How to Get a Cat Into a Carrier (Step by Step)

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Most cats only see their carrier on vet day, so they learn that the box means a car ride and a stranger with a thermometer. Then the carrier comes out and the cat disappears under the bed. This page shows how to teach a cat to walk into a carrier on its own, step by step, how to get a cat in safely when you have no time to train, and how to set the carrier up in the car.

The short answer: leave the carrier out at home with a blanket inside, and pair it with treats until your cat goes in by choice. Then build up slowly: lid on, door closed for a few seconds, lifting it, carrying it, and short trips. PDSA says this usually takes several sessions over at least a week or two. In an emergency, put the carrier against a wall and guide your cat in backwards, wrapped in a towel if needed.

How we wrote this: the steps below come from the vets and vet nurses at PDSA, the cat behaviour team at Woodgreen Pets Charity and the Feline Veterinary Medical Association (FelineVMA), linked where they are used. If your cat is extremely fearful, injured or unwell, or shows aggression when handled, ask your vet for advice before you start.

Start with the right carrier

Training is much easier when the carrier itself is not the problem. PDSA says a good cat carrier should be:

• Big enough for your cat to stand up, turn around and lie down.
• Made from solid material. PDSA notes that cardboard carriers tend to be flimsy and fabric ones do not make cats feel as secure.
• Easy to get into, with a front door, a top door and a lid that clips on and off.
• Well ventilated, with openings on at least two sides.
• Padded with a blanket and lined with something absorbent, such as a towel or a training pad.
• In good working order, with clips and doors that close properly.

Woodgreen adds that a carrier whose top half clips off is handy for nervous cats, because the vet can lift the top away and examine your cat in the bottom half. It also suggests a lightweight carrier, one carrier per cat, and generally advises against backpack carriers with large windows, which it says can leave cats feeling exposed with limited room to move.

Two carriers from our catalog, each with trade-offs:

• The Petmate Pet Porter is a hard plastic kennel with a steel front door and a top half that fastens to the base, which matches the solid, easy-to-clean carrier PDSA and Woodgreen describe. It is bulky to store.
• The Sherpa Original Deluxe is a soft carrier with top and side entry and a washable liner, built to squash under an airline seat. It is a fabric carrier, so it is better suited to flights than to the kind of secure vet carrier PDSA prefers, and it is not crash tested.

For sizing and more options, see our leash, harness and carrier buying guide.

How to train your cat to go into the carrier

Woodgreen sets three ground rules before you begin: train between vet visits, not the week of an appointment; keep the room quiet, with no slamming doors, spinning washing machines or strong cleaning smells; and use a treat your cat really likes. It suggests having one tasty treat and one extremely tasty treat, so you can raise the reward as the steps get harder.

Move on only when your cat is calm at the current step. If your cat seems stressed at any point, go back a step (PDSA). A cat that has never had a bad carrier experience may get through several steps in a session or two, while a cat that is already scared may need several weeks (Woodgreen).

Step 1: make the carrier part of the furniture

PDSA suggests putting a blanket in the carrier and leaving it where your cat spends a lot of time, ideally all the time, and at least a few weeks before you travel. PDSA and Woodgreen both mention a pheromone spray such as Feliway on the carrier as something that may help.

If your cat panics at the mere sight of the carrier, Woodgreen starts further back: feed treats on a blanket in the training room for a few days with no carrier around. Then bring the carrier into the room (just the bottom half, if the top comes off) and move the blanket a little closer to it each day, always before your cat comes in. Never move the blanket with your cat on it.

Step 2: treats inside, lid off then on

Once your cat is used to seeing the carrier, take the lid off and put treats inside (PDSA). When your cat happily goes in with the lid off, put the lid back on and keep encouraging them in with treats. Woodgreen does this by moving the treat blanket into the carrier bit by bit, and putting the lid back on before your cat enters the room, never while they are inside.

Step 3: close the door for a moment

Close the door a little, open it again, and give a treat. Close it a bit more each time until you can shut it fully with your cat relaxed inside (Woodgreen). If your cat looks worried or moves toward the door, open it, so they always feel in control. Build up the time slowly until your cat is happy to sit inside for a couple of minutes (PDSA), and then for as long as the trip to the vet takes (Woodgreen).

Afterwards, Woodgreen suggests leaving the carrier out with the door removed in the room your cat uses most, with a treat or toy inside now and then and a blanket over the top, so it stops meaning “vet”.

Step 4: lift it

Being lifted is stressful for many cats. Start by just touching the handle, then feed treats through the bars. If your cat stays relaxed, lift the carrier a few inches and set it down gently, with treats during and after. If your cat panics, meows or paws at the door, open the carrier, let them out and try again another day, a couple of steps back (Woodgreen).

Step 5: carry it, then short trips

Walk a few steps, put the carrier down and give treats. Work up to carrying it to the front door, outside and into the car. Woodgreen suggests one hand on the handle and one underneath, so the carrier does not swing. In the car, try switching the engine on and off with treats, then short drives. When you get home, scatter treats as you open the door.

Woodgreen also suggests practice visits to the vet: walk into reception and straight out again, or, if your practice allows it, book a short visit where your cat just gets treats on the table without being examined.

How to get a cat into a carrier when you have no time to train

Sometimes the vet visit is today. PDSA says the best way in an emergency is backwards:

1. Put the carrier against a wall so it cannot slide, with a blanket inside.
2. Gently guide your cat in backwards, bottom first. With a top-opening carrier, lower your cat in bottom first.
3. If you are struggling, wrap your cat in a towel and back them in. You can leave the towel in the carrier.
4. Cover the carrier with a blanket for the journey.

A carrier with a top door makes this much easier than one with only a front door. Stay calm, keep your hands safe, and do not chase your cat around the house, which makes the next time harder. If your cat is injured, in pain or too frightened to handle safely, call your vet for advice before you try.

In the car

The Feline Veterinary Medical Association recommends giving the cat a chance to hide, for example by covering the carrier with a towel or blanket, and securing the carrier on the floor of the car behind the driver or front passenger seat. It says seat belts should only be used with carriers that are crash test certified (it points to the Center for Pet Safety list), because a belt can crush a carrier that is not.

PDSA describes belting the carrier onto a back side seat instead. Where the advice differs, we follow the newer FelineVMA statement (2025): use the footwell unless your carrier is crash test certified. Neither carrier above is crash test certified, so we would put either one on the floor behind a front seat.

FAQ

How long does carrier training take?

PDSA says it usually takes several sessions over at least a week or two. Woodgreen says a cat with no bad carrier history may get through many steps in one or two sessions, while a cat already afraid of the carrier may need several weeks.

Can two cats share one carrier?

Ideally not. PDSA and Woodgreen both say each cat should have its own carrier, because even close cats may fight when they are stressed and confined together.

Should I cover my cat’s carrier?

Yes. PDSA says covering the carrier with a blanket helps a cat feel more secure while travelling, and the FelineVMA recommends giving the cat a chance to hide, such as a towel or blanket over the carrier.

How long can a cat stay in a carrier?

As short a time as possible. PDSA says being in a carrier is stressful for most cats, and if your cat needs to stay in it for more than a couple of hours you should offer food and water and check on them regularly.

Is a soft or hard carrier better for a cat?

For vet trips, PDSA and Woodgreen both prefer a solid, easy-to-clean carrier with a front door and a removable top. Soft carriers are lighter and can fit under an airline seat, which is why many people use one for flights.