Make sure your cat has a towel and some well known toys. Also bring snacks to the trip. Have the carrier in your home, maybe your cat will use it to play or sleep in and feel safe. If your cat is not calm try to keep the trips short.
Cats are known to be independent and crafty. Those are just some of the personalities we like about cats. However, these personalities they have can also make us worry especially if it’s keeping them sick. Nowadays, chronic diseases in cats are on the rise. Most of the time, cat parents might not see physical symptoms immediately when there’s something wrong with their cat. Thus, regular trips to the vet and preventive care are the most important things you should do to detect and treat any feline disease early. However, getting your cat in a carrier and to the veterinarian can be challenging so we made an article on how to solve this.
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Getting Your Cat Used to His Carrier
Most of the time, cats have come to associate their carriers with fearful experiences of being forcibly bundled into it as well as taken on a bumpy and noisy car or bus journey. Since felines rarely go beyond their territory, any trip away from the place they considered their “home” can be extremely stressful for them, which means they have to be handled really carefully when you have to take them to the vet.
How to calm down your cat in the car
If your cat is showing uncomfortable behavior or anxiety when traveling, make sure to cover the carrier with a soft fabric. You need to make sure that it’s still easy to breathe inside the cat carrier after you cover it with a blanket or a towel. Aside from that, when you need to cover your cat carrier, you only have to use a clean blanket or towel. If the towel or blanket is not clean, the stinky scent coming from it can only lead to another problem.
However, if your cat seems to be enjoying the ride and is very calm during the trip, then you can observe first as you may not need to cover the carrier with a cloth. But most of the time, cat owners might still end up covering the cat carrier since it can reduce the wind and noise especially if the windows of the car are open, or if you are in an unfamiliar environment.
Moreover, the distance of your trip must increase gradually. Having said that, your furry feline will improve its sensation slowly while he’s insider his carrier. All you need to do is to give him some time to adjust to the motion and don’t forget to give him treats (like a small cookie) as it can also serve as an encouragement gift.
Common questions about keeping your cat calm in a carrier
How do you calm a cat in a carrier?
If your furry friend panics when he sees a cat carrier, keep calm. You should keep the basket close but make sure it’s out of sight. To make your cat get inside the carrier, wrap him in a thick blanket or towel that’s clean or smells familiar to him and put him into the carrier quickly but in a gentle manner. You should also cover the carrier with a blanket if he feels afraid during the trip.
Do cats like being under blankets?
Cats like the feeling of being safe and protected. Most of the time, cats like to be in a higher place and your bed is higher compared to the floor. Aside from that, being under the sheets or blankets make them feel even more protected. Thus, it makes sense that your kitty really enjoys blankets because it represents a confined and warm space. When traveling, most cat owners bring a blanket with them so they can put it inside the carrier and make their cat feel safer and more secured during the entire trip.
Why are cats afraid of car rides?
Cats are not known as trip lovers. In fact, most of the time, cats hate car rides. This is because cats are not as domesticated as our dogs. They are very territorial and don’t like to leave their territory for some new place. They do not like new places that have unfamiliar movements and smells, not to mention loud noises. This is why experts suggest that if you really need to travel with your cat, bring something that’s familiar to him like a blanket or sheet of cloth that you can place inside or cover his carrier during the trip. This will make him less anxious.
Conclusion
When you’re traveling with your cat, there’s a possibility that you’ll face lots of problems. The best solution is to use a high-quality cat carrier. While the usage of a cat carrier itself is a challenge, there are things you can do in order to make sure that your trip will become successful and one approach is to cover it to make your cat feel much safer.
