Travel is part of life for us and our companion animals, whether it’s a trip to the vet, groomer or even just a short ride to the park. But for many cats and dogs, the carrier can be a source of stress and fear. Helping your pet become more familiar and comfortable with their transport carrier, well before any journey, is one of the best ways to reduce anxiety.
It’s important that you don’t force your pet into their carrier as this exacerbates their fear [1]. Instead, using positive reinforcement and progressing gradually at their pace can teach your pet to see the carrier as a safe and inviting place rather than something to dread.
The key to success is starting early and progressing gradually. Don’t wait until the day of a vet appointment or a family trip to introduce the carrier. With slow, reward-based training, your pet can build lasting positive associations that make travel less stressful for both of you.
Step 1: Introduce the Carrier in a Familiar Space
Place the carrier in a quiet part of your home where your cat or dog already feels relaxed. Avoid high-traffic areas, but choose a space where they like to spend time. This helps the carrier become part of their everyday environment, rather than an unfamiliar object that appears only before stressful outings.
Step 2: Make It Inviting
Line the carrier with your pet’s favourite bedding or a soft blanket. You might also place a toy or an item that smells like you (such as a worn item of clothing) inside. The goal is to make the carrier feel comfortable, familiar, and safe.
Step 3: Allow Exploration at Their Pace
At first, let your cat or dog explore the carrier on their own terms. They might sniff it, walk around it, or even ignore it for a while. That’s okay. Every bit of curiosity should be encouraged.
Step 4: Reward Interaction
Each time your pet interacts with the carrier (e.g., sniffing, touching it, or stepping inside) reward them with praise and a treat. This helps to build a positive association and makes the carrier something worth investigating.
Step 5: Reinforce Settling Inside
If your pet chooses to sit or lie down inside the carrier, reward them with calm praise and a treat. Don’t be too excited, as you might startle them! These early successes help them learn that being in the carrier is both safe, calm, comfortable and rewarding.
Step 6: Encourage Gentle Entry
If your pet doesn’t enter on their own, wait until they’re more comfortable being near the carrier. Then, gently encourage them inside positively with treats, toys, or even a meal inside the carrier. Reward even small steps, like placing their front paws inside, and gradually build from there.
Step 7: Keep the Door Open at First
Resist the urge to close the door during the first few sessions. Allow your pet to enter and leave freely. This helps prevent feelings of confinement or entrapment, which could set training back.
Step 8: Introduce Door Closure Slowly
Once your pet is comfortable spending time in the carrier, briefly close the door while they’re inside, just for a few seconds at first. Immediately reward them, then open the door. Gradually increase the time only when they remain calm. If sizing permits, meals inside the carrier provide a helpful distraction that can be a great opportunity to practice this exercise.
Step 9: Extend Time Inside
Over multiple sessions, build up the duration your pet spends inside with the door closed. Always monitor their comfort and never rush. Reward calm behaviour generously.
Step 10: Practice Lifting and Moving the Carrier
Remember that being lifted off the ground while in a container might be alarming for your dog or cat!
So, when your pet is relaxed inside with the door closed, gently lift the carrier just off the ground for a few seconds. Reward them as soon as you put it down. With repetition, gradually increase the height (no more than waist level) and the duration. Once your pet is comfortable with lifting, add a few gentle steps. Over time, build up to short walks while rewarding calm behaviour.
Step 11: Introduce Travel Related Noises
When your pet is confident being in the carrier, start exposing them to the types of sounds they’ll hear on a trip such as car engines, doors closing, or unfamiliar voices. Keep these exposures short and positive and always pair them with rewards.
Step 12: Short Trips in the Car
If your pet is comfortable in their carrier with travel relate noises, it’s time to introduce short trips in the car. Pair these trips with positive reinforcement such as treats and praise to ensure you maintain a positive association. Gradually increase the duration of the car ride if your pet is coping well.
A Positive Foundation for Stress-Free Travel
By giving your cat or dog the time to adjust to their carrier gradually, you will protect their welfare and set them up for calmer, less stressful travel experiences. This not only benefits your pet but also makes trips easier for you and safer for veterinary teams or anyone else handling your pet [2].
With patience, consistency, and plenty of positive reinforcement, your pet will learn that the carrier is not a scary trap, but rather a safe space that often leads to good things, making travel more enjoyable for everyone!
Extra considerations for cats
For cats, it can really help to start with carrier that has a removable lid. This allows your cat to get used to the carrier in an even more gradual way and, if they are going to the vet, to stay in their “safe place” (the base of the carrier) during veterinary exams.
Step 1: Begin with the carrier lid off, making it inviting with a soft blanket, toys and treats.
Step 2: Once your cat is relaxed using the base as a resting spot, add the lid but door off. Encourage exploration and reward calm behaviour.
Step 3: Then add the door to the carrier but keep the door open. Encourage exploration and reward calm behaviour.
Step 4: Gradually progress to closing the door for short periods, always keeping sessions positive and at your cat’s pace. The rest of the steps are the same.
Extra considerations for air travel
If you are planning to take your cat or dog on trip that involves air travel, you will need to use a carrier that meets the requirements of the airline carrier.
The carrier requirements will depend on whether your cat or dog is travelling in the cabin with you or in the airline hold.
The steps for air travel carrier training are the same as the ones outlined above but it is important to use the carrier that your companion animal will be using in the plane for their training, so that they are used to it. You can also add in some air travel specific noises to their training in step 11.
There are additional considerations to take into account before you decide to book your cat or dog to travel with you by air. Some questions to consider include:
- Is your pet healthy enough to cope well with airline travel? It is important to talk to your veterinarian and get your cat or dog thoroughly checked before making the decision to book. Do this early, so that if your veterinarian recommends some investigations to better assess your pet’s health or your pet needs some treatment, there is plenty of time of time to do what is needed.
- How will your pet cope with the stress of air travel? Some pets are relaxed and confident travelling and in new, noisy, and busy environments and will cope more easily with the stresses involved with air travel. Others may find these stresses very difficult to cope with. Do you feel comfortable that your animal is adequately socialised to other animals and people and will be calm and comfortable when travelling? If you are not sure, speak to your veterinarian for advice. For any animal, making sure that they are familiar and comfortable with their carrier and traveling in it will make a big difference.
- Have you carefully reviewed all the information about what will be involved with the air travel for both you and your pet? Understanding all the steps involved will help you decide whether your animal is ready to take a flight, if they might need some training or veterinary assistance to help them cope, or if air travel is not suitable for your individual pet. Understanding all the steps involved will also help you prepare and plan if you do decide to go ahead and book that trip.
- Do you feel confident that you will be able to keep your pet safely under control throughout the whole journey (on a harness/leash and/or in their travel carrier)?
References
[1] Herron, M. E., Shofer, F. S., Reisner, I. R. (2009). Survey of the use and outcome of confrontational and non-confrontational training methods in client-owned dogs showing undesired behaviors. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 117(1-2), 47-54.
[2] Rodan, I., Sundahl, E., Carney, H., Gagnon, A. C., Heath, S., Landsberg, G., & Yin, S. (2011). AAFP and ISFM feline-friendly handling guidelines. Journal of feline medicine and surgery, 13(5): 364-375.
