Just about every cat owner has to face this problem sooner or later. You need to get your cat into their carrier to visit the vet, be taken to the cattery or to travel to another home and what do you know? Your loving and ever-present cat has scooted off in the opposite direction at the speed of sound!

And what’s worse, when you do finally track down your bewhiskered friend after spending time you can ill-afford to waste, you are greeted by claws, teeth and rudely hissed words as you attempt to force a rigid and unco-operative cat into their carrier.

So why does your normal, affectionate and co-operative pet immediately turn into a feral wildcat at the very sight of their carrier?

Well, you’ll probably be amazed to hear that it’s all your fault. You and you alone are responsible for making The Big Mistake.

And the big mistake is..

You tidy your cat’s carrier away when you’ve finished with it.

We all do it without thinking. As soon as the awful task of transporting your cat from A to B is completed, the carrier gets tidied away in the garage, shed or cupboard out of sight until the next time it is needed. And that is where the mistake is made. The much-feared carrier is hidden away.

So, can you correct your error and wipe out your guilt? Is it possible to make the situation better? Will your cat ever accept their carrier and remain laid-back and happpy around it? Definitely – and you can start correcting your mistake the minute you’ve finished reading this!

Bring the carrier out of storage and place it in a cat-friendly place.

Place it where it is cosy and quiet.

Make it comfortable inside with a blanket or cushion.

Make it interesting by placing a favourite toy inside

Place a tasty cat-snack inside.

Always leave the door wide open for free access.

Keep it within your cat’s everyday world.

And that’s just about it. By following the above steps, you will be able to tackle changing your cat’s negative associations with their carrier. Every time it comes into view, it triggers strong emotions in your cat as they will always connect the carrier with being forcefully subjected to unpleasant procedures. No wonder your cat runs off when they see it! Your task, as an owner, is to work towards changing the associations your cat has with their carrier, replacing the negative ones with good ones.

If your cat slowly comes to accept that their carrier is a normal part of everyday life, they will gradually relax when confronted with it and their resistance to being put in it will melt away. By making the carrier an attractive and comfortable place to snuggle down in, with a toy and snack to hand, your cat will soon get the idea that good things can chase away the bad memories.

Naturally, a trip to the vet’s surgery will always cause some bad feelings to re-surface. However, to overcome that particular problem you would have to make your vet part of your cat’s everyday, normal experience too. And that’s just not likely to happen, is it?