The easiest way to get a cat into a carrier is to leave it out all the time, with soft bedding and treats inside, so it stops meaning a clinic visit. If you have to go today and there’s been no practice, use a small room, stay calm and lower your cat in gently through the top.

Our own stories are about dogs, so for this one we leaned on the cat veterinarians. The FelineVMA, the group formerly known as the American Association of Feline Practitioners, says the stress of a veterinary visit, including the trip, is a major reason people don’t bring their cats in. So if the carrier is the hardest part of your cat’s care, you have plenty of company.

Why cats hate the carrier

Cats like what’s familiar, and they need time with anything new. If the carrier only comes out for clinic visits, your cat learns what it means, and may be under the bed before you’ve got the door open.

What kind of cat carrier is best

• Hard plastic is best. Look for one that opens from the top and the front and comes apart in the middle. With the top off, your cat can stay in the bottom half during the exam.

• Size: big enough to turn around in, but not so big that your cat slides around.

• One per cat, even if they get along. The stress of travel can change how they act toward each other.

• Soft and backpack carriers: the FelineVMA and International Cat Care both steer people away from soft carriers that collapse or are hard to clean, and from backpacks, which can let a cat move around too much.

How to train your cat to use a carrier

Go one step at a time, and only move on when your cat is calm.

1. Leave it out in a room where your cat likes to spend time, door open. International Cat Care says it should be “part of the furniture”.

2. Make it a good place. Add soft bedding that smells familiar, then treats, catnip or a toy for your cat to find.

3. Feed meals in it. The ASPCA suggests this every day.

4. Close the door briefly while your cat eats, then give a reward. Slowly make it longer.

5. Pick it up. Lift from underneath rather than by the handle, and carry it around the house.

6. Take short rides that don’t end at the clinic.

Some cats learn fast, and others need weeks or months. Only practice when your cat is feeling well. If you’re not sure, our guide on how to tell if your dog or cat is in pain may help. And skip any scolding: cats don’t learn from punishment or force.

How to get a scared cat into a carrier today

Lots of cat families end up here, and it’s OK.

• Stay calm. Cats pick up on our stress, so take a breath first.

• Use a small room. Put the carrier in a room with few hiding places and close the door. Try not to chase your cat. Offer a treat or toy and see if they’ll walk in, unless your veterinarian has asked you to hold food before the visit. If they panic when they see the carrier, keep it close but out of sight.

• Lower them in. If your cat won’t walk in, gently cradle them and lower them through the top. Or take the top half off, settle your cat in the bottom half and calmly put the top back on.

• Use a towel as a last step. The ASPCA suggests first slowly covering your cat and the carrier’s opening with a towel, like a tunnel. If that doesn’t work and you need to leave, wrap your cat in a thick towel that smells familiar, covering the back legs, hold them against your body and place cat and towel in together, quickly but gently. If your cat is panicking or you can’t do this gently, stop and call your veterinarian. They may have a safer plan.

• Give it time, if you have it. If a try doesn’t work and this isn’t an emergency, the ASPCA says to wait at least ten minutes before trying again. If your cat is hurt or struggling to breathe, don’t wait. Call your veterinarian or an emergency clinic and ask how to get them there.

• Don’t scruff. The FelineVMA says scruffing should never be used, because it causes fear and pain and often gets people hurt.

Where to put a cat carrier in the car

Secure the carrier on the floor behind a front seat. The FelineVMA says to use a seat belt only with a crash-test certified carrier, because a belt can crush one that isn’t. Cover it with a towel or blanket so your cat can hide, and keep the car comfortable and well ventilated. However much your cat meows, keep the carrier closed until you’re inside with the doors shut.

At the clinic

Ask if there’s a separate area for cats, and keep the carrier covered and up off the floor. If your cat is very stressed, International Cat Care suggests waiting in the car with them until you’re called.

Do calming sprays and medicine help?

Cat groups including the FelineVMA and International Cat Care suggest spraying synthetic feline pheromones on the bedding or a towel at least 15 minutes before your cat goes in, with your cat out of the room while you spray. The evidence is modest. A 2023 review found these sprays may reduce signs of stress in veterinary settings, with mixed results, and said they shouldn’t be the only thing you try.

If your cat is still very frightened, talk to your veterinarian before the appointment. They may suggest medicine for fear or for nausea. If they prescribe something, International Cat Care suggests trying it at home first to see how it works and check for side effects. If it comes as a pill, our guide on how to give a pet a pill has a section on cats.

Why your other cats hiss after a clinic visit

Your cat comes home smelling different, and cats who’ve always gotten along may hiss or fight. If there’s hissing, keep the returning cat in a separate room with food, water, a litter box and a comfy bed. After a few hours, slowly let them see each other, with you there. It can take a day or two, or longer after surgery, so follow your veterinarian’s advice.

If today didn’t go the way you hoped, that’s OK. Leave the carrier out in the living room tonight, drop a treat in it and start from there. Caring for a pet who fights you is real work, and we wrote about that in The Caregiver Nobody Sees.

This article shares general information from veterinary sources. It isn’t a substitute for advice from your own veterinarian.

Sources

We’re arranging a veterinary review of this article. Until it’s done, here are the sources behind it.

• Feline Veterinary Medical Association: 2025 Transportation of Cats in Motor Vehicles Position Statement

• Feline Veterinary Medical Association: 2026 Respectful Handling of Cats to Minimize Fear and Pain at the Veterinary Visit

• Feline Veterinary Medical Association: Purrfect Journey, A Cat Carrier Guide for Caregivers

• American Association of Feline Practitioners: Getting your Cat to the Veterinary Practice

• American Association of Feline Practitioners and International Society of Feline Medicine: Getting Your Cat to the Veterinarian

• International Cat Care: Taking your cat to the vet

• International Cat Care: Taking your cat to the veterinary clinic, a guide for cat carers

• ASPCA: Teaching Your Cat to Ride in a Carrier

• ASPCA: How to Secure an Evasive Cat

• The Ohio State University, Indoor Pet Initiative: The Veterinarian

• Fear Free Happy Homes: Teach Your Cat To Go Into A Carrier, Without A Struggle

• Crump E. Effectiveness of F3 feline facial pheromone analogue for acute stress reduction within clinical veterinary practice. Veterinary Evidence, 2023