Rescue cat doesn't like being picked up

Hello all
I've had my 6 year old rescue house cat for nearly 2 years. She's incredibly affectionate, follows me everywhere around the house, is always with me, sleeps on me or under the covers with me and is very loving. She'll let me look at her eyes, check her paw, claws and teeth. And she loves affection from me. She clearly trusts me and runs to me whenever something spooks her. But she really hates being picked up and struggles to get away. This makes picking her up and getting her into her carry box to go to the vets very difficult. I need someone with me to take the top off the box, I get hold of her as quickly as possible and then put her in the box before we place the lid on and make sure she's safely in before securing the clips on the box. I can't open the door and simply walk or lift her in. She struggles badly to get away and I don't want to hurt her or stress her out any further. I've tried sitting on the floor and picking her up so she's close to the floor but she just hates it. I've no real information from her previous owners so no idea if they ever picked her up or if she was hurt or scared from a previous experience. They decided they didn't want her any longer as they were planning to have a baby and didn't want a cat so handed her in to the cat home. Their loss is my gain though! Any tips on how to get her used to me picking her up? Or should I just accept she doesn't like it and stick with the two person approach to put her in her carry box? I don't want to stress her out. I've tried leaving the box out with the door open and some food inside. She runs in, eats the food and runs back out. I have a clicker and was going to try clicker training but not sure how successful it will be. Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks

Some cats just don't want to be picked up, end of story. I prefer to let them have that, so it saves both of us the stress and it saves me from getting scratches and potentially bites.

Can you make the carrier a more enjoyable space for her? If she has a blanket or a towel (or you can give her one to use) that has her scent all over it, you can place it in the carrier. Leave the carrier assembled and open all the time so she can explore it and lie inside of it whenever she wants. Scatter treats around and inside of it! If I toss a piece of kibble or treat inside of the carrier, the cats will follow it in without a second thought.

With consistency, clicker training can be very successful! I say go for it. You can clicker train targets too, but you can do this in tandem with the first suggestion.

Thanks pinkdagger

I've put a blanket in it and it's one she likes to sleep on but she just won't go in! I've scattered treats around and in and left it out assembled for months with the door open and praised her when she's gone in to get her treats. If she's gone in to get her treats I've just left the door open and not touched it so she doesn't think I'm going to shut her in whenever she goes into it. She's only gone into it fully twice before, usually she keeps her bum or a paw outside so she can't get shut in but I've never tricked her like that. Maybe her previous owners have?

Once she's in it, for going to the vets, she's like other cats and will meow but I sit with her, open one of the hatches in the top and put my hand in and she snuggles up next to me. I just feel bad ambushing her to get her into her box and would rather try and find a less stressful way. And thought if she didn't mind being picked up then it would be less stressful for her when I need to take her to the vets.

I might have to try the clicker training and just persevere with it.

Thanks again

LyndsPops said:

Thanks pinkdagger

I've put a blanket in it and it's one she likes to sleep on but she just won't go in! I've scattered treats around and in and left it out assembled for months with the door open and praised her when she's gone in to get her treats. If she's gone in to get her treats I've just left the door open and not touched it so she doesn't think I'm going to shut her in whenever she goes into it. She's only gone into it fully twice before, usually she keeps her bum or a paw outside so she can't get shut in but I've never tricked her like that. Maybe her previous owners have?

Once she's in it, for going to the vets, she's like other cats and will meow but I sit with her, open one of the hatches in the top and put my hand in and she snuggles up next to me. I just feel bad ambushing her to get her into her box and would rather try and find a less stressful way. And thought if she didn't mind being picked up then it would be less stressful for her when I need to take her to the vets.
 

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My cat is exactly like yours. He sleeps in his most recent carrier -- it has a soft padding in it, previously I used the generic hard plastic one and I don't think he liked that one -- but it's still a chore trying to get him in when we need to go to the vet.

Honestly, "ambushing" her sounds bad, and I do feel like the worst human being ever when I do that, but you know what? We survive and he doesn't have PTSD. So it sounds like your cat just gets stressed out during the ride there, but she settles down at the vet. Many cat owners aren't so lucky like us and they have to sedate their cats at the vet. 

It's okay to feel horrible, but with time it'll pass. You're doing what's best for her, even if she doesn't know it. Just give her extra love when she comes home. 

In terms of having an easier time getting her into the carrier, consider switching to a model with a hatch or zipper opening on top so you don't have do disassemble the whole thing. This should, at the very least, make it easier to quickly pop her in single-handedly. Given her negative reaction to the current carrier, a new one may also be a clean slate of sorts. If you are using a hard-sided one now, I would try something soft, to see if she does better with something different.

As far as her not liking to be picked up, some cats are just like that. It doesn't necessarily mean she's been traumatized or has trust issues. Cats have their quirks. I will say that, based upon my experience with my adult rescue, it can take them longer than you'd think to fully open up and she may surprise you one day. I thought mine wasn't a lap cat until, all of a sudden, a year and a half after I adopted him, he started sitting on my lap when I was at the computer and he's never looked back.

Maybe your cat rightfully associates being picked up with a vet visit?

My shelter cat, Ruby, is just like your cat, LyndsPops.  Ruby is 3 or 4 years old and I've had her a little over a year.  She is very friendly and loves to be around me.  She also loves to nap in my lap, and at night sleeps under the covers with me.  But she HATES to be picked up.  She kicks and twists till I let her down.  So I never get to cuddle her like a baby.    And, like you, getting her in the carrier for vet visits is a struggle. 

My vet, however, suggested a technique that has helped somewhat in getting her into the carrier.  Put the carrier on the edge of a high surface, like a desk or table.  Then pick up the cat and point them towards the carrier opening.  Because they are up high, they have nowhere to escape to except the carrier, so they will go in to turn around and before they can get back out you shut the door.  

I used that technique the last time I had to take Ruby to the vet and it worked.  We even got to the vet early, as we saved so much time (and stress) getting her in the carrier. Of course she still meowed during the ride to the vet, but all was well once we got back home.

rubysmama said:

My shelter cat, Ruby, is just like your cat, LyndsPops.  Ruby is 3 or 4 years old and I've had her a little over a year.  She is very friendly and loves to be around me.  She also loves to nap in my lap, and at night sleeps under the covers with me.  But she HATES to be picked up.  She kicks and twists till I let her down.  So I never get to cuddle her like a baby.    And, like you, getting her in the carrier for vet visits is a struggle. 

My vet, however, suggested a technique that has helped somewhat in getting her into the carrier.  Put the carrier on the edge of a high surface, like a desk or table.  Then pick up the cat and point them towards the carrier opening.  Because they are up high, they have nowhere to escape to except the carrier, so they will go in to turn around and before they can get back out you shut the door.  

I used that technique the last time I had to take Ruby to the vet and it worked.  We even got to the vet early, as we saved so much time (and stress) getting her in the carrier. Of course she still meowed during the ride to the vet, but all was well once we got back home.

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Thanks everyone. I'll try that tip Rubysmama and see if that works! She goes straight into the carrier at the vets but probably because she knows she's going home!

I think I'll invest in a new carrier for her too. The one I have is getting a bit old so no harm in buying a new one.

Thanks everyone