Most cats only see the carrier when something unpleasant is about to happen: the vet, a move, a car. So they learn the carrier means trouble and vanish the moment it comes out of the cupboard. The kind fix is not a faster chase or a firmer grip. It is to make the carrier a boring, rewarding place long before you need it, one small step at a time.
Pushing a cat in, or shutting the door before it is ready, can leave it feeling trapped. Welfare groups such as the RSPCA warn that this adds to the fear around the carrier. Battersea says plainly never to force your cat in. Every forced trip teaches the cat that hiding was the right idea, so the next one is harder.
Battersea suggests a sturdy, easy-to-clean plastic carrier with room for your cat to sit, lie down and turn around, and with both top and side openings. A lid that comes off is a big help: you can train with just the base, and at the vet the cat can often stay in the base during the exam. Soft, wobbly-bottomed and backpack-style carriers are harder to make feel safe. Wash it well if another cat has used it, because strong smells can put a cat off.
The idea is simple. Work through the rungs below, rewarding calm behaviour with treats, a favourite toy or a meal. Move up only when your cat looks relaxed on the current rung. If it tenses, hides or refuses food, go back down a rung and make it easier. Most cats need a few days per rung, but your cat sets the pace.
A few minutes is plenty. Use something your cat truly loves: a tasty treat, a wand toy, or part of a meal. PDSA suggests moving the food bowl closer to the carrier over several days and then inside it. Battersea suggests a feather or wand toy for play-loving cats. Close the door only for a few seconds at first, reward, then open it again, so the cat learns it will always be let out.
Familiar bedding makes the inside smell like home. Both PDSA and Battersea mention spraying the bedding with a synthetic cat pheromone such as Feliway, and Battersea suggests doing this about half an hour before travel and covering the carrier with a light towel. Pheromone products suit some cats and not others, so treat them as a bonus on top of training, not a replacement for it. In the car, keep the carrier steady so it cannot slide or tip, and keep the journey calm and quiet. The RSPCA's steps end with short car trips and a reward, then slowly longer ones.
Leave the carrier out all the time. A cat that naps in it on Tuesday is far easier to carry on Friday.
If your cat is still very frightened after careful training, or hisses, drools, pants or toilets in the carrier every time, talk to your vet. They can check for pain or illness, advise on stress, and tell you whether anything else could help. Please do not give any calming or sedating product unless a vet has told you to.
Whatever carrier you use, check for a sturdy hard base, a top opening as well as a front door, a lid that comes off, easy cleaning, and enough room to turn around. A carrier your cat can nap in at home beats a fancy one it has never met.