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Did you try just picking them up and having a towel or blanket underneath in case they want to dig their claws into something, and hand in their shoulders in case they try to escape? That’s what Ive done for years and it is so much less stressful on everyone involved.

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AeonFelis@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
The problem is getting a hold of them in the first place. They just bolt from one hiding place to another, and I say “hiding place” but they’re not as much “hidden” as “hard to reach when you are a human-sized human”. The only reason I eventually manage to catch them is that ambush predators gets tired quicker than persistence predators.

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- Alcoholicorn@mander.xyz ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
  How do they know youre taking them to the vet?
  
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  - AeonFelis@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
    The hate being picked up in general, even if there is no threat of vet, so they’ll struggle to get out of my arms and if they succeed - I’ve lost the element of surprise.
    
    Also - I have two cats, and if I need to take both to vet then even if I manage to place one in a carrier he’ll alert the other that something is wrong.
    
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  - a_wild_mimic_appears@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
    Mine know that it’s vet time the second i get the transport boxes out of storage. I have to be pretty silent while they sleep so they don’t notice that, or else i have to use persistance predation too.
    
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    zaperberry@lemmy.ca ⁨23⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
    Hey I don’t have cats so it might be a bit different, but I’ve had a few dogs over the years and I figure it would be similar. Your cats probably associate the carriers with going to the vet which it sounds like they’re not a fan of. Their thought process is probably carrier = vet = no thank you.
    
    Have you tried to put them into the carrier without actually taking them to the vet? Drop some treats in there, let them explore it at their own pace, close it for a minute or two, and then either reward or praise them after release? Keep progressing to the point that treats are no longer required to lure them and they enter on their own, but still reward them on release. Rinse and repeat (and repeat and repeat and repeat). Over time they may change their attitude towards the carrier their mindset may turn into carrier = treats and praise.
    
    If they’re not food motivated you may have to use alternate bait such as toys or nip.
    
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    Knock_Knock_Lemmy_In@lemmy.world ⁨20⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
    Take them nice places in the box.
    
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    Alcoholicorn@mander.xyz ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
    No transport box. You just put blanket in your arms and pick the cat up.
    
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