Daisy doesn't like her carrier

[joeyjr]

Hello:
I'm new to this site and desperate for some suggestions. In Jan. I adopted a sweet seven yr. old female cat named Daisy who dislikes her carrier. She screams, scratches and constantly turns around .and around once you get her in it. This Sat. we have a flight reserved that will take us to Wis.
So far a vet. gave her Acepromazine that dose nothing for her. Now I have been putting into her food a little I-tryptopet to calm her and rubbing some Rescue Remedy onto her ears in hopes this will relax her. For the past two months I've been putting her into the carrier to get her use to it. The carrier sits out 24/7 and she has no problem rubbing next to it, but once inside she's like the "cat from hell"!", I would appreciate hearing if you have any suggestions that might help with my dilemma. Thank you.

 

[misterwhiskers]

Ah, so you have left it out. Can you put your hand inside it so she knows it doesn't bite? Put a shirt of yours inside with your smell? Put some catnip inside it? Is this the only carrier she's afraid of?

 

[Columbine]

Make sure the carrier is thoroughly cleaned inside - cats can smell fear and anxiety left behind from previous trips, exacerbating future problems.

Also, you could try a bigger carrier, different design, different shape etc. Sometimes it helps with retraining if the carrier is different to the one the cat panicked in previously.

Another approach to try is to feed only inside the carrier. Start with the food just inside, and move it back a little each day. You could also get her favourite treats and play games with the carrier - throw treats into the carrier one at a time, so she has to go in to get them. This is a longer term strategy, but breaking negative associations is never easy.

Using something with your scent in the crate is a good idea, but I'd be wary of catnip in this instance. Catnip tends to amplify the emotional state the cat is in at the time, so giving catnip to an already highly stressed cat may not be the best idea.

Given that Daisy find the crate so traumatic, I really would consider not taking her with you. It's not great for her health to be stressed to the extent you describe - especially if it's not essential (ie, not a veterinary appointment).

 

[joeyjr]

I live in Wisc. during the summer so I have no choice but to take my forever cat, Daisy with me. Last yr, I had my cat of eighteen yrs. put to sleep because he was ill, he traveled back and forth with me, with no difficulties. When I adopted Daisy I never gave it any thought that she woild be frightened of the carrier. It would break my heart to have to give her back to the Humane Society. I'm hoping that someone has a solution for me. Thank you and any suggestions will be appreciated. joeyjr.

 

[Columbine]

In that case, I think your only option for this trip is to have a vet prescribed sedative that will last the duration of the journey. It is possible to retrain/desensitise cats to carriers, but there is no quick fix. It takes time, patience and perseverance.

In addition to feeding in the carrier and using treats, you can shut the door for short periods at home. Don't do this before she comfortable in the carrier with the door open though. Get/entice her in there, shut the door for maybe 5secs and then release her. Gradually extend the time until she's no longer scared of being shut in the carrier. Let her dictate the pace. It's a long, slow process, but it's the only way I know to overcome this type of issue.

Good luck.

 

[cat nap]

Hello:
I'm new to this site and desperate for some suggestions. In Jan. I adopted a sweet seven yr. old female cat named Daisy who dislikes her carrier. She screams, scratches and constantly turns around .and around once you get her in it. This Sat. we have a flight reserved that will take us to Wis.
So far a vet. gave her Acepromazine that dose nothing for her. Now I have been putting into her food a little I-tryptopet to calm her and rubbing some Rescue Remedy onto her ears in hopes this will relax her. For the past two months I've been putting her into the carrier to get her use to it. The carrier sits out 24/7 and she has no problem rubbing next to it, but once inside she's like the "cat from hell"!", I would appreciate hearing if you have any suggestions that might help with my dilemma. Thank you.

I, too, would suggest calling your vet again, and asking about alternative tranquilizers that can be given to cats for plane rides.  Some websites mention that the med acepromazine may cause aggression in some cats as a side effect, so perhaps another drug would be helpful to try. 

Columbine's advice of getting a larger carrier, would have been what I would try.  But I have only travelled with cats in cars for maximum 3 hours, so don't really know how they would do on planes.

And leaving scents that are familiar to Daisy, within the carrier is also good, so she can smell, and feel familiar things.  She probably had a really bad association with being in a cage or carrier, and it will take a lot of time to become comfortable in one.  I know you don't want to send her back to the Humane Society, that is probably where her fear developed.  Especially since you make Daisy sound like a sweet cat, and only has this one fear.

