To acclimate your cat or dog to its carrier and so they'll have something good associated with it, feed them in their carrier. That way, it will not only be easier to take them to the vet, but if there's ever an emergency, it won't be hard to get them in it. Also, if you make the same sound each time you feed them, and you need them to come in an emergency, you can make that "time for food" sound and they'll come running!
Instead of actually feeding them in the carrier, I give my dogs their special treats in there. With their food they may or may not be hungry at the time you want them to go in. But I've never known a dog yet to turn down a treat, hungry or not! Especially if it's one that they really especially love, but don't get very often. With mine, that's cheese.
By Lynda (Guest Post)
04/11/2008
ALSO, make certain that you WASH the carrier with some gentle detergent and rinse well between uses because they associate odors with where it's been. If it sits to dry near their own environment they will give you less trouble going into it.