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Several Questions...

post #1 of 7
7/24/10 at 5:09pm
Thread Starter 
Our young cat (7 months? ) was originally feral but is now pretty tame and sweet. She has not been fixed as we are not good at getting her in the cage to to go the vet. We currently have food in there and she eats all meals in the cage with us near. Hopefully, we'll be able to trap her and get her fixed/ seen by a vet/etc. Here are our Qs...

1. She loves us. Adores being petted and sleeps by my head. How do I get her to be a lap cat? How do I get her to be ok with being picked up?

2. Any advice on how to get her in that cage would be awesome. We will be taking her to a very flexible cat charity that are used to dealing with hard to trap cats.

thanks!!!
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post #2 of 7
7/24/10 at 5:14pm
At 7 mos of age, she's still growing and very much a kitten. She may not turn into a lap cat for quite some time. She may never be a lap cat either.

To get her in the cage, try putting some catnip in it. Also, do you have feliway diffusers running in your house? If not, you might want to invest in some as that might help her not be so stressed. I really have no advise with a cat who doesn't like to be put in a carrier, so I'm no help, but I know that there are many on the list who are and hopefully one will be along shortly to help.
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post #3 of 7
7/24/10 at 8:08pm
I know that this advice is getting pretty old by now, but I'm going to give it anyway. Try a harness and leash.

My cat Prissy has such severe cage anxiety that she will bloody herself trying to get out of a cage. However, I put her harness on her and she just lays down wherever she is and waits until I'm ready to go. She walks on the leash once it's clipped, and she is very calm most of the time.

I took Ginger to the vet today in Prissy's harness, and she did perfectly well with it.

Your kitty is still young enough to be easily harness trained. It's not an option for everyone, but for some cats that do not like cages but like being handled and cuddled, it can be an ideal solution.

To start off, a small puppy or toy dog harness can work. You won't actually be taking the cat outside, just getting her used to being strapped in and held. It starts pretty slowly -- just a few minutes a day after she's gotten used to seeing an sniffing the harness for about a week. But when you gradually increase it, it seems to work very well. Loudmouth (rehomed now) went into a harness immediately with absolutely no problem -- I didn't have to slowly introduce her. When your kitty is used to harness time, you can get a cat harness for going outside -- they're harder for a cat to slip out of.

Best of luck.
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post #4 of 7
7/24/10 at 9:10pm
I myself never met a cat that likes to go inside of a crate, but regardless, when it is time to go to the vet, in the crate they go.
Either I push them in (gently), or I put them through the top opening - hold the kitty by the scruff and front legs and put him down legs first. If your crate doesn't have a top opening, you can turn the front opening upward so it faces the roof and put the kitty that way. Once inside, you turn the crate the regular way.
At the vet, my cats always feel safer inside their crate, and if there are dogs around, IMO it is always safer to take them in a crate.
I always spray my crates with Feliway about 1/2 hour before putting them in, and I leave them in the living room every day, so they are used to them and not so afraid when they need to go in.
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post #5 of 7
7/24/10 at 11:29pm
Sounds like you are on the right track if she's willing to eat meals in there.

I've not had issues with mine, I'm always dragging the cats out of carriers to put the correct one in

You would need to check with the clinic regarding bringing her in on just a harness, mine has rules about dogs being on lead and cats in carriers - this is for everyone's safety. Also animals cannot be free roaming in cars here.
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post #6 of 7
7/25/10 at 8:02am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Carolina View Post
I myself never met a cat that likes to go inside of a crate, but regardless, when it is time to go to the vet, in the crate they go.
Flambe loves going in the crate. All we have to do is put it out, with the door open, and he'll soon be in it.

Ella, on the other hand, disappears as soon as the crate appears.
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post #7 of 7
7/25/10 at 9:04am
Quote:
Originally Posted by emilydickinson View Post
2. Any advice on how to get her in that cage would be awesome. We will be taking her to a very flexible cat charity that are used to dealing with hard to trap cats.
What kind of kennel and what is the cage setup ? Can it be baited with food in place of a regular meal and locked ? No one can properly answer without knowing the hangup since judging from the repeat questions you seem to be trying this every month or two.
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