Visiting the vet can be a stressful time for your cat so make sure they are as comfortable as possible! Dr. Jess Franklin advises a carrier similar to the one in these photos; it might be labeled as a small to medium dog carrier. It is more than 12 inches wide across the front and the top and the bottom attach with large plastic snap hinges (not hard-to-use bolts). There is enough room for a cat to sit towards the rear of the cage and easily turn around.

Use a towel or blue hospital pad in the bottom and, Dr. Franklin advises, keep the cat in the carrier until our staff is ready to weigh it. This will allow the cat to stay comfortable for as long as possible in a familiar setting (its own carrier) rather than exposed on our exam table. The vet can open the top and perform much of the exam and treatment while the cat is still partially in the carrier.

The carrier in the photos is more than ten years old so a new model will be slightly different, but the basics— large, easy to open, secure— are all things to look out for when transporting your cat to and from the vet and other destinations. Your cat (and our staff) will thank you for a calm and peaceful vet experience!