Suddenly realise you’re late for your cat’s appointment at the vets. Run out to the garage and throw boxes around until you find cat basket. Scream as you remove spiders from cat basket. Look around the room for cat. No cat. Look upstairs for cat. No cat. Look in all closets for cat. No cat. Go back and look behind the sofa. Find cat. Move sofa, cat runs upstairs. Find cat under bed. Crawl under bed and grab cat by scruff and pull, dragging both cat and half of your carpet out from under the bed. Carry hissing and spitting cat downstairs to basket. Call for help as cat splays all four legs as wide as possible to avoid being put in basket. Finally get cat in basket. Drive howling cat to vet. Present cat, who has now vomited, urinated and defecated in the carrier, to the vet.

Sound familiar? I would bet that most cat owners have had a similar experience. And there’s nothing you can do about it, right? Cats hate carriers, cars, and vets and that’s just the way it is. But it doesn’t have to be that way! By following a few simple steps you can make the whole procedure much easier on both yourself and your cat.

Oh! A New Year’s resolution? That sounds fun! I can I do one? Can I, can I, please?! Right, OK, what should I try? How about slobbering less?! Could do but that would be VERY difficult and I think Mum would miss it, she always shouts with delight when I give her a big kiss, especially first thing in the morning when she hasn’t seen me for AGES! I love walks, what about going on more?! With Dad obviously, that time I tried it on my own wasn’t so successful. A lady caught me and I ended up at the VETS, yuk! But Dad soon came to collected me and said it was a good thing I was chips (I think!). I like chips, they let me eat the crunchy ones they don’t like. Anyway, yes, walks, I love them but wish I could go off the lead more (that’s why it was SO much fun when I went on my own!). Dad doesn’t let me much but I love to run. I know he gets a bit cross when I don’t come back straight away but it is so BRILLIANT to run, it’s what we dogs are made for! I suppose I would go back if he made things more interesting, like playing games or having some treats. Also, I am not very good at commands but then again we don’t practice them much and my doggy brain needs to be reminded otherwise I forget stuff.