Training your cat to feel comfortable in the cat carrier can be easy and relatively painless. Training a kitten is easiest but training an adult cat is possible with lots of patience and love.
Cats of all ages should always travel in a cat carrier when traveling in your car and the carrier should always be on the floor so that it does not become a projectile if you stop suddenly.
The cat carrier can be an unpleasant experience for your cat mainly because it is not used that often and when it is used it is usually associated with going to the vet. Cats are quite perceptive and it does not take them long to connect their shots with the carrier.
How do you change this bad association? By training your cat to identify the carrier with positive experiences.
Training your cat to enjoy using the cat carrier.
The cat carrier needs to be familiar to your cat as much as any other part of the furniture so place the carrier on the floor in the room where your cat spends most of his time indoors and allow him to explore the carrier. Rub your cat with a blanket or old towel, to put his smell on the blanket, and then put it in the carrier. Leave the door open so he can come and go and after a week or so he will accept it like any other piece of the furniture.
When you see that your cat has accepted the carrier keep a close eye and watch for him to go into the carrier. When he does so, give lots of praise and a small treat. Repeat the treat every time he goes into the carrier and before long he will be looking for a treat each time.
After he has accepted the carrier you should be able to pick him up and place him inside the carrier. If he struggles and will not go in the carrier, leave him and try again in a week or so. If he goes in easily, make certain that you have a treat for being a good cat. Once he is in the carrier, close the door. Usually there will be no reaction to the closing of the door. Leave him there for a ten minutes or so and then let him out. Don’t shoo him out, just open the door and let him come out at his leisure.
Repeat putting him in the carrier once a day extending the time that he is shut in. After a few weeks the carrier will be accepted and he will be happy for you to put him in the carrier at any time.
Close the door and pick up the carrier. Walk about getting him used to the movement. If he is happy with being carried, take him for a short ride in the car. Make each new experience a pleasant one with lots of praise and a treat.
Just because your cat is very used to the carrier and is doing as he is told is no reason to let up on the praise and the occasional treat. Reinforcement helps keep him on the top of his game.
Don’t use the carrier just for going to the vet. If you are going for a short drive, take your cat if you can, but be sure that you do not leave the cat in the car on it’s own. You only want the cat to associate the carrier with pleasant experiences.
Although it takes a while to teach a cat anything, you will find that with patience, plenty of loving and praise he will learn and learn well.
For more interesting information on training your cat visit http://shine.yahoo.com/event/pets/yes-your-cat-can-learn-to-love-the-cat-carrier-429339
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