Did you try just picking them up and having a towel or blanket underneath in case they want to dig their claws into something, and hand in their shoulders in case they try to escape? That’s what Ive done for years and it is so much less stressful on everyone involved.
The problem is getting a hold of them in the first place. They just bolt from one hiding place to another, and I say “hiding place” but they’re not as much “hidden” as “hard to reach when you are a human-sized human”. The only reason I eventually manage to catch them is that ambush predators get tired quicker than persistence predators.
The hate being picked up in general, even if there is no threat of vet, so they’ll struggle to get out of my arms and if they succeed - I’ve lost the element of surprise.
Also - I have two cats, and if I need to take both to vet then even if I manage to place one in a carrier he’ll alert the other that something is wrong.
Mine know that it’s vet time the second i get the transport boxes out of storage. I have to be pretty silent while they sleep so they don’t notice that, or else i have to use persistance predation too.
e: a possible workaround is to store the transport boxes in different places everytime, but my options are limited.
we have no car and use public transport. its a short ride, about 10 minutes bus and 10 minutes walk time, or about 40 minutes walking only (while carrying a cat in a box).
I didn’t have a car in my entire life, because public transport in my city (Vienna) has great interval times, are nearly always clean and cheap to ride; long distance i prefer trains.
Just how docile are your cats? If I’d take my cats to the bus without a container I’d have to run back and forth trying to fish them from the overhead storage racks when I reach my stop.
I tried releasing them in my car once, and they managed to squeeze under the driver and passenger seats. At least that was an environment fully under my control.
Its not that theyre docile, I was barely able to get one of them into the carrier with help, and it pissed in the process. Its more that in my arms theyre more afraid of everything that isnt me and if they try to escape, I can grip harder.
Did you try just picking them up and having a towel or blanket underneath in case they want to dig their claws into something, and hand in their shoulders in case they try to escape? That’s what Ive done for years and it is so much less stressful on everyone involved.
The problem is getting a hold of them in the first place. They just bolt from one hiding place to another, and I say “hiding place” but they’re not as much “hidden” as “hard to reach when you are a human-sized human”. The only reason I eventually manage to catch them is that ambush predators get tired quicker than persistence predators.
How do they know youre taking them to the vet?
The hate being picked up in general, even if there is no threat of vet, so they’ll struggle to get out of my arms and if they succeed - I’ve lost the element of surprise.
Also - I have two cats, and if I need to take both to vet then even if I manage to place one in a carrier he’ll alert the other that something is wrong.
Mine know that it’s vet time the second i get the transport boxes out of storage. I have to be pretty silent while they sleep so they don’t notice that, or else i have to use persistance predation too.
e: a possible workaround is to store the transport boxes in different places everytime, but my options are limited.
No transport box. You just put blanket in your arms and pick the cat up, carry it to the car.
we have no car and use public transport. its a short ride, about 10 minutes bus and 10 minutes walk time, or about 40 minutes walking only (while carrying a cat in a box).
I didn’t have a car in my entire life, because public transport in my city (Vienna) has great interval times, are nearly always clean and cheap to ride; long distance i prefer trains.
You cant take the cat on the bus?
Just how docile are your cats? If I’d take my cats to the bus without a container I’d have to run back and forth trying to fish them from the overhead storage racks when I reach my stop.
I tried releasing them in my car once, and they managed to squeeze under the driver and passenger seats. At least that was an environment fully under my control.
Its not that theyre docile, I was barely able to get one of them into the carrier with help, and it pissed in the process. Its more that in my arms theyre more afraid of everything that isnt me and if they try to escape, I can grip harder.