What's Your Cat's Purrsonality?

Cats have unique personalities to say the least. That's why we love them, they always surprise us with an interesting quirk or expression that leaves us on the floor laughing.

Cat's personalities can change depending on who they are with or what environment or situation they are in.

A catalyst, that usually sparks an immediate change is the cat carrier - going to a vet - here we can see angel cats turn into demons.

Find out below what you think is your cat's purrsonality and the further explanation of that purrsonality can be found down below. These purrsonalities are depicted in a circle because cats can progress or regress from one type to another.

This is an extract from Dr. Mansum Yau's book - The Ins and Outs of Cat Carriers which is available on Amazon or Waterstones.

THE GYMNAST

Gymnasts, AKA acrobats or agile cats, are hard to get into and out of carriers because they do the splits, handstands, vaults, and somersaults.

CAT CARRIER TIPS FOR GYMNASTS

• Wrap your cat in a towel (make a “purrito”) to prevent your cat from doing gymnastic exercises. Towel train your cat.

• Practise putting your cat into the carrier. You can’t get good at something if you only do it once a year.

• Get a carrier with more than one door or opening, especially one on top. The more doors your carrier has, the greater the chance of getting your cat into or out of the carrier.

• If you have a hard-sided carrier with only one door, put the carrier on its side with the door facing the ceiling and lower your cat in feet first.

• Reward them when they go into and out of the carrier with praise and/or their favourite treat. Ask your vet about calming medications such as gabapentin.

THE SCAREDY-CAT

These are cats that hide and shake when they see their carrier, sometimes even when they hear it being taken out of storage.

Bad experiences in the carrier, being feral or semi-feral, and lack of socialization as a kitten can all contribute to this extreme fear of cat carriers. Because of their flight response, scaredy-cats can be hard to get into and out of carriers. If their fear escalates, they can turn into fighters, voiders, opera singers, and gymnasts.

CAT CARRIER TIPS FOR SCAREDY-CATS

• If you leave the carrier out all the time, the carrier will be less scary.

• Avoid using backpack carriers with big, transparent windows that can make scaredy-cats feel exposed.

• Spray the carrier with a calming cat pheromone fifteen minutes before putting your cat in the carrier.

• Cover the carrier with a towel or blanket sprayed with a calming cat pheromone.

• Carrier train your cat. See the tips on page 23.

• Reward them when they go into and out of the carrier with praise and/or their favourite treat.

• Ask your vet about calming medications such as gabapentin.

THE OPERA SINGER

Meowing, yowling, and caterwauling at the top of their lungs, these cats aren’t afraid to voice their fears or dislike of being in a carrier and/or vehicle.

They’re not necessarily difficult to get into or out of carriers but are distracting and stressful to listen to.

CAT CARRIER TIPS FOR OPERA SINGERS

• Don’t yell or punish your cat for being vocal in the carrier. Doing so can make them even more scared of the carrier. Reward them when are being quiet in the carrier.

• Play calming music, such as classical music. Calming music for cats is available although no studies have been done on the effect of feline music in the car, only in a vet clinic setting (Hampton et al., 122). (I personally find feline music grating on my nerves. Plus my cat with normal hearing doesn’t seem to even notice it.) For more info, see page 107.

• Train your cat to travel in the car. See page 109 for more info.

• Carrier train your cat. See the tips on page 23.

• Ask your vet about calming medications such as gabapentin.

THE VOIDER

These are cats that consistently vomit, defecate, and/or urinate in the carrier out of aversion or fear of the carrier, even when they’re not sick. This cat purrsonality isn’t difficult to get into or out of carriers, but they’re more work to clean.

CAT CARRIER TIPS FOR VOIDERS

It’s not just the carrier that has to be cleaned but also the cat. Wiping or bathing them stresses them out when they’re already stressed.

Many people believe cats can clean themselves, but would you want your cat to lick urine, vomit, diarrhoea and then lick you? Or lie on your bed with urine, vomit, diarrhoea residue still on them? The cat tongue and cat saliva can only do so much. Plus there are spots your cat’s tongue can’t reach, especially if your cat is overweight and/ or arthritic. It’d be better to prevent accidents in the cat carrier altogether.

How to avoid accidents by voiders:

• Avoid feeding your cat right before using the carrier. Not only will this prevent vomiting, but it’ll also prevent defecating in the carrier. When the stomach fills with food, a natural reflex called the gastrocolic reflex makes the colon move more; i.e., it’s normal to defecate after eating.

• If your cat has a regular litter box schedule, try to schedule vet/grooming appointments and outings after your cat has used the litter box. Exceptions: medical emergencies where waiting isn’t recommended or medical conditions that require a urine sample for testing.

• Use a hard-sided carrier or a coated soft-sided carrier that’s easier to wipe. Alternatively, use a soft-sided or collapsible carrier that’s machine washable.

• Ask your vet about anti-nausea medication if your cat vomits from motion sickness.

• Don’t yell or punish your cat for voiding in the carrier. Doing so can make them even more scared of the carrier. Reward them when they don’t void in the carrier.

• Clean your carrier with an enzymatic cleaner after your cat voids in the carrier. For more info on why carriers need to be cleaned and what to use to clean carriers, see pages 21, 28, and 109.

• Line the bottom of your carrier with a pee pad to absorb urine, vomit, diarrhoea, etc.

