Cage Rage

Today was Piston's yearly exam and the pet carrier was a traumatic experience for him.  Piston does not leave the house unless he is sick or for his yearly.  Usually I hold him until i get to the car and use a small dog seat belt for him.  He doesn't mind this.  However, i broke my leg and needed help getting to the car and frankly i do not trust other people to hold my squirming, thinking precious cargo so yesterday i bought a pet carrier that buckles into the car seat.  I put him in there last night and gave him treats but he wanted nothing to do with the treats or the carrier.  I put one of my shirts in there last night to make it smell like me, left the cage open and tried again in a few hours.  This didnt help either.  I had to put him into the carrier for both our safety but he does not like it at all.  The carrier was made for a medium sized dog.  He had room to turn around and he was not cramped at all.  I am afraid when i need to take him back for clipping his nails in two months that he will become traumatized.   He was crying and banging his head against the top and scratching the side.  I was afraid he would hurt himself while i was trying to keep him safe.  If anyone knows any ideas that will help this, I will gladly listen.   The cage is still open with a shirt that smells like me inside.   This really worries me because he was very determined to get out of the cage.  I am honestly afraid he will hurt himself trying to get out.

However, on a good note.  His yearly went perfect.  His claws are nice and tidy.  He had his shots.  He also charmed the nurses and they were threatening (jokingly) to take him home because i couldnt catch them if they ran.  He was being a serious loverboy as soon as he got out of the cage.  I had to have a nurse help me get him back in and the process started again.   I seriously need help.  I am so worried about him.

Thanks 

gothikitten

I know that i just posted this and no one has responded but I am sitting here crying. I am honestly the most worried i have been since my previous cat got sick and had to be put down.  That is how badly he fought with this cage.  He also exhausted himself and has been asleep since we got home at ten am... six hours ago now.  He took a few treats and pets before he went to bed but he exhausted himself from trying to get out of the carrier.  He even missed his play time today.  That NEVER happens, especially when he gets new toys.  He got a wand with a catnip snake on it and a ball that has a weasels tail last night.  Today he got a turbo scratcher, a catnip mouse on a wand and a squeaky soft tiny liltle dinosaur that is adorable.  He ignored them all and i promise you the vet did not stress him out.   He was talking to the vet and purring and headbutting.  He loves his vet.  It is all this stupid carrier.

I am sorry you are worried=take heart many kittys get mad from the carrier. He will be ok. Don't forget that the rabies vaccine can sometimes cause drowsiness as well as the other shots. Let him rest. He probably just wants to sleep. Can you try tuna or meat babyfood?

He always wants to eat in the evening and he is letting me hand feed him right now. It is just a bit of baked chicken but he is eating it. I know that other cats are not fans but he was banging his head into it, bending his whiskers. Even if he was showing dislike it is traumatizing. I got him this so he can be safe. Now i want him to be comfortable.

that's fine, just make sure no onions or garlic are on the chicken.

Oh no. I baked it for him.

Can you consider not taking him back for a nail trimming? Maybe you can do that yourself, and then you'll be able to get back to your routine. I would seriously advise putting a leash and harness on him if you're going to carry him to the car, though. It's just too risky otherwise.

He'll be ok! He just needs to settle. My cat is the same way about her carrier and the car ride.

I cant right now. It is hard to balance him, a big strong tom, and the nail clippers and me with a broken leg. But when it heals yes. I am just afraid to do it because i dont want to hurt him.

You can wrap him in a towel like a burrito. That might help. Or you could have a friend hold him while you clip?

Either way, I would pass on the nail clipping at the vet this time. It's not critical, and not worth the trauma.

