Get started as early as you can preparing your cat for traveling even if you aren’t a frequent traveler. By beginning early in their lives (as kittens is best) or soon after adopting an older cat you can start to slowly accustom them to their carrier, the car, and perhaps eventually a flight. Cats are territorial animals that find comfort in their familiar surroundings and by making the key elements of travel familiar to them you’ll reduce their anxiety. As we both know that when your pets re relaxed during travel you the owner will be too.
Carrier Training
The cat carrier is the first place to begin teaching your cat that they own that particular space. Most cats won’t like their carriers at first so place treats and catnip there for your pet to discover on their own. After a few days your curious cat will begin to check out the treats and feel more and more comfortable in the carrier. Once they become more relaxed in the carrier, try closing it up for a few minutes at a time occasionally when they walk in. You don’t want to do it every time so they don’t fear the carrier. Your goal should be able to keep your cat in the carrier starting at about 3 minutes to around 15 minutes at a time in your home. After your cat can handle the 15 minute mark, try walking them around the house so they get used to movement in the carrier. Remember, once these little training sessions are done, reward your cat with a treat or some dinner so both going in the carrier and coming out are fun activities they associate with positive things.
Proper carrier training won’t just help you on a trip to the airport for on long haul flights, but for more routine trips like going to the vet. You’ll make the experience much easier on both yourself and your cat.
Your cat will also appreciate it if the carrier doesn’t smell like any other pets you may have so don’t let the family dog use it as their second home. A nice blanket that is clean and fresh smelling will also make the environment that much more inviting. Some carriers also come with floral fragrances designed to calm pets but cats don’t really like the smell of citrus and nothing will work as well as good carrier training.
Training Tips
During the training process, don’t hover over the carrier, obsessing over every single sound your cat makes. That creates a tense environment and will make your animal feel like there is something wrong. Keep in mind that being in the carrier is completely normal and you must act like that. Give your cat a chance to adjust and if you do it slowly enough and over enough time, they eventually will. The one mistake you can make is not sticking with the process and trying to take a flight with a cat that is a complete ball of stress in their carrier – making the flight miserable for everyone involved.
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