What is the Best Carrier for My Cat? The Cat Doctor

With so many different options for carriers, we wanted to talk about the best option when it comes to your Veterinary Team. Recent studies have shown that when a person reaches in and drags a cat out of a carrier, this can cause a fear response in the feline patient. This means the cat is more likely to bite, scratch, or run. The same response can happen when the cat is “dumped” out of the carrier. To help the cat have a better experience and safety for all, we recommend a top opening carrier. This can be the hard carriers that have a gate on the top, it can be a soft carrier that unzips at the top or side, or even a carrier that doubles as a bed and carrier that actually unzips in half. We are seeing more back packs for cats. I would caution you that back packs are not for all cats. The reason is that most of these packs have a very large clear window. Most cats prefer a dark enclosed area to feel safe. By draping a towel or small blanket over the top of your carrier this can help them feel safe. With a top opening carrier, this allows us to gage the temperament of the patient than just looking into a dark carrier where the patient might be in the vary back corner or facing a different direction. Then once your veterinary team member knows your cat is displaying a relaxed demeanor, they can reach in with both hands and gently lift the cat out of the top of the carrier. Sometimes, it is best to remove the top half of the carrier (depending on the type of carrier) and do the exam with the kitty still sitting in the bottom half. With all carriers we recommend you leave them out all the time to let your cat acclimate to the carrier. If your cat is not acclimated to the carrier, you can try a product called Feliway Feline Pheromone. Feliway comes in a wipe or travel size spray. Wipe down the inside of the carrier or spray the Feliway in the carrier. After treating the carrier, allow the carrier to sit for 15 minutes before putting your cat in. Here at The Cat Doctor we care about your cat’s experience at the Veterinary office. For more information call The Cat Doctor at 661-259-5288.