How to get a cat into a carrier (without the scratches)

Open the top, skip the chase

Lower her in from above. No chasing, no claws on the door frame. Our pick, the MASKEYON expandable carrier, opens on top and both sides, so loading is not a wrestle.

Pepper has seen the carrier. Pepper has left the building. Vet trip today? Use the no-chase method below. Got two weeks? Start with the slow plan, and every trip after this one gets easier.

What you need

• A carrier with a top opening. The MASKEYON Expandable Soft-Sided Airline Carrier has one, plus two side doors: three ways in.
• A towel or blanket that smells like home.
• A few treats she loves.
• One small room with the door shut, and the other pets elsewhere.

The no-chase method: vet trip today

1. Close her into one small room, like the bathroom, before the carrier comes out. A big house means a long chase.
2. Set the carrier on the floor with the top open and a towel inside.
3. Scoop her up with one arm under her chest and the other hand under her back legs. Hold her close to your body.
4. Lower her in feet first through the top. Let go when her paws touch the towel. No top-loader yet? Our pick opens on top.
5. Close the top at once and zip every opening all the way.
6. Cover the carrier with a towel and carry it level.

The catch: soft sides. A determined cat tests the zippers, so zip every opening fully and keep a hand on top until it is closed.

The two-week plan: no vet date yet

Days 1 to 3: leave it out

Take the carrier out of the closet, open it up and put the towel inside. Park it in a room she already uses. Say nothing and do nothing.

Days 4 to 7: make it a snack spot

Toss treats near it, then at the opening, then inside. Serve a meal next to it, then just inside the door.

Back to our top pickMASKEYON Expandable Soft-Sided Airline Carrier

Days 8 to 11: close the door

Close it for five seconds, treat, open it. Add a few seconds each day. If she walks out, go back a step.

Days 12 to 14: lift and walk

Close it, lift it, walk to the door and back, treat. Then try a short car ride.

Mistakes that cost you the scratches

Pick the carrier

Our pick: MASKEYON Expandable Soft-Sided Airline Carrier. Three ways in, top and two sides, so loading is not a wrestle. Unzip the sides at the hotel and she gets room to stretch out. It zips to 19.5 x 12 x 12 inches, with mesh windows, an inside leash that clips to her collar and an adjustable shoulder strap. The catch: it is 12 inches tall, so check your airline's under-seat height before you book. Made for pets up to 20 lbs.

Vet trips only? The Vceoa Soft-Sided Top-Loading carrier lowers her in from above, then folds flat in a closet between trips. The catch: soft sides, so zip every opening fully. More options: see carrier and travel picks.

Keep her calm on the way

• Drape a towel over the carrier so the world stops staring at her.
• A treat the second she steps in says it was the right move. Our training aids picks include a clicker to mark it.
• Hiding the second the carrier appears? Read signs your cat is stressed.
• Bringing a new cat home in the carrier? See how to introduce a new cat.
• Long drive? Offer water at every stop, and see our cat water picks.

Quick answers