift like greased lightening.

Now we have basket out at all times and feed her in it. She stetches out long and thin so her back legs are outside. Not daft.

DH has the fastest reflexes so on vet days he is allocated to shut the door.

Have missed a number of vet trips in past as she has gone awol at the speed of light - she does the star fish thing as well - legs out with claws to catch hold of basket edge.

Top loader for next basket - but do they not just leap out?

Maybe my reflexes are just not up to the job of cat handler.

OMG! She was doing her best starfish today!

OP posts:
Nsky62 · 10/11/2023 18:47

Always swaddle in towel

Mushroomwithaview · 10/11/2023 19:03

I've had to cancel appointments before because I just couldn't get him in.

sueelleker · 10/11/2023 19:09

Allmarbleslost · 10/11/2023 11:07

Stand the carrier up on its end, lower cat in arse first. Wear sleeves. And possibly gloves.

I used to do this (no cat at present) but I shoved her in head first. By the time she'd turned round I'd got the door shut.

FormerlyPathologicallyHappy · 10/11/2023 19:11

Cats are little buggers when the box comes out.

minipie · 10/11/2023 19:14

Ahahaha the starfish reminds me of when my sister used to try to give our family Burmese cats a bath. One wasn’t too resistant but the other pretty much left claw marks through the enamel while resisting.

With hindsight I have no idea why she was trying to bathe cats Confused can only imagine our moggy’s reaction.

hartof · 10/11/2023 19:23

I have a massive scar down my boob from trying to mine in his carrier! He pulled my top down as I was trying to get him in. Little pests 😂

Saverage · 10/11/2023 19:39

Do vets charge a cancellation fee if you can't get them in the carrier?

I have the ordeal coming up next week and am dreading it. I tricked her last year with a treat in the toploader. She had never been in it before so didn't know what was coming. This year I have had the carrier out already for a week, leaving treats in it. She is carefully jumping in for her treat when I'm nowhere near, she REMEMBERS. When I approach her to practice casually dropping her in there she turns into Houdini and slides under the couch.

Alltheyearround · 10/11/2023 19:48

Our vets never have - maybe check with them in advance and see how much notice they need?

I usually try to give them an hours' notice so they can book someone else in if needs be.

pointythings · 10/11/2023 21:17

I have one who's terrified of the carrier - he's big, very strong and anxious. I now use a top loader for him, and it's one sized for a small dog so the opening is big enough. He still knows and is tricky to catch, but once caught he does submissive flat cat and lets me put him in.

Weirdly enough my ex feral girl has become really easy to put in the carrier. The other three are a piece of cake.

FormerlyPathologicallyHappy · 10/11/2023 21:20

Saverage · 10/11/2023 19:39

Do vets charge a cancellation fee if you can't get them in the carrier?

I have the ordeal coming up next week and am dreading it. I tricked her last year with a treat in the toploader. She had never been in it before so didn't know what was coming. This year I have had the carrier out already for a week, leaving treats in it. She is carefully jumping in for her treat when I'm nowhere near, she REMEMBERS. When I approach her to practice casually dropping her in there she turns into Houdini and slides under the couch.

Vets are used to it don’t worry.

steppemum · 11/11/2023 16:44

our vet charges.
But they are very flexible, so if you let them know and then turn up late they will fit you in.

My cat is a bugger for disappearing on vet days. Every single morning there for breakfast, except on vet days. So we have to be very careful. Make sure he is in and in a catchable place BEFORE the carrier comes out of the garage.

I swear by the - put it on its end, pick up cat and drop it in bum first (not back legs first).
That works. Once in he calms down.

He is the sweetest thing at the vets. They all love him. Hmmm..... little bugger

Saverage · 11/11/2023 20:24

I just had another practice run. Treat in the carrier. Casually dropped her in there and then walked off. She had her head down, eating, oblivious. Perfect set up to putting the lid down. Hopefully I can replicate all that on Wednesday. I'm a 3 minute walk from the vet so I would only know shortly before whether I would have to cancel. Good to know some vets might be understanding though.

Original poster
Maggiethecat · 12/11/2023 13:00

@Saverage - hope it all goes well for you!

We’re a few mins walk from the vet too. If I’m walking with her in the carrier I put the carrier in a big IKEA bag so she is shielded a bit from the sights/sounds of the busy road. She seems more quiet when I do this.

OP posts:
Saverage · 12/11/2023 13:20

Maggiethecat · 12/11/2023 13:00

@Saverage - hope it all goes well for you!

We’re a few mins walk from the vet too. If I’m walking with her in the carrier I put the carrier in a big IKEA bag so she is shielded a bit from the sights/sounds of the busy road. She seems more quiet when I do this.

Thanks! I've got a cover for the carrier unlike an adhoc arrangement of towels I had last time.

She shrieks all the way, tries to dig her way out and squashes her face against the wire. Perfectly ok with the vet and as soon as she gets home though so I will do my best to ignore the dramatics this time.

FormerlyPathologicallyHappy · 12/11/2023 13:29

Cant believe a vet charges for cats MIA, mine's never charged.

Ours used to do a fine am dram performance every vets trip on the way there, stony silence on the way back.

TheLonelyGoatTurd · 12/11/2023 13:30

We have to approach a vet trip like the SAS trying to take a hostage.