He'll probably bounce back. Especially since he was able to be a little lovebug at the vet. Some cats just get scared in the carrier, but I feel like there wouldn't be enough room for him to really hurt himself in it. You could try playing with him in the carrier or feeding him in it, so he gets more use to it if you're going to use it to take him to his nail trim. I wanted one of my cats to get comfortable with his carrier, so I threaded the end of his wand toy through the back hole of it and made a game of the toy running inside and hiding in the back of the carrier. So the cat had to go in and catch it. For a while I had him jumping into the carrier every time we played waiting for the toy to run past or jump in, and I think that made him more comfortable with it.

Oh my poor Piston!!!

I have a medium sized dog cage (not carrier) set up in my cat room. I've got feathers, a beloved blanket, and a few toys in there. It stays open so my cat's can access it and exit it whenever they choose. On vet days they aren't to traumatized by getting locked in the cage because they are so use to it that they consider it a safe space. This "method" works well for me and my trio.

Have you talked with Piston's vet about using sedatives for visits since its an overwhelming experience for him? I think that may be your best bet.

@sprin, the night before i gave him treats, well tried to, in the carrier. He wouldnt take treats until he got out. I think i will try the toy once he is used to the presence of the carrier.

@Inanna, the carrier is in the living room still open with my shirt in it. He loves to curl up on my clothes or anything that smells like me. I baked him chicken and gave him some in front of the carrier just trying to get him used to it. Not in it yet just ok with it. As for sedatives, i am very cautious about them. I have had a cat with severe reactions to sedation. I don't want to do that unless it is a last resort and the only option left.

@talkingpeanut, mostmost people i know are dog people and dont understand why i love cats. I could probably get them to hug a porcupine quicker than hold a cat. Confusing but true. I am still afraid of trimming the nail. I am not very coordinated (i have autism). If i hurt him i wouldnt forgive myself.

gothikitten said:

@sprin, the night before i gave him treats, well tried to, in the carrier. He wouldnt take treats until he got out. I think i will try the toy once he is used to the presence of the carrier.

@Inanna, the carrier is in the living room still open with my shirt in it. He loves to curl up on my clothes or anything that smells like me. I baked him chicken and gave him some in front of the carrier just trying to get him used to it. Not in it yet just ok with it. As for sedatives, i am very cautious about them. I have had a cat with severe reactions to sedation. I don't want to do that unless it is a last resort and the only option left.

@talkingpeanut, mostmost people i know are dog people and dont understand why i love cats. I could probably get them to hug a porcupine quicker than hold a cat. Confusing but true. I am still afraid of trimming the nail. I am not very coordinated (i have autism). If i hurt him i wouldnt forgive myself.

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I understand your concern, but i think that means you need to skip the nail trim for now. It will traumatize him again to go back to the vet, and it doesn't seem worth it for a non-urgent matter. You can take him in when your leg is healed.

You should get a soft cage. My cat goes crazy on the way to the vet in her cage, but she can't hurt herself because it's all cloth with skinny metal lining on the top and bottom (covered in fabric of course). I also have been putting her in the cage and driving her short distances to get more used to the car and show her the cage is not all about the vet. It seems to be working. I think it would make you feel a lot better about taking him to the vet. I agree with the previous post...you should wait until your leg heals to take him for a nail trimming. 

I want to say thank you to wveryone who helped me with this. I have his carrier open and we play close to it. Piston has even been sniffing it and going inside on his own. He comes right back out (keeping the door open) but he is getting inside it on his own too. Everytime he does i give him a treat. So he is learning that the carrier means treats. Thank you again everyone for your help from the bottom of my heart.

gothikitten said:

I want to say thank you to wveryone who helped me with this. I have his carrier open and we play close to it. Piston has even been sniffing it and going inside on his own. He comes right back out (keeping the door open) but he is getting inside it on his own too. Everytime he does i give him a treat. So he is learning that the carrier means treats. Thank you again everyone for your help from the bottom of my heart.

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It sounds like you and Piston are making great progress.

I had an after thought to pass on to you in regards to Piston's stress level during travel. Since he likes treats, would you try the calming treats? There are some on the market with melatonin in them. I gave some to my kitty before a big move and they really helped her out during the long car ride.