Bought a new big carrier!

So, for a while now, I have been wanting/needing to get Angel a bigger, better carrier. I found this one on amazon, & it looked pretty good, had good reviews, & I thought was a good price. (& good for pets up to 20 lbs!)  I ordered it last week, & it came today!  Being bigger, it does have a little weight to it, so I'm sure I'm going to have to hold the bottom as well when carrying Angel in it. (He's 14.6 lbs).

 It snapped together really easily. It flattens, so i only had to "click in" both ends. 

I sprayed some Comfort Zone spray in it, hoping Angel would check it out, but so far, he has only sniffed it, & stuck his head inside to take a quick look.

I didn't want to totally take his old one away yet, so I set them beside each other. Even though I took the towel, & pad from the old, & put them in the new, he got in his old one & sat in there for about 20 minutes. His biannual exam is next month, so I'm glad he has time to get used to it before then!


Here are some pictures I took this afternoon.





Here you can see the size difference.


Yup, just sit'n in the old one, & looking at the box it came in, I also put out for him, in case he wanted to play in it. .......Nope.

That's such a cute one!  It looks like it'll be a more comfortable fit for him once he gets accustomed to it.  I bought big carriers when my kittens were wee babies, anticipating that at least two of them were going to be very big boys when they grew up.  So far I'm being proven correct!  Thank goodness carriers come in "super size" 

Yes, it's a good size. He still hasn't gotten in it yet, maybe tonight I'll try & put a treat in the back of it.   I just made his biannual appointment for the 10th, so he has to get used to it by then for sure.

It's so big, I worry that he won't feel secure in it, the way cat's like snug spots. He really is to big for his old one. He is definitely too long for it.  I was happy to find one this big though! 

So cute!!  I had to buy a bigger one and I LOVE the door on top.  Makes loading and unloading so much easier.

Is the idea to get Angel use to being in her carrier so when you need to take her to the vet she will go in the carrier w/out a problem? I notice in the pic Angel is laying in her old carrier. Does angel sleep in her carrier or spend time in it throughout the day? My carrier is in the garage . Should I bring it up into the house for them to use? 

I have mine in the house and they ignore it.  Totally.  The only time they notice it is when I move it cuz they know that one of them is going to go in it!!

Angels mommy said:

 
Yes, it's a good size. He still hasn't gotten in it yet, maybe tonight I'll try & put a treat in the back of it.   I just made his biannual appointment for the 10th, so he has to get used to it by then for sure.

It's so big, I worry that he won't feel secure in it, the way cat's like snug spots. He really is to big for his old one. He is definitely too long for it.  I was happy to find one this big though! 

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I'm sure he'll love it once he gets over the old one (maybe cats get attached to their first carrier the way we get attached to our first car  ).  The treats are a good idea!  Does he like catnip? 

CalTriTwiAmb4 said:

 
Is the idea to get Angel use to being in her carrier so when you need to take her to the vet she will go in the carrier w/out a problem? I notice in the pic Angel is laying in her old carrier. Does angel sleep in her carrier or spend time in it throughout the day? My carrier is in the garage . Should I bring it up into the house for them to use? 

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  I get my cats' attention and throw treats in their carriers at random times...which means I only have to throw a couple of treats in someone's carrier when it's vet time and, *slams door shut*, gotcha!  Fluffy lambswool beds in there don't hurt, either.  They'll choose the carriers to sleep in over just about every other favorite sleepy spot. 

Not to mention, it's never a bad idea to have the carrier ready to go for emergencies.

CalTriTwiAmb4 said:

 
Is the idea to get Angel use to being in her carrier so when you need to take her to the vet she will go in the carrier w/out a problem? I notice in the pic Angel is laying in her old carrier. Does angel sleep in her carrier or spend time in it throughout the day? My carrier is in the garage . Should I bring it up into the house for them to use? 

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LOL, Angel is a He. (It's all in the way he came to me, going to post that story sometime soon)  

  No, I learned from this site that it's good to keep it out, so that your cat will get used to it, to make going to the vet a little easier. It also gives them a cozy place to chill or sleep.

Angel used to go in his old one more often to sleep sometimes, but rarely does anymore. "Maybe because he now has two beds instead of one. I think like all cats he just likes to change where he sleeps from time to time.

He doesn't like going in the carrier when it's time to go to the vets, but I can get him in pretty easily.  

I needed to get a new one because he is long, & is really to big for the old one now. Plus, one of the plastic pieces that's around the whole thing to keep it together broke, as well as one of the long pieces, that slide on the front to lock the door. I wanted something more sturdy, & bigger. 

Yes, he likes catnip. If a treat doesn't work, I will try that too.

Yes, it is also good to have handy in case of an emergency. I just keep the door off while it's out, to keep out of the way, & make less threatening. I think as soon as I put on the door, "He knows!" (we go by,by!) 

keyes said:

 
So cute!!  I had to buy a bigger one and I LOVE the door on top.  Makes loading and unloading so much easier.

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Yea! I forgot to mention that. It does have a top or front load. I will have to try the top load & see how that goes. 

Well, last night I put a couple of treats in the back of the carrier, trying to entice Angel to get in. He only went in far enough to eat the treats, then backed back out. 

I wish this whole getting g used to the carrier thing works with my cat. He has a LONG memory. He was fine with the carrier right up till his first vet visit. Never went in there after that, no matter how much treats I toss in there. Now I just shove him in, get scratches and hear his pitiful meow all the way.

Seriously, just use the top door for loading him up.  It's great.  Open door, pick him up, put him in and close the door. 

That's a nice carrier! The top half of mine buckles to the bottom half ....I could never get them to go thru the door so it's easy for me to simply set them in it then quickly put the lid on.

FhiCat said:

I wish this whole getting g used to the carrier thing works with my cat. He has a LONG memory. He was fine with the carrier right up till his first vet visit. Never went in there after that, no matter how much treats I toss in there. Now I just shove him in, get scratches and hear his pitiful meow all the way.

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Aww, poor Jed. Have you ever/ do you have a spot where you can leave it out w/ the door off?  After a while, once he sees it's sort of a "fixture" in the room, maybe he will investigate it for a hang out/napping spot. Maybe??  

Angel will sometimes meow the first few minutes, then settle down. I think he got used to going to the vets so much a couple of yrs. ago when he was dealing w/ the cystitis, he would just do little 

"mews" for about the first 5 or so minutes, but the last time we went, it had been a long time, so he did that almost the whole way!  I just kept reassuring him it was o.k. & when he was quiet, I would say,

"good boy."  "Almost there." 

GOOD NEWS!!  Angel finally got in his new carrier yesterday. (Sunday).  I took out his (old) first bed that is too small for him now, but fit perfectly in his carrier. I think it made it more cozy for him, so it worked! 

awww..so snuggly and comfy

 Yea, he was. He has been getting in there after he eats, & takes a nap.  I'm SO relieved he likes it!

Angels mommy said:

 
Aww, poor Jed. Have you ever/ do you have a spot where you can leave it out w/ the door off?  After a while, once he sees it's sort of a "fixture" in the room, maybe he will investigate it for a hang out/napping spot. Maybe??  

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It's still sitting right here out in the open in the living room.   He just avoids it. 

Angels mommy said:

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• angels mommy
• Oct 20, 2014

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Hooray for Angel!  Man, he looks like he's found kitty nirvana.  I wish I felt half that cozy in my bed