Wait for cat to be asleep/hungry.
Pounce while cat is sleeping/eating and cover it with a bath towel. Any smaller is a fool's game.
With only head out of towel wrap body and all legs (they may grow more legs while you're trying this).
Cat should now be in a Walnut Whip configuration.
Carry cat to the room that you have secretly hidden the open cat basket in. If you are tackling this solo (foolish) it will help if the basket is wedged in a corner, on its end so the front door is now the top. If you have back up, get this person to stop the carrier sliding away from you.
Push Cat Walnut Whip in. Head first is easier.
Close door while cat is working out which way up.

sueelleker · 12/11/2023 14:36

TheLonelyGoatTurd · 12/11/2023 13:30

We have to approach a vet trip like the SAS trying to take a hostage.

Wait for cat to be asleep/hungry.
Pounce while cat is sleeping/eating and cover it with a bath towel. Any smaller is a fool's game.
With only head out of towel wrap body and all legs (they may grow more legs while you're trying this).
Cat should now be in a Walnut Whip configuration.
Carry cat to the room that you have secretly hidden the open cat basket in. If you are tackling this solo (foolish) it will help if the basket is wedged in a corner, on its end so the front door is now the top. If you have back up, get this person to stop the carrier sliding away from you.
Push Cat Walnut Whip in. Head first is easier.
Close door while cat is working out which way up.

Apart from wrapping in a towel, this is how I used to do it. Pounced on her while she was eating her breakfast. And I always said she turned into a octoPUSS.

TheBalletCats · 13/11/2023 03:01

@TheLonelyGoatTurd
Even hardened Special Forces veterans would quail at the thought of such an Op. (Imagine a load of celebrities trying it on the C4 programme where they try activities from Special Forces’ training/selection… how many would give up rather than even try? [Obviously would not want any actual cats subjected to such indignities. But one can safely imagine.])

CherryMyBrandy · 13/11/2023 03:07

Bangkokbaby · 10/11/2023 16:04

Our cattery showed us a trick, which has worked every time. Put the carrier on a table, and hold the cat just below the entrance of it, facing the door. Quickly move your hands and the cat down an inch or so, the cat will think they are falling and will step up into the carrier.
It's made things so much easier for us, no more turning up late, covered in cat hair and scratches! It makes it a one person job too.

If you can catch your cat in the first place.

My cat appears to be psychic.

CherryMyBrandy · 13/11/2023 03:27

Saverage · 10/11/2023 19:39

Do vets charge a cancellation fee if you can't get them in the carrier?

I have the ordeal coming up next week and am dreading it. I tricked her last year with a treat in the toploader. She had never been in it before so didn't know what was coming. This year I have had the carrier out already for a week, leaving treats in it. She is carefully jumping in for her treat when I'm nowhere near, she REMEMBERS. When I approach her to practice casually dropping her in there she turns into Houdini and slides under the couch.

Ours don't thank god. Would have cost us a fortune.

Our system involves 2 people, highly devious behaviour, being very fast and a pair of these....

amzn.eu/d/7Uy4ul1

Step 1: Everyone must remain completely calm and act normally. We must not at any point travel the house in pairs.

Step 2: DH casually walks around the house to assess where exactly she is.

Step 3: DH dons the gauntlets when he can't be seen. She cannot see the gauntlets at any point.

Step 3: I extract the cat basket from the garage and prepare it taking care not to allow the door to clang at point . She cannot at any point see the basket or hear the basket. I wait outside the room she is in for DH to call out.

Step 4: DH approaches cat from behind. Strokes cat once and then grabs her (carefully but firmly!). Shouts out to me. I leg it in and he puts cat in basket in one swift move.

It's like a military operation. We have to do it in one or it's a no go. She is very fast and we will not be able to get her if we don't go it first time. Even with all our deviousness and "acting normally" and in a nonchalant way sometimes she just "knows". As I said in a pp she's bloody psychic. If that happens we have no hope. And we have to rearrange the appt.

At the second missed appt vet will offer sedation. We've had to sedate her twice now!

Before anyone says anything we've literally tried everything you could possibly suggest. She's very bright and very fast and not easily fooled. Her brother didn't like the basket but we could easily wangle him into one. I've had cats before and could get them in a basket on my own. She's another level!! Of course when she gets to the vets you can't get her out of the bloody basket!

CeciledeVolangesdeNouveau · 13/11/2023 07:42

@CherryMyBrandy we had a similar routine with our late DCat for taking pills! He got used to the carrier with age and even started putting himself in it but he would not take pills and would spit them out if in his food. So we had to develop a routine of me “casually” (I’m about as subtle as a brick but I’m chief cat cuddler in this house so he didn’t suspect) getting him on my lap, pulling a towel over him and then gradually wrapping him up, again he was used to being cradled, cuddled and picked up. Once he was restrained though he would start struggling! It took three of us usually, me holding, one person to wield the buttered pill and another to get his mouth open and hold it closed. He was so big and strong it was a serious challenge to hold him even in a burrito.

SallyWD · 13/11/2023 09:59

We've got this top opening cat carrier: www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/dogs/dog_cages_carriers/crates/small_dog_crates/46453?variantid=46453.3&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAr8eqBhD3ARIsAIe-buMEVg5_F0RVgv-dNGgIEgbEu52Ti7-cGVBmfk5CyXV9tvcyjj8hVtgaAqmQEALw_wcB
It's a game changer. Just open the top, pop him in and very quickly close it. After spending 45 minutes trying to get him in a standard carrier once I thought "never again". It was deeply distressing for him and me. The top opening carrier is a piece of cake!