I really hope your vet can do something, before saturday, and prescribe a longer lasting, and safe sedative.

 

[misterwhiskers]

Did you buy the carrier new? Or did somebody else have it before you? Im wondering if it has scents on it.
If she was in a shelter, poor cat probably had reason to associate carriers with bad things. I shudder to imagine how this would be reinforced should she be returned to the shelter now, so I really hope you don't do that.

 

[BonitaBaby]

You could try Feliway spray or Comfort Zone with Feliway and spray it everywhere inside her carrier for 20-30 minutes before you put her inside. I read this is helpful and recommended when bringing a new cat home. Feliway doesn't work on every cat, but I think it made a difference calming my cat down who has screeching like an alley cat after I adopted her. She seemed to calm down in the car, which I had also sprayed with Comfort Zone with Feliway for 10-20 minutes before putting her inside. Now I spray her carrier before taking her on any vet visit. It could be worth a try in addition to the sedative from the vet. 

 

[joeyjr]

Thank you for your suggestions. I am now feeding her in the carrier and she has no problem with that, I guess it's because she enjoys eating! I am also going to see if Pet Calm (1ml) will have any positive effect. Hopefully we'll find a solution.

 

[joeyjr]

I' ve been spraying her carrier inside and out with a solution of Rescue Remedy, so do you think I should also try Feliway and Comfort Zone?

 

[Columbine]

Great that she's happy to eat inside the carrier

I would definitely try Feliway or comfort zone sprayed in the the carrier. It might be an idea to spray some fabric with each of them before spraying the carrier - I've heard that some cats actually dislike the Feliway spray, so testing Daisy's reaction to them both is a sensible move. It will also help you work out which of the two sprays she finds more comforting/relaxing.

Rescue Remedy only works via ingestion or skin absorption - it won't actually help to spray it in the carrier.

It sounds like things are going well. I'd still recommend a sedative for Saturday's journey, but if you keep working with Daisy over the summer she may well be able to make the return journey drug free. :cross:

 

[joeyjr]

Thank you, you're a big help.......leaving now to purchase Feliway and Comfort zone.

 

[2bcat]

Worst case you might want to try a new carrier.  I suspect this trip it might be too late to sort that out, but depending upon carrier type needed and amount of time you have, it could be worth exploring, if not now then either before the trip back or before next year.

I had a totally different problem with carrier several years ago.  My cat kept pooping in it every time we took her in the car with it, after one long trip to her old vet (almost an hour in the car).  I figured it was just the length of time in the car, but it kept happening even though her new vet was now only 5 miles away.  I cleaned it thoroughly, etc, and otherwise she was fine sometimes hanging out in it while at home.  After third time, got a new carrier, never happened again in many more trips.

 

[joeyjr]

Thank you for your suggestion, it's appreciated.
Yesterday I bought a new carrier, placed it next to her old one, she took one look at it and left the room, didn't return until the new carrier was out of site! Today I got some Comfort Zone with Feliway, I sprayed her carrier, now after her nap I'll see her reaction, hope it's positive.

 

[Columbine]

:cross: for you. It's sounds like you're making great progress for such a short time. I really do find the key to boxing resistant animals is to make the box the sole feeding place for a while. There's nothing so useful as hunger for creating positive associations

 

[Columbine]

Another easy thing to try - I've just been reading in another thread that lavender has now been proven to have a calming influence on cats (thanks @puck for that useful bit of info ). Again, test Daisy's reaction to it outside of the carrier first, but it could be a useful addition to your box of tricks for her.

I do find it helpful in these situations to test out one thing at a time - otherwise, you can't tell which of the many options are helping

 

[stewball]

Please keep us informed about the journey and her reaction.

 

[joeyjr]

I agree, I try everything seperately. Her vet suggested lavender and tested her for it, but it wasn't positive, like it was for Valerian. Please send Daisy good thoughts so her travels are uneventful. And again thank you all for your helpful suggestions..

 

[joeyjr]

Thank you "Cat Nap"!

 

[cicoccabim]

Many cats that don´t like the carrier have accepted a round carrier easier- such at sleepy pod (http://sleepypod.com/sleepypod, sleepypod-outsiders.jpg). They act like a bed at home, you put the dome on, and it becomes a carrier. I have a sleepy pod air sleepypod-air-1.jpg  - and my cat loves it- I find her sleeping, or purring in the car, and I never have problems to bring her with me.