• Put a towel under the pee pad for comfort and for absorbing urine, vomit, diarrhoea, etc., that the pee pad doesn’t catch.

• Ask your vet about calming medications such as gabapentin.

• Carrier train your cat. See the tips on page 23.

THE LOAF

The opposite of gymnasts, these cats just lie motionless like a loaf of bread when you put them into the carrier. They are easy to get into and out of carriers.

CAT CARRIER TIPS FOR LOAFS

Why would a cat lie like a loaf of bread, allowing you to lift them into and out of the carrier?

• They could be easygoing.

• They could be in pain. If it hurts to move, it’s easier to just lie there.

• They could be scared. Instead of fight or flight, some cats freeze.

• They could be both scared and in pain.

It’s important to figure out which of these scenarios applies to your cat so you can alleviate pain or fear if it’s present. Can’t tell? Ask your vet and check out page 108 for info on how to determine if your cat is in pain.

Positive reinforcement is also important—rewarding good behaviour in the carrier with praise and/or treats makes it more likely for the behaviour to reoccur.

THE EASYGOING CAT

Obedient cats that do what you tell them to do and are easy to get into and out of carriers.

CAT CARRIER TIPS FOR EASYGOING CATS

It’s great they go in and out of the carrier when you tell them to, but they might not always cooperate. Unfortunately, sometimes all it takes is one bad experience for them to turn into scaredy-cats, fractious cats, voiders, opera singers, or gymnasts.

To prevent them from having a bad experience in the carrier:

• Avoid letting them watch other cats that are fractious in their carriers as they can take on other cats’ fears. (“If X is so scared in the carrier, maybe I should be too.”)

• Invest in preventative care of your easygoing cat to keep them healthy and pain-free.

• Continue carrier training them so they don’t forget their carrier skills.

• Use positive reinforcement. Reward them when they go in and out of the carrier obediently.

THE OUTDOORSY CAT

There are cats that go hiking, camping, paddle boarding, swimming, surfing, sailing, skiing, snowshoeing, picnicking, etc.

Cats with this purrsonality type are usually easy to get into and out of carriers because they’re used to being in carriers and because they associate carriers with fun adventures.

CAT CARRIER TIPS FOR OUTDOORSY CATS

• Backpack carriers are the most popular type of carrier for outdoorsy cats because they are more portable. For more info on outdoorsy cats, check out pages 77 and 109. They free up your hands to hold other things like a camera, hiking stick, ski poles, etc. Make sure your backpack is big enough for your cat to lie down comfortably in. Some backpacks are only wide enough for cats to sit in.

• Check your carrier before and after every use to make sure none of the components, such as zippers, are broken. The last thing you want is for your outdoorsy cat to escape out in the wild.

• During the off-season when you’re not taking your cat outdoors, continue carrier-training them so they don’t forget their carrier skills.

• Use positive reinforcement. Reward them when they go in and out of the carrier obediently.

• Avoid letting them watch other cats that are fractious in their carriers as they can take on other cats’ fears. (“If X is so scared in the carrier, maybe I should be too.”)

• Invest in preventative care (such as the Dental Wand) of your outdoorsy cat to keep them healthy and pain-free.

THE FIGHTER

This is the hardest cat purrsonality to contend with. Fractious cats can inflict serious damage on their owners and veterinary staff.

Cat bites can cause abscesses, blood poisoning (septicaemia), amputation of fingers, etc. Cat scratches can cause cat scratch fever.

This info isn’t meant to frighten you but to encourage careful handling and precautions for preventing injuries.

CAT CARRIER TIPS FOR FRACTIOUS CATS, AKA FIGHTERS

• Following your vet’s instructions, give your fractious cat calming medication(s) such as gabapentin +/- trazodone two hours prior to putting your cat into the carrier. It takes time for the medication(s) to work, and they don’t work as well when your fractious cat is already worked up.

• Don’t yell or punish your cat for being fractious. Doing so can escalate their aggression.

• Use a hard-sided carrier with a lid that snaps on/o! quickly.

• Use a carrier that doesn’t have rusty screws or zip ties because the carrier might have to be taken apart to get your fractious cat out safely.

• Use a carrier that doesn’t have a squeeze handle to the door or finicky zippers because the carrier needs to be closed quickly without the fractious cat swiping at the fingers closing the carrier.

• Carefully close the door of the carrier, making sure that the fractious cat’s tail doesn’t get crushed.

• If you can, trim your fractious cat’s nails prior to putting your cat into a carrier.

• Avoid soft carriers with mesh that can trap your cat’s nails.

• Avoid putting extra items in the carrier with your fractious cat because they can get in the way of handling your cat. One towel or blanket is enough.

• Use a thick towel when getting a fractious cat into or out of a carrier to protect your hands.

• Wear long sleeves to protect your arms when getting a fractious cat into or out of a carrier.

• Animal-handling gloves are also available, but be warned cats can still bite through them.

• Have your cat’s favourite person help with getting them in and out of the carrier if it isn’t you. Your cat is less likely to bite or scratch them.

• Carrier train your cat. See the tips on page 23. Cats are less likely to be fractious in their carriers if they’ve been desensitized to the carriers.

Let us know what is your cat's purrsonality. If you want to learn more about cat carrier training you can get Dr. Mansum Yau's book on  Amazon or Waterstones.