 |
| |
Choosing the Right Cat Carrier
for Your Healthy Cat
"Cat carriers come in handy for so many reasons: emergencies, vet visits, moving, etc."
Do You Need a Cat Carrier?
Pet transportation enclosures are very helpful in getting your cat from place to place. Probably the most regular use of a pet carrier will be for visits to the veterinarian.
Almost all veterinarians require that your feline friend be contained when coming in for an appointment. Assuming you have a healthy cat and only need to take her to the vet for her annual exam, then you will probably only use a carrier once a year.
Other reasons you could need a cat enclosure include traveling, moving, or any other reason you may need to safely transport your cat from one place to another.
Emergency Situations
Perhaps the most overlooked reason to own your own pet carrier is in case of an emergency. Emergencies could range from your indoor cat eating a poisonous plant (but hopefully there are none of these in your house!), or your cat going outside and getting hit by a car and you need to safely and quickly transport him to the emergency veterinary hospital.
Taking your cat to the veterinarian in a small enclosed area will help your already traumatized cat feel more safe and secure.
Other emergencies that will require a safe and sturdy way to transport your cat include fires, and depending on where you live, earthquakes, floods or other disasters that will require you to leave your home quickly.
I stress these potential emergency situations because I've read other people's recommendations that you should simply borrow a cat carrier for those rare trips to the veterinarian. In case of an emergency, you will not have enough warning and you must be prepared to take care of all your pets immediately.
You should own your own and keep it in an easily accessible place in your home. This could make a significant difference in taking care of your cat in an emergency situation.
Multiple cat carriers are necessary if you have more than one cat. Make sure that each of your cats has their own pet carrier.
Choosing the Right Type
There are essentially three types to choose from:
- cardboard,
- soft, and
- hard.
Which type you choose could depend on how often you think you'll need to use the carrier, and of course, your own preference. Do you hope to only use your cat carrier once a year for you cat's annual physical exam? Do you move a lot and need to transport your cat more often? What are your storage space considerations?
Remember, you should keep the carrier in an easily accessible place in case of an emergency.
When choosing a cat carrier, be sure to pick the right size for your cat. You want to make sure that your cat can stand up and turn around in the carrier and also stretch out while lying down (especially if you are traveling a long distance with your cat). However, you also want to make sure that the carrier is not too big for your cat. Cats feel more secure in smaller areas. Bigger is not better in this case.
If you are adopting a kitten, you may want to start with a cardboard carrier until you know how big your cat will be in adulthood. Then, if you like, you can make more of an investment and get your cat a more permanent, stronger cat carrier.
Cardboard Cat Carriers
If you adopt your cat from an animal shelter, almost all shelters will give you a cardboard carrier to transport your cat home. If you are bringing a new cat home from somewhere that does not provide one, be sure to take a cat carrier with you to pick up your cat.
A cardboard cat carrier is perfectly fine for your healthy cat if you plan on keeping her indoors and don't plan to travel much. The carrier will have holes for ventilation and to allow your cat to see out.
Cardboard carriers
are all very similar in size. And you can flatten the cardboard ones if you need to save space.
Soft Cat Carriers
Soft pet carriers are generally made of a firm but flexible material. They will last longer than cardboard carriers. If you plan to travel any distance with your cat, a
soft cat carrier
may be a better option than a cardboard carrier.
You can also take a soft carrier into the passenger part of a plane with you (never let your cat be transported in the outside luggage compartment of a plane, as this is too traumatizing and unhealthy for your cat). If you plan to fly, be sure to check with the airline about the acceptable size for your carrier. Different airlines may have different requirements.
Another advantage of the soft carrier over the cardboard carrier is that unlike cardboard, the soft carrier (as well as a hard carrier) may be better in case of an emergency. For example, if the cardboard should become wet, then it will be useless to you.
Depending on the flexibility of the material, you may also be able to collapse the carrier to save space while not in use.
Hard Cat Carriers
A hard cat carrier is the sturdiest of all available cat carriers. It is usually made of a tough, durable plastic. Regular hard carriers take the most in storage space in your home, as they are less flexible than cardboard or soft carriers. However, there is one excellent
hard carrier
at PETsMART that actually folds so that you can store it without using too much space in your home.
Another great hard carrier on the market allows you to more easily get your cat into and out of the carrier. It's a
two-door carrier
 that opens from both the front and the top.
If you have enough storage space in your home and your cat doesn't mind going in through the front door of the carrier, a standard
hard carrier
may be your best option. It's sturdier and will last longer.
Introducing Your Cat to the Cat Carrier
Many cats will look like cartoon characters with all four legs stretched straight out sideways when you try to put them into a cat carrier. To avoid this aversion to the carrier, you need to get your cat used to the idea of being in the carrier. This is especially important in case of an emergency when time is of the essence.
If the only time you pull out your cat's carrier and try to put your cat in is once a year for her annual visit to the vet, then your cat may not be too thrilled about being put inside. (Interestingly though, some cats who raise a stink about going in at home, will act like dead weight when you try to take them out at the vet's office!) Although, you will hopefully only need to use your carrier once a year, in case of an emergency, it will be very helpful if your cat goes easily into the carrier.
One way to introduce your kitty to a carrier is to leave it in the middle of the room, or other place where it's easy for her to get into. You can try throwing a couple of healthy treats inside. Your goal is to get your cat to explore the carrier and become familiar and comfortable with it.
Ideally, your cat's experience with her cat carrier will be a pleasant one. Some cats become so accustomed to their little enclosure that they sleep in it or use it during their playtime.
Related Topics:
Cat Supplies
List of essential cat supplies and some great places to buy them
Search My Healthy Cat or the Internet for more information.Top of page
My Healthy Cat home
|
|
