Seperate or Same Carrier for trips to the vet?

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simpleblue

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i've heard that having a seperate can be useful to prevent fights when transporting mulitple cats.

i thought that the cats may do better if they share a carrier because they could comfort eachother.

any thoughts on this?
 
pami

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I would think it depends on how well the cats get along. I put 2 in one another 2 in one and one by herself. And altho they are very unhappy about it, I have never had any fights between them.
 
natalie_ca

natalie_ca

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I have 2 cats and only 1 carrier. I really need to invest in a second one because my cats aren't best friends and just tolerate one another. God help me if I tried to put them both in 1 carrier. I think it would be a blood bath.

Chynna doesn't mind the carrier, but trying to get Abby into it is like going 12 rounds with a professional boxer. She hates the carrier. When I've had to take her to the vet I've clipped all her nails short and had to put her under my coat and hang onto her for dear life. It's hard to get a cat into a carrier when her legs are splayed out in all directions, LOL

Anyway, I guess it all depends on how well your cats get along with one another.
 
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goldenkitty45

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Vet visits are stressful, so its better to have separate carriers even if the cats sleep together at home.

The only time I've put more then one cat in a carrier is when I had 2-3 kittens to take. Once they reached about 5-6 months old - they are separated.
 
satai

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We have often transported our cats in the same carrier, either Molly and Bobby together (at least til he got too big) or Slayer and Sláine together.

Molly and Bobby are mother and son, and Slayer and Sláine have been close friends since earlier kittenhood. I would not try any other combination - it wouldn't be a bloodbath, but I doubt it would be stress free let alone comforting.
 
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Originally Posted by Natalie_ca

I have 2 cats and only 1 carrier. I really need to invest in a second one because my cats aren't best friends and just tolerate one another. God help me if I tried to put them both in 1 carrier. I think it would be a blood bath.

Chynna doesn't mind the carrier, but trying to get Abby into it is like going 12 rounds with a professional boxer. She hates the carrier. When I've had to take her to the vet I've clipped all her nails short and had to put her under my coat and hang onto her for dear life. It's hard to get a cat into a carrier when her legs are splayed out in all directions, LOL

Anyway, I guess it all depends on how well your cats get along with one another.
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I would suggest getting a top loading carrier for your next one. Much easier to scruff a kitty and lower them into the carrier than to put them in the side. In fact, I set my carrier up and lower the kitties into it if they are hard to load.

I foster, so often take kitties to the adoption shows. I think they enjoy having a friend along, so two in a carrier works for me. However, they are very friendly, and often at least one of them is a kitten.
 
satai

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Originally Posted by Natalie_ca

Chynna doesn't mind the carrier, but trying to get Abby into it is like going 12 rounds with a professional boxer. She hates the carrier. When I've had to take her to the vet I've clipped all her nails short and had to put her under my coat and hang onto her for dear life. It's hard to get a cat into a carrier when her legs are splayed out in all directions, LOL
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I've used a laundry basket from time to time if Molly was feeling particularly uncooperative. (It's wicker and breathable, but I do have to tie the lid down). My vet and the nurses get a kick out of Molly in hamper mode.

Beckiboo's suggestion of a top loader sounds like a good idea. I've never had to scruff Molly to get her into the laundry hamper, but she's small. I just prepare the basket, cuddle her and place into basket while cuddling. (I goo fast - she's a fighter, not a lover). She isn't happy, but it avoids the scruffing - so maybe make sure there is some room in the carrier you pick.
 
MoochNNoodles

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When my girls were kittens (they are littermates) I put them in the same carrier in hopes they would be calmer. But now, they are just to darn heavy to be in one together! Plus they wouldn't have room to move without getting a bigger carrier.
 
ashleynicole

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I just recently got my second cat, and got my second carrier the day after I brought him home. If you have a Wal-mart near by, they have pretty good carriers for only 15 dollars. Marlee and Milo both have the exact same carrier - the medium size pet-taxi carrier (i believe that is the name...close anyways!). Petco had the exact same carrier, possibly name brand or something I guess, and the small one was 30 dollars!
 
cearbhaill

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Separate carriers here- they get upset on the ride, and I don't want one to accidently lash out at another in a case of redirected aggression. The brothers used to travel together when they were very small, but now each one has his own space.

 
icklemiss21

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Separate, as Cearbhaill said, I would hate for them to get scared on the journey (you never know when something will happen, like a police car with sirens freaks them out or anything else cats can be finicky about.
 
urbantigers

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Jaffa and Magpie (bridge baby) always travelled together in the same carrier, although it was very heavy! They had grown up together and were used to it so there was no problem - I think they reassured each other. I wouldn't dream of putting Mosi in the same carrier as Jaffa now though, so it's separate ones for them.
 
jamasmom

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Maggie May & Jazz always go in the same carrier. Maggie is protective and always manuevers herselft in front of Jazz on the way there. On the way back she insists on laying on top of her!
 
mirinae

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We have one very large carrier, that could theoretically carry both cats, and one small carrier that's too small for Oz but that Spike fits in. Our vet strongly suggested that we carry them in separate carriers: although Oz's presence is very calming for Spike, she's concerned that Spike's stress might make Oz less laidback. Besides that, I'm fairly certain I couldn't possibly lift both cats in the big carrier!
 
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I have one large carrier and a small one. I've been thinking about what to do because this fall, cookie, suzie and rocky all come up for vet visits, and I can save time and money bringing everyone in at once. Rocky gets very stressed at the vets. Cookie and Suzie are littermates and I have transported them in the same carrier before when they were little. I'm wondering if I can put rocky in the small one and the other two together. but them I'm hoping that rocky's bad behavior doesn't rub off on them.. Or they could serve as a calming influence over him.. I don't think its a good idea to transport rocky in the large with one of hte other ones.
 
momto3cats

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I use separate carriers. My cats aren't particularly friendly with each other, and I don't want to force them into such close quarters during a car ride. If I had two who were close friends and small enough for me to carry both at once, I would probably let them share.
 
jugen

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Definately separate carriers. I took Twig and Isis to the vets one time in the same carrier(as I'd done millions of times before because I thought it'd help Isis who is afraid of everything) and after the visit, in the waiting room, Twig attacked Isis and it was horrible trying to separate a 22 pound cat from a 10 pound one while inside a carrier. I'll never put them in the same carrier again, not ever Rocket who loves everything and everyone.
 
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