Traveling with Cats

Traveling can be one of the biggest challenges for cat owners: how do you transport them without stressing them? Carriers seem like a good solution, but cats quickly learn to associate them with "bad things": vets, groomers, and other stressful destinations. This can make them impossible to catch - they'll disappear as soon as they sense the carrier, or they'll become aggressive once they're placed inside. As a result, some owners may completely give up on traveling with cats - but this can jeopardize your cat's health.

It is possible for your cat to enjoy his carrier, but he needs to learn positive associations first. Feliway can help with this - it contains the same pheromones that cats use to mark their territories as safe, which helps reassure them that everything is okay. Simply spray in the corners, ceiling and floor of the carrier 15 minutes before putting your cat inside.

For more effective carrier training, you can also use Feliway during the training process. Spray the carrier several times a week and place your cat inside each time. Then, either go to a positive location - a park or a friend's house, or go nowhere (or just your vehicle) and give him special treats 3-5 minutes afterwards. This helps him learn that the carrier is a place where he can be comfortable, and it doesn't always bring bad news. Though he'll probably never learn to love the carrier, eventually he'll learn to tolerate it.


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