How to Get a Cat or Small Dog Used to a Pet Stroller

We may earn a commission when you buy through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. Learn more

A pet stroller is a box on wheels that moves, rattles and carries your pet past things they cannot get away from. Some cats and small dogs settle in one at once; many need a few weeks of short, calm steps first. This guide shows how to get a cat or small dog used to a pet stroller: first as a den at home, then with the lid shut, then rolling indoors, and only then outside.

How we wrote this: the steps come from Best Friends Animal Society’s guides to walking a cat on a leash and desensitization and counterconditioning, and Battersea’s guides to travelling with cats, reducing a cat’s stress, getting a dog used to car travel and introducing a collar, lead or harness. None of them is about strollers, so we have adapted their carrier, car and harness steps, and we mark our own tips with “in our view”. All were checked on 1 November 2026. We did not test any strollers for this guide, and we do not show prices or ratings.

Is a stroller right for your pet?

Best Friends suggests a cat stroller as an alternative for cats who do not make progress with a harness and leash. It also says outdoor trips should be something your cat enjoys, and that if there is any sign your cat is stressed by them, that kind of outing may not suit them. The same holds for a stroller: it is an option, not something every pet needs.

A stroller is also not a substitute for walks for a healthy dog. If your pet is slowing down, limping or recovering from surgery, ask your vet what activity suits them before you buy. Our best pet stroller guide covers who strollers help, plus weight limits, tethers and brakes.

How the training works

Best Friends describes the method behavior professionals use for things a cat finds scary: bring in the scary thing in very small steps (desensitization), and pair each step with something your pet loves, such as a favorite treat or toy (counterconditioning). The stroller must always come first and the reward straight after, so the stroller starts to predict good things.

Best Friends’ key points:

• Keep each step so small that your pet never gets upset. A pet who is already anxious is too worked up to learn.
• Change one thing at a time: more time, more movement or more noise, never two at once.
• Go at your pet’s pace. If they get upset, go back to an easier step until they are calm again.
• Expect slow progress. It helps to keep notes or short videos to track it.

Battersea uses the same idea for cats and carriers and for dogs and cars: never force your pet in, reward calm interest, and go back a few steps if they seem uncomfortable.

Know the signs of stress

Best Friends lists early signs of anxiety in cats, including dilated pupils, a tense body, flattened ears, shifting eyes and vocalizing. Later signs include refusing a treat or snatching it, staring, raised fur, a bottlebrush tail and backing away. Battersea adds that cats can be very good at hiding stress, and that frequent hiding and ears that rotate back or flatten are signs to watch.

For dogs, Battersea lists barking, whining, heavy panting and refusing to get in as signs of stress in the car, and the same signs apply to a stroller. If you see any of them, end the session on an easier step.

Step 1: get your pet used to a harness first

Most strollers have a short tether inside that clips to your pet. Clip it to a harness, never a collar. So before the stroller, make sure your pet is relaxed in a harness indoors.

For cats, Best Friends suggests leaving the harness in your cat’s sleeping area for a few days, then putting it on in small steps with a reward after each one, and taking it off and trying again the next day if your cat gets too anxious. Our guide on how to harness-train a cat goes through every step. For dogs, Battersea suggests rewarding sniffing, luring the head through the neck hole, and rewarding after each clip sound so it becomes familiar.

Step 2: make the stroller a den at home

Battersea says many people hide a cat carrier away and bring it out only for the vet, and that it is better to leave it in a quiet place the cat can always reach, made as inviting as possible. The same works for a stroller:

1. Set the stroller up indoors in a quiet room, with the brakes on and the lid open.
2. Put a soft blanket inside that smells of your pet and your home. Battersea says familiar smells help a cat feel reassured.
3. Drop a treat inside now and then for your pet to find, or play near it with a favorite toy. Battersea suggests a wand or feather toy for cats who love to play.
4. Let your pet go in and out as they like. Never lift them in or shut them in at this stage.

