This Is the Most Important Tool for Cat Owners: It Can Save Lives

There are many useful and practical accessories available for our pets, but some are outright life-saving. Today, we’re introducing one of the most essential ones and providing helpful tips for its safest use.

As a cat owner, we’re sure that your feline’s health and happiness are of utmost importance to you. Fortunately, both are largely in your hands. This time, we’re focusing primarily on health. Protecting your cat’s health involves proper nutrition, grooming, regular vet check-ups, and, if necessary, prescribed treatments. Just like with dogs, cats should have at least one routine veterinary check-up per year. As they reach old age (around 7–10 years), visits should increase to every six months. To make these trips safe, a proper cat carrier is indispensable.

A Cat Carrier Is Not Just for Car Rides!

Before discussing how to choose the right carrier, it’s important to emphasize that every cat owner needs one! If you have a cat, you’ll inevitably need to visit the vet at some point. The safest way to transport your pet is in a carrier.

For dogs, a leash is a practical solution, and many cats can also be trained to walk on one. However, traveling and vet visits are particularly stressful experiences for cats. Loud, unfamiliar environments can trigger their instinct to flee, and it’s common for cats to slip out of collars or harnesses. Even if they don’t escape, the experience itself can be extremely distressing. Imagine arriving at the vet’s office and finding yourself face-to-face with one, two, or even three dogs in the waiting room!

In such cases, a carrier provides a much-needed safe space. Cats naturally seek out small, enclosed spaces—this is why they love boxes and paper bags—especially when they feel threatened. A waiting room full of dogs is one of the most intimidating situations they could face.

Why a Collar, Harness, or Leash Isn’t Enough

Given all of this, we strongly advise against taking your cat on a leash alone, and carrying them in your arms is something we would absolutely forbid if we could. Here’s why:

I’ll start with my own experience. My cat had to wear a protective collar and couldn’t fit into his carrier, so we had no choice but to use a harness and leash for a vet visit. Even though he was used to our garden, the city noise terrified him. He panicked, and if I hadn’t wrapped the leash around my wrist several times, he would have escaped. Fortunately, the only consequence was a few scratches on me, but he could have been seriously hurt.

Recently, we asked our community members what the best advice they had received about cat care was. Many replied that the most useful tip was to secure the cat in the carrier with a harness and leash, attaching the leash inside for extra safety.

Some owners even place the carrier inside a large tote bag for extra protection, and for good reason.

If you need to take your cat to the vet, put the carrier inside an IKEA bag. This literally saved my cat’s life. Rambi tried to break out near a busy road—if it weren’t for the bag, he would have been hit and killed

– commented one of our readers.

Covering the carrier is another helpful trick, as it further shields your cat from stressors.

Choosing the Right Carrier for Your Cat

If you’re about to buy a carrier, consider these factors: It should be spacious enough for your cat to stand up and turn around comfortably. If you have a larger breed, you may need a dog carrier. Even if you already own a carrier, inspect it before every use. Make sure it closes securely, has no damage, and hasn’t weakened over time. A faulty carrier can lead to serious accidents—or worse, tragedy.

These concerns are often raised in the “Lost and Found Cats” Facebook group, where members frequently report accidents caused by unsuitable carriers or frightened cats escaping.

Every week, we hear cases of cats escaping during transport because they weren’t in a carrier. In the most recent case, the owner was carrying their cat in their arms on the way to the car in downtown Budapest. A passing dog got excited and tried to sniff the cat. The cat panicked, jumped out of their arms, and ran away. Within hours, it was found dead on the road, identified by its microchip.

Cats that go missing in unfamiliar areas never go far. They hide, usually in shock, within a 30–50, at most 100-meter radius. They can be found with time and effort, but it’s extremely difficult because even their owners seem like threats to them. They won’t respond to calls. The search is even harder if it happens away from home, as traveling is required to look for them.