Image - Mascotalia.com
The carrier is one of those objects that the cat does not usually like at all. And it is because for him it is a kind of cage with which humans take him to another place where he does not know it well and where it smells very different: the veterinary clinic or hospital.
However, you have no choice but to try to get used to it. But we must know that he will not do it if we do not give him a hand. The question is, How can we help you to see the carrier with different eyes?
Little by little and with a lot of patience. Rushing is not good for anyone, especially not for our four-legged friend, who does not tolerate stress one bit. For this reason, we do not have to pick him up and put him directly in the carrier, because doing so would only make him associate it with our nervousness, which is negative for him and, incidentally, also for us.
Taking this into account, what we must do is get him to see that cage-like object as a refuge in which he can feel safe every time he leaves the house. Achieving it is not a very simple task, and less when you have already had some bad experiences, but it is not impossible.
Image - David Martyn Hunt
To get used to it, it will be necessary to start from scratch, that is, to pretend we have just bought the carrier. We will clean it well, conscientiously, and leave it in a room, in a visible and accessible area for the cat, with the door open and with a blanket. You most likely don't want to get too close, so what we will do is caress him on both sides of his snout, and then pass our hand through the carrier and the blanket. We will do it several times during a few days, and this will surely start to show curiosity.
Magic? No, not at all 🙂. The cat produces pheromones on both sides of the muzzle. When it passes by brushing our legs or any object, what it is actually doing is leaving its smell (you have more information about the feline marking in this article). Thus, when we touch him in this area and immediately afterwards we pass our hand over the blanket, for example, we leave his smell on it, which will serve to "deceive" him.
To be more effective, we recommend spraying the carrier with Feliway, which is a product that helps cats to be much calmer. Thus, little by little, it will get inside and can even use it as a bed. As soon as we see him calmer, we can begin to close the door for a time that we must lengthen as the days go by.
In this way, the furry will feel comfortable during trips 🙂.