Battersea says giving cats choice and control is key to reducing their stress. In our view, leave the stroller out for several days, or until your pet starts to rest in it on their own.

Step 3: lid down, a few seconds at a time

Battersea’s carrier method is to start with the door on but open, rewarding calm behavior, then close it for a few seconds, open it again and give a treat. For a stroller:

1. When your pet is resting inside, clip the tether to their harness and reward.
2. Lower the lid partway, reward, and open it again.
3. Close it fully for a few seconds, open, reward. Build up the time slowly.

Battersea suggests closing a car door only partly at first if a dog is worried by it, and that tip works for a stroller lid too. In our view, a cover or blanket over part of the stroller may help a shy cat, since Battersea says many cats feel safer when they are more hidden in a carrier. Keep the mesh clear for air.

Step 4: short rolls inside the house

Once your pet is calm with the lid shut, add movement. Battersea says a cat feels unsettled if a carrier is swung or tilted, so push slowly and keep the stroller level.

• Roll a short distance across one room, stop, and reward.
• Build up to a lap of the house over several sessions.
• Practise braking and folding the canopy while your pet watches from a distance, so the clicks and snaps are not a surprise later.

In our view, sessions of a few minutes work better than one long one. Stop while your pet is still relaxed.

Step 5: the first trips outside

Best Friends suggests a cat’s first time outdoors should be somewhere safe and quiet, such as a fenced back yard. Battersea suggests very short first drives for a nervous dog, down the street and back, then slowly longer. A stroller works the same way:

1. Start on your own doorstep or in your yard for a minute or two, then go back inside.
2. Next, a short, quiet loop near home at a calm time of day.
3. Build up the distance slowly, and make one thing harder at a time: farther, or busier, not both.
4. Make early trips lead somewhere pleasant, not only to the vet. Battersea suggests the same for dogs and cars.

Never leave your pet alone in the stroller, even for a moment. Pet Gear’s manuals say not to leave a pet unattended, and Cats.com’s reviewer found cats could squirm out even with the tether clipped to a harness. If your cat is startled outside, Best Friends suggests having a towel with you so you can pick them up safely and carry them home.

A light stroller to start with

If you have not bought one yet, a light, simple stroller is easier to practise with at home. The Pet Gear Happy Trails Lite NO-ZIP has a zipperless lid, an interior tether and rear brakes, and Pet Gear’s manual gives a maximum pet weight of 25 pounds. Cats.com’s reviewer found it smooth on sidewalks but not suited to off-trail use, and found the lid clasp not secure enough for a cat that scratches at it, so supervise closely. For bigger pets and rougher paths, see our best pet stroller guide.

When to stop and get help

Battersea says that if you notice signs of pain or fear, you should pause and speak to your vet or a behaviorist. Best Friends advises consulting your vet or a feline behavior professional if desensitization is not working, because the reasons for a cat’s stress can be complex. Battersea also says that a cat who becomes very distressed or unwell when traveling, for example by vomiting or soiling, should see the vet.

In our view, a pet who still panics after a few weeks of slow steps, or who suddenly starts to refuse a stroller they used to accept, needs a vet check before more training.

FAQ

How do I get my cat used to a stroller?

Get your cat used to a harness first, then leave the stroller open at home with a blanket and treats so it becomes a resting spot. Close the lid for a few seconds at a time, roll it slowly indoors, and only then go outside, starting somewhere quiet.

How long does it take a pet to get used to a stroller?

It depends on the pet. Best Friends says this kind of training takes time and has to be gradual. In our view, plan on a few weeks of short sessions, and go back a step whenever your pet seems worried.

Should my pet be clipped in inside the stroller?

Yes, to a harness, never a collar. Clipping in does not mean you can walk away: cats can still wriggle out, so stay with your pet the whole time.

What if my pet hates the stroller?

Go back to the last step where they were relaxed and stay there longer. If they still panic, stop and talk to your vet or a behavior professional. A stroller does not suit every pet.