if feeding time is delayed? Ember does.

Right now she's chasing Gryff around the house.

10 more minutes and HOPEFULLY she will be in the carrier. That just makes 30 minutes before we leave. She'll be fine. I worry too much.

It does tug at the heartstrings for sure.

I love your playpen idea to let her rest post-op. That's best, I feel.

I wrap her as I am picking her up when she's the least anxious. I put her in the carrier WITH the towel to soften the surface and keep her with something familiar in the moment.

The towel ensures I have control and keeps her from sprawling out or scratching.

I think your methodology is purr-fect! Good luck with the kids in the morning!

You have laid out a good strategy for catching Carys and the morning sounds well planned. Has the arctic cold moved on yet?

Sending good vibes for all of you and especially Carys while she is going through surgery.

We'll be here for yas.

She's starting that sad meow and my heart is breaking. I know this is for her best and she will be fine but I feel like a monster, right now.

Mikey does that too. They don't like being confined and they often don't understand why they are in there. Just keep marching along with the plan, she might be worse in the car.

A few meows but I kept talking to her.

I didn't put any blanket IN the carrier because I was afraid it would impede me getting her in but I think the blanket over the carrier should keep her warm for the relatively short amount of time she will be in the car. Once I get her checked in, a new type of stress will start for her. I'm going to try not to think about it and just wait for that phone call, this afternoon, saying she's in recovery and doing great.

I'm setting the play pen up for when she comes home. If it's too stressful for her, I'll let her out but I think that for at least the first day it will keep the boys from trying to rough house.

And the playpen is a good idea. Maybe put some kind of thing she can go hide in too so she can stay confined but have a hidey hole too She might feel the need to be in a cave to get her bearings.

Great idea, 2na!

Might not work now but in the future, maybe, if the carrier can hold more then one cat for more than a minute. I wonder if putting two cats in there to keep company for a few minutes or during the ride and just return home with the second cat..?

Might not be worth the trouble, but sometimes having someone with them might calm them down. And the carrier might not be big enough.

Both in the same carrier together. They were quiet for a 16-hour drive.

With our . . less than domesticated . . . cats, the top opener is the ONLY way to go. Makes life so much easier. (It also makes it so you can have a towel in the bottom without it getting in your way putting her in and taking her out.)

It also helps if you leave the carrier open and near them for a day or so before. . . they get used to it being there and it doesn't freak them out as much.

The towel or blanket over the top is a great idea (we actually have one with a handle sized hole cut in it).

We do a lot of rescue, we go through this process at least once a week .

kitties and getting them into a front loading carrier was beyond difficult

Good luck with kitty!