How to Get Your Cat Used to a Carrier

To get a cat used to a cat carrier, keep it out at home as a cozy spot with a soft blanket and the odd treat inside. Then build up in small steps: door closed, lifted, a short drive.

Choose a hard-sided carrier with a top that comes off. Expect it to take weeks. A controlled trial found trained cats were less stressed in the car.

If your cat bolts at the sight of the carrier, you're in good company. The steps below explain why it happens and how to change it, one small step at a time.

Why does my cat hate the carrier?

For most cats, the carrier shows up for one reason. It comes out of the garage or closet, and a car ride and a vet visit follow. Cats learn that pattern fast.

The Feline Veterinary Medical Association (FelineVMA, formerly the AAFP) notes that storing carriers away until they're needed is common. Its advice is to keep the carrier where your cat likes to spend time instead.

Here's how big the problem is. The 2022 AAFP/ISFM Cat Friendly Veterinary Interaction Guidelines cite a survey of over 1,000 caregivers in which 88.7% of cats had impaired welfare at all stages of the vet visit.

The same guidelines describe carrier training with positive rewards as good for feline welfare. So the carrier is where a calmer vet visit starts.

What kind of cat carrier is best?

The FelineVMA's guidance is clear on this. A hard plastic carrier is the safest and the easiest to clean. Choose one with a top that comes off.

That removable top matters more than it sounds. At the vet, the top can be lifted away so your cat stays in the bottom half of the carrier during the checkup, which helps her feel safer.

If you prefer a soft carrier, the FelineVMA suggests one with a large opening at the top and one or, better, two doors at the ends. The door shouldn't collapse when it's open.

A few things to skip, according to the same guidance:

• Backpack-style carriers, which don't give a cat enough room to move and can feel unstable.
• A harness or a collar and leash on its own, which isn't a safe way to travel with a cat.
• Sharing. Each cat should have her own carrier, even cats who get along, because the stress of travel can change how they act toward each other.

For size, the ASPCA's travel advice is a carrier big enough for your pet to stand, sit, lie down and turn around in.

How do I train my cat to like the carrier?

Here's the part that surprises people. The FelineVMA points out that cats are as clever as dogs and can learn tricks and commands. Walking into a carrier is one of them.

The research backs it up. In a randomized controlled trial at the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, published in 2018, 22 cats were split into two groups. One group had 28 carrier training sessions over six weeks.

The trained cats showed less stress on the car ride. The AAFP/ISFM guidelines add that carrier-trained cats searched for food rewards more at the vet, and their exams were significantly shorter.

Start by making the carrier part of the furniture. Put it in a room where your cat already likes to rest, with the door open.

Then work through the FelineVMA's six steps:

1. Encourage your cat to lie or sleep on a soft blanket of her own, so it smells of her.
2. Put that blanket in the bottom of the carrier.
3. Add the top to the carrier and encourage her to stay calm inside.
4. Encourage her to stay in the carrier with the door closed.
5. Slowly increase the time she spends in the closed carrier.
6. Pick the carrier up from the bottom, never by the handle alone, until she's comfortable being carried.

Stay on each step until your cat is comfortable before moving on. The FelineVMA is honest that training takes time and patience, and says it is worth it.

Along the way, drop a favorite toy or a small tasty morsel inside now and then. The goal is a carrier that means comfort and good things, long before it means a car.

How do you know she's comfortable? Our guide to signs of happiness in cats covers what a content cat looks like.

How do I get a reluctant cat into the carrier?

Ideally, your cat walks in on her own. The FelineVMA suggests a treat or a toy to help, and training her to go in on cue if you can.

If you do need to place her inside, the FelineVMA's advice is to do it gently and calmly. A carrier with a top opening lets you lower her in from above, rather than pushing her through a small front door.

Some cats stay frightened even after careful training, often because of past trips that went badly or experiences from before you adopted them. For these cats, the FelineVMA says medicine from your vet before travel can help.

Gabapentin is the one most commonly used, according to the FelineVMA. Only your vet can decide whether it suits your cat and how much to give.

How do I make car trips easier?

Once your cat is comfortable in the closed carrier, the ASPCA suggests a series of short drives, slowly making them longer.

For the drive itself, the FelineVMA recommends:

• Cover the carrier with a blanket or thick towel before you leave the house, to cut down on sights and sounds.
• Carry it level, with a hand underneath. Holding it by the handle alone lets it swing.
• Secure it in the car. The safest spot is on the floor between the back and front seats.
• Keep the car well ventilated and at a comfortable temperature. Turn the music down and keep voices soft.
• Never open the carrier during the trip, even if your cat is meowing. It isn't safe for either of you.

Calming cat pheromone sprays can help too. The FelineVMA suggests spraying the blanket 15 minutes to 4 hours before travel, with your cat out of the room while you spray.

The ASPCA adds one firm rule for every trip. Never leave your cat alone in a parked car, whatever the weather.

Some cats feel unwell in the car and drool on the way. If that sounds familiar, our article on motion sickness in pets explains more, and your vet can offer medicine for the nausea.

What should I do at the vet and back home?

At the clinic, let your cat decide when to come out. The AAFP/ISFM guidelines advise against pulling a cat out or tipping the carrier to make her leave.

Instead, a vet may place treats at the carrier's entrance, or simply lift off the top so she can stay in her familiar bottom half.

Home again, other cats in the house may hiss at the one returning. The FelineVMA explains that she can smell different after a visit, especially after a longer stay or an operation.

To ease the return, the FelineVMA suggests:

• Leave your cat in the closed carrier at first and watch how the other cats react.
• If there's hissing, give her a separate room with food, water, a litter box and a comfy bed.
• Swap bedding between the cats so their shared scent comes back.
• Allow contact slowly, after a few hours or longer, following your vet's advice after an operation.

Talk to your vet if your cat:

• stays very frightened of the carrier or the car, even after weeks of patient training
• drools or seems unwell during car trips
• is still stressed and scared after travel medicine your vet has prescribed

Questions new cat parents ask

Is a hard or soft cat carrier better?

The FelineVMA calls a hard plastic carrier the safest and easiest to clean, ideally with a removable top. A soft carrier can work if it has a large top opening and a door that doesn't collapse.

What size cat carrier do I need?

Big enough for your cat to stand, sit, lie down and turn around in, per the ASPCA. A backpack-style carrier is usually too cramped.

Should I buy a kitten carrier or a full-size one?

A kitten carrier should pass the same tests: hard-sided, a removable top, and room to stand and turn around. Carrier training is easiest to start while she's a kitten, the FelineVMA notes. It belongs on your list of kitten supplies from day one.

Can two cats share one carrier?

No. The FelineVMA advises a separate carrier for each cat, even cats who are friends at home.

How long does carrier training take?

It depends on the cat. In the Vienna trial, training ran 28 sessions over six weeks. Move to the next step only when your cat is relaxed with the one before.

Sources

• Feline Veterinary Medical Association: Visiting Your Veterinarian: Getting Your Cat to the Veterinary Practice, 2024
• Rodan I, et al. 2022 AAFP/ISFM Cat Friendly Veterinary Interaction Guidelines: Approach and Handling Techniques. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 2022
• Pratsch L, et al. Carrier training cats reduces stress on transport to a veterinary practice. Appl Anim Behav Sci. 2018;206:64-74
• ASPCA: Travel Safety Tips
• FelineVMA: Introducing the Feline Veterinary Medical Association, 2024

This article is for general information and is not veterinary advice. Talk to your vet about your own cat — they know the animal in front of them.