Pooping in the carrier

[Fozzie]

Mufasa sometimes has the unfortunate habit of pooping in his carrier when we are taking him to the vets etc. He gets himself so worked up especially if we have to drive over any wretched speed bumps etc. Yesterday we were taking him to visit the cattery we want to put him in during our summer holiday and we arrived with him stinking the car out after a 10 minute journey! I don't know if it is because he is a rescue and never quite sure if we are going to take him to a new home? Anyway, does anyone have any ideas that may help? I haven't tried spraying the carrier with feliway yet.

[JanieB]

Shadow did exactly the same on the way to the cattery last year - got all worked up and left a stinking heap right in the middle of the pad in her posh new carrier! I was praying she didn't tread or sit in it! The cattery assistant hosed it down for us - I was so embarrassed She was fine on the way home, in a different carrier - so I'm not sure if it was the carrier or that she knew she was going home.....

So I'd love to hear any tips people have too (I've tried feliway on our old moggie when she was weeing in inappropriate places and it made her worse!).

[jckkerrison]

I have been lucky with mine until Shimba came along & then we started getting the three P's,poo,pee & puke,not good when he was on the way to a show,feliway no help at all it sparked him off,more relaxed on zylkene but still the three P's then tried him on a harness & sat in back with him,I got him a mynwood jacket & he was so chuffed he forgot everything else & after three trips like that with no problems started putting him in carrier to go to cattery or up to work & he was ok,went a bit further over to mothers,ok,now travels in carrier no problem at all even three hours to a show...!

[H&SWells]

another one here who always goes in the carrier on the way to a show ... drama trying to clear that up with out him getting out and disappearing off.

[jckkerrison]

I always said I would never travel two cats together but when Shims & WellyB done their first show as babes I forgot about that rule so had two to clear up as Shims done it all over Welly,no other carrier to put one of them in it was four in the morning,dark, freezing cold & hissing down with rain,if we hadn't got friends cat with us would have come home there & then.... Couldn't believe that one of MY cats would ever do it to me. I always feel sorry for clients who come into work & they have had to travel with the smell but what really annoys me is the ones who know their cats will mess but they never even put paper in the carriers to help soak it up,one client after us having told them several times it does make our job a bit easier with cleaning it out was told last time by the vet that if they didn't put paper in to help the staff then next time we would provide the cleaning gear & they could do it themselves,its posted across the front of their card too so others are aware,just hoping I'm on duty next time as it seems to have been me the last three visits...!

[Puzzles]

We also have had problems with Tigs in a carrier, normally either poo or puke. We found that putting him in the largest of the carriers helps so that he has room to stretch out ... also means that he has more room to manoeuvre around the offending pile! We fully line the bottom of the carrier with a small incontinence sheet and tuck a small towel around that ... at least if an accident does happen it's easy to whip out and replace - we always carry spares!

[leta76]

Dexter does this too! Anything over 10 mins and its coming out of both ends : ( luckily the vet is 5 mins away. I thought it was travel sickness but by what you guys have said it sounds more stress related! May try the harness next if I have to take him further.

[Fozzie]

Yes it sounds like stress doesn't it. I'm also going to try the harness as Mufasa is very happy wearing it to go out into the garden. I always use Pampers Dry Nites sheets or equivalent for toddlers in the bottom of the carrier and the litter tray. I guess that's the same as the incontinence sheet? I wish there was an easy answer to this!

[Puzzles]

Pampers or similar sounds exactly the same as the sheets I use ... they are for human use in bed around the upper trouser area
The towel is really just to make sure that any liquid is 'mopped up', and to stop them scratching through to the waterproof bottom layer of the sheet whilst trying to escape!