I had to take my cat to the vet tonight, he hasnt had a trip in the the cat box for nearly 6 years.

Anway, he pooped on the way there and pished on the way back. I have to take him back in 2 weeks.

Any tips for a poop free journey in the car?

Getting my cat into the cat box is like a scene from a National Lampoons film.

It usually involves me diving on top of her from the other side of the room and smothering her in a large bath towel, before wrestling her and the towel into the box.

Unravelling her from the towel through a 2 inch gap in the cage door is another sweat-inducing effort, as is shoving frantically clawing front paws back in and closing the door after the towel has been finally removed.

It only takes about an hour.

Cats are better in their travelling crates when they have been trained to do so monthly as kittens.

I have only ever had one problem with feline faecal matter in boxes and that was in the eighties and he was not trained for travel and exceptionally clever as he knew words such as "vets" and "kennels" and would routinely disappear if he heard those words.

Less than 5 minutes with bribes. This doesn't work if nil by mouth!

My cat would starve for a week before she went within 20ft of the cat box.

I could fill it with fresh mackerel and she'd still just flash glaring eyes at it, then me, then it, then me and so on.

Goodness. This was my Impossible Princess. She loved her crunchies.

Hmmm. He's 11, a bit late for training.

I think its the noise of the car as much as the box itself.

Make sure he uses the litterbox before he goes in the cat box. One of mine is quite nervous and has messed himself on a couple of occasions. I now plonk him in the litterbox before we go anywhere and make sure he does his business.

If he can't wee and can't poo, the only option left is to be sick but I doubt that will happen.

I had a cat (Renfrew my beautiful ginger boy) who would pee as soon as you put the carrier in the car (once pee'd on my mother I didn't laugh really I didn't ). Believe me it was out of malice rather than fear, if he was cheesed off he'd make sure you were too

My only advice is maybe try and leave the cat carrier out in the lounge with a blanket in etc and just let your cat wander in and out of it at will so hopefully he won't freak out as soon as he sees it. Maybe stick some catnip in there to help the process.

Also you can get the stuff from the vets called Feliway. Its a spray which you can spray in the carrier that has calming kitty scents on it, may help keep him calm on his journey.

Can't guarantee that any of this will work but may be worth a try and a bit of patience.

We dont have a litterbox.

I've also never heard of a cat going on command

I might try a sprig of catmint

Oh, you're a bit stuck then. Mine do, they know the words litterbox, wee and poo and they go in there on command luckily.

Someone mentioned feliway which is ok but even better is putting an old t-shirt or sweatshirt in the box, one preferably that you've worn a couple of times and is impregnated with your scent.

If I'm going out, I leave t-shirt/sweatshirt that's ready for the wash on the bed and within a minute one of mine (the nervous one) is kneading it and drooling and purring and I can guarantee that when I get back, he's fast asleep still on the sweatshirt - which is by then all furry!


The only other option is to buy a cardboard carrier as a spare and in your current cat box line it with clean litter. If he doesn't go, fine but if he does, he won't be distressed and will still be clean and you can transfer him to the cardboard carrier to take him into the vets. They're only about £2.50 from most pet shops...and also the vets.

Poor Kitty, that is some major stress.
I second the sweaty sweater idea...and also Feliway available in a concentrated form especially for these situations

has ure cat not had yearly boosters at vets? .....sorry had to ask !

One of the kittens does the same because he his freightend. My vet is so good he cleans the basket out and puts a puppy training pad down everytime. Its a good itea to soak up the wee so it doesnt go all over. I would leave the box out with the door off for now it might work. Let us know how your cat gets on

My friend uses their cat carriers as their beds, so they are used to going in it, so are relaxed when confined to it.

We did that with our puppy and she's fine with it. It's just a case of them getting used to it I think, and puppy pads are always good and very absorbant =]

My cat loves her cat box - she would live in it if we didn't keep it in the attic...

She is an odd little thing!

Mine's the same, he sleeps in it and has done since he was a kitten. When we're sitting waiting at the vets, all the other cats always seem to be miaowing away in their carriers while Frodo's curled up asleep
Unfortunately our other cat was a 2 year old stray when we found him and he hates the carrier with a passion. He completely shredded my arms the first time I tried to put him in it. A top opening carrier seems to have helped a bit though. I suppose it's a bit less scary being picked up and plonked into it, rather than forced forwards into the little door.

As we only have Amber - and she will get in her box the moment we get it out - then I guess we're quite lucky!!!

It's getting her out of the box at the vets that we have a problem

No. We used to do them where we used to live because there were loads of cats locally. Where we are now there are very few and I'd soon get word if cat flu etc was about. They havent had boosters for about 5 years.

My vet actually lives around the corner and is a family friend but it would be a bit cheeky to ask for a free home visit. She already brings me wormers and frontline when I run out

I think its the car journey. They used to be OK walking to our old vet in the cat basket.

Mine always does a nervous poo in her cat box. I've got a massive, soft one (box not poo ) with a zip up side and front, and she likes being picked up and cuddled so it's easy enough to get her into it, but I've not found a solution to the poo issue other than to carry a plastic bag and some tissues and fish the poo out when it makes its appearance! Luckily she's not the type to claw my hand when I do that. The vet said she had a 'lovely nature' on Monday, as well as being very pretty. *preens*

One of mine is really nervy and has taken to doing a poo on the vets table - while being examined. Its highly embarassing but the vet is used to it and whips it away quick enough - its happened the last two times she's been!

The other two are usually ok but most of my car journey's with them are very short. One of them did poo last time we went to the cattery so I've given up on taking them to them there now as they just get too stressed so next time I go away I'm getting cat sitters in! It actually works out cheaper than the cattery.