Curing Your Cat's Fear of The Carrier

So, you've had enough of bundling your terrified cat up in towels, shoving him into his box and enduring his wails and escape attempts all the way to the vets. And heaven help the poor nurses if he has to stay there because he will fight tooth and nail (literally) every time they want to get him back into his cage. 

This was our life with Thomas, our beloved cat who had a severe phobia of enclosed spaces after being caught in a stray cat trap by a neighbour who shipped him off to a shelter. He was wrongly labelled as feral and kept confined for a week before we tracked him down. 

When he became ill later in life, we had to take him to the vets on a regular basis - the whole thing was a horrible ordeal every time, and he began to disappear outside as soon as he saw the carrier being brought out. I decided enough was enough; my poor cat needed some help. Here's how I got him from a screaming, scratching mess, to a cat who would happily spend an afternoon curled up in his carrier, purring away:

A preliminary note:

Make sure your cat's carrier is big enough for your cat- they should be able to stand up without crouching and turn round easily. 

The style of box is also important, I recommend those plastic cases with plenty of vents and a metal grid door 

The kind of carrier I recommend.

they make a nice little den, but the cat can still see out and know what's going on. A carrier that's just metal grid works too if you drape a blanket over it so the cat can just see out the front. 

Cover this kind of carrier with a blanket to create a cosy den.

I really don't like those cardboard ones that open at the top - they are dark, scary holes that you must lower your cat into in a way most find fairly unsettling. They are better than nothing, and fine in an emergency but aren't really the best for your cat. 

This kind should be an emergency/one trip carrier, not a long term one.

Step One: 

Forget hiding the carrier away and only getting it out before traumatic events like travelling or vets visits-  the cat will soon learn to associate it with the pain and fear vets visits often involve, and will begin to disappear outside or under the bed every time it appears in the house! (Which only leads to more trauma as you are forced to drag the poor thing out from their hiding place).  

Instead, find a spot for the carrier to live permanently in your home. Put a nice cushion or blanket in it so it's comfy. I suggest using something your cat has already slept on so the carrier is lined with his scent - Cats are highly territorial, so their scent is a powerful tool for making them feel comfortable.

Leave the door open so the cat can investigate it as and when he wishes.

Step Two:

Now to begin the processes of what is called 'systematic desensitisation'. 

Figure out whatever treats your cat likes best. Our cats go mad for 'Dreamies' treats, but tiny bits of cheese, real meat or tuna are usually a good bet. The important thing is that they are simply the best thing ever to your cat - something that they will really enjoy, and that they only get when working on their fear. 

Give your cat a few of these tasty morsels as close to the carrier as he is willing to take them. That may be quite a long way off at first, but don't try and force your cat to be any closer than he is happy with. 

Over time (could be a few hours, for us it was a few weeks because the fear was so intense) put the treats closer and closer to the carrier, building up to placing them just inside the door, then further in so the cat actually has to go inside. Once the cat is happily going all the way to the back to get the treats, then you can begin to encourage them to turn around and face outwards by holding a treat at the entrance. This gets the cat to turn around, and often lie down in the carrier (if the treats keep coming). They should be facing the door of the box before you to move to the next stage. 

During this time you should also try and give any other treats (like saucers of milk or table scraps) either inside or just outside of the carrier. You can also put a few treats or toys in there at random when your cat isn't around. This will get them investigating the box of their own accord, just to check if anything good has 'appeared' in there, and really strengthens the positive associations you are trying to build up around the carrier.

Step Three:

This step will be familiar to anyone who has ever crate trained a puppy. 

Once the cat is happily getting in the carrier and turning back around to face the door then you can close the door without locking it and feed treats through the door. Start with just closing it for a second, then build up to having it closed for a couple of minutes with the cat happily taking treats through the door, or eating a tasty saucer of tuna inside. 

DO NOT be tempted to begin closing the door before the cat is comfortable in the carrier, and always open it at the first sign of stress from your cat - unlike with puppies (who are a 'blank slate' and will likely calm down fairly quickly so you can let them out again) your cat already has a fear of the carrier and may just become more and more agitated if you refuse to let them out - the more stress they experience in and around the carrier, the worse their fear will become and the more you set back their recovery.

Step Four:

You can also get your cat used to being transported places in the box by occasionally carrying them around the house in it, and practicing taking them into the car. You could even go on a few short 'test drives' with them. It would be useful to have a helper with you who can sit with the cat and dole out treats on the car journey. 

Keeping It Up:

Lastly, don't just stop and go back to your old ways once the fear issue appears 'fixed'. The carrier must always stay out, and you should continue to give treats in there every once in a while so that it keeps its positive association in your cat's mind. If you start just using it for vets visits again, it will quickly return to being an unpleasant and scary place and  you and your cat will be back to square one. 

After a few weeks our cat was happily spending time in the carrier of his own free will - he now saw it as the place where everything tasty and fun happened. The fact he was relaxed in the box made him more relaxed in the car and at the vets, probably because his safe happy place was coming with him, and he hadn't suffered the trauma of being chased round the house, caught, swaddled in towels, and stuffed into a scary cage before getting there!