Tornado In Cat Carrier

[Diana Faye]

I'm hoping this is the right thread to ask about this. My youngest was recently neutered (yay), but the car ride there and back was awful. He has been transported before with no issues, however it is not a common occurrence for him.

The first 2x I borrowed a hard carrier, and for the 3rd trip I got a soft one that resembles a duffel bag. By that time, I had adopted another kitten from a shelter, and he had tagged along on that trip because I wanted my own vet to give him a quick look to be safe. For the new carriers, I had put them both out for them to explore, put treats inside, practiced closing them in, etc. and everything went well.

This 4th trip, I only took the one kitten and I put the carrier out the night before but didn't do anything else, as I had thought it was still familiar. I had trimmed his nails the night before the appointment too, just in case. This time, he turned into a tornado and would not stop trying to dig himself out, until he actually managed to pull apart the zipper and bust out halfway through the 20 min ride. He's a little guy who surprised the tech at being 8lbs. Luck for me, for some reason I decided to put a harness on him and bring a leash, just in case, so I quickly snapped the lead on him. He was completely fine being held for the remainder of the trip. I ended up calling ahead to let them know to clear a room so I could make a run for it inside, and threw a blanket over him to get him past the waiting room, and that worked well enough but was still a bit of a hair raiser.

For the trip home the next day, I borrowed the vet's hard carrier and once again, he turned into a tornado. I actually did pull him out of the carrier for a bit as I drove, but he was too exploratory and I pulled over to contain him again (which he resisted but I managed). He was super happy to be home and walked out like nothing had happened, but while he was resting I noticed that he had broken his nails and was bloody. In the soft carrier the day before, he had cracked one nail, but this time it was both paws and it looked awful (at least to me). I'm always careful to leave a little white because I'm so scared of hurting them, but he tore his nails right down to the quick.

I really feel bad that I underestimated his comfort with the carrier, and that the whole event was so traumatic. He was fine even in the carrier in the house. The only thing I can think of is I have noticed he has gotten super attached to his new brother. He does not want to left alone without either of us. Once I took them outside on a leash, one by one as I did not have a friend to help, and when he was left inside I could hear him banging against the walls and window screens just to get to us. I wonder if he would have been any different if they went together, or if his personality changed to no longer be ok with the carrier.

I don't know what to do. My senior cat did not like carriers either, so his whole life I went without one. The thing is, I could trust that cat not to panic and try to run away if out in public. He didn't enjoy being held at home but never struggled if we were outside and had 100% trust in me. This kitten seemed a lot happier out of the carrier, too, but it was hard to hold on to him when we first stepped out of the car and I don't think a blanket will be enough if faced with something scary. I know that it is also safer to use a carrier in the car, but I can't have him tearing up his nails like that every time.

Is there a better carrier that cats can't hurt themselves on? And/or one I could feasibly use to carry 2 cats in?? I'd need to be able to manage it for yearly vet exams and in case of emergency. Or, should I just go without a carrier like I had done for the last 13 years with my old man?

 

[Wile]

Hi Diana. My cat also doesn't like car trips. There are some things that you can do to manage him in the carrier like throw a blanket over it to keep it dark. I also have a large hard-sided carrier to carry both cats in at once because they are comforted by each other and get along very well. My vets are used to me bringing both cats to our visits because they know my boy behaves better that way. Not all cats find it comforting to share a carrier though, so you will want to test this before you assume that your boys will do well together.

I'm not really sure why he would have cracked a nail on the carrier if they were trimmed, but this shouldn't happen with a hard carrier.

In my opinion this might just be a case where your boy just needs to suck it up and stay in his carrier whether or not he likes it. It can be really dangerous to have a cat loose in a car for all the reasons you list in your post. Even if he is upset, at least he is safe.

 

[Diana Faye]

I tried to cover him but he wasn't having it. I may need to take them both. I think the first nail he must have cracked when he busted the zipper, but the rest he did crack on the hard carrier while pawing at the openings and small bars. I don't know if there's a different style that would be safer for him.

 

[MeowHiss]

My last cat hated carriers. When I took him to the vet, I'd wear a zipper hoodie that was 2 times too big for me and my cat would like to hide in it. I'd position the seatbelt so that I cad control of him while driving and that seemed the best method that made him feel comfortable.

When we got to the vet, I'd leave him in the hoodie til we got to a room. Sometimes he'd poke his head out by my neck and look around, but mostly he stayed hidden.

I also had a harness and a leash attatched due to my vets policy.


The zipper hoodie method also has worked for super hussy cats. I worked on a farm for 10 years and there was always feral kittens that would bite you for trying to cauth them. But once caught and pet for a few minutes, they always preferred the hoodie.


My black cat is fine with carriers. I always have it out where she can see it and go in it. I thought about trying the zipper hoodie method with her, but so far I haven't needed it.