Crate Training Your Cat for Long Trips

Most cats hate carriers because the carrier only ever appears on the way to the vet. Fixing that association is the entire job — and it takes weeks, not days.

Step 1: make it furniture

Bring the crate out and take the door off. Put it in a room the cat already likes, with a familiar blanket inside. Do nothing else for several days.

Step 2: feed inside

Move the food bowl gradually closer, then just inside, then at the back. Never push, never close the door. Let the cat leave whenever it wants.

Step 3: close the door briefly

Refit the door. Close it for ten seconds while your cat is eating, then open. Build up to a few minutes over a week.

Step 4: motion

Lift the crate a few centimetres, set it down, praise. Then a short walk around the house. Then a five-minute car trip that ends back at home, not at the vet.

Step 5: full rehearsal

A 30-minute car trip with the crate secured, blanket in place, and a pheromone spray applied 30 minutes beforehand.

What not to do

Do not chase, do not tip the cat in tail-first, and do not start this two days before the flight. Cats need four to six weeks of unhurried repetition.