Now that you have your new cat bubble backpack, there might be a lot of questions you want to ask, such as “How to carry a cat in a bag?”. Well, you’ve come to the right place. We’ll be talking about how to get your cat comfortable using the backpack. Lucky for you, if your cat immediately jumps into the cat backpack dome as soon as you open your cat backpack, you have a great start!
Unfortunately for some, there’s a lot of hard work that we must do to make them feel safe and comfortable in their backpack. Don’t worry! We’re here to help. There are multiple ways to achieve this goal and they are not too difficult. Let’s begin with the first step that always gets us humans excited. Opening your backpack.
Opening Your Cat Backpack
When you receive your cat bubble backpack, it is best to unpack it with your cat around so they can see what it is and not be surprised to see it somewhere in your house and end up being afraid of it. Pique their curiosity for the backpack and treat it as a toy you are introducing. Don’t shove it in their face but gently try to bring it closer to then until they feel comfortable around it. We do not want to rush them. We have to adjust based on how they are reacting to the backpack. If they do get scared, maybe stop for the day and continue tomorrow or at a later time. Now when they are comfortable around it, you do some training.
Positive Reinforcement
In my opinion, one of the best effective ways to train a cat, as with any other animal, is positive reinforcement. This is rewarding your cat with what he desires most, whether it be food or toy/play. Those are just the most common ones but you have to figure out what your cat responds to. Positive reinforcement is the way most animal trainers prefer. Not only does it strengthens the bond between you and your cat, but it also proves to be a lot better than negative reinforcement. The more you reward your cat for good behavior, the more likely you will see a repeat of that behavior.
Stimulators
There are a lot of stimulators that your cat responds to get used to being in a backpack and how long they will want to be in a cat backpack. I am going to share two of them with you and how they can be used to get your cat used to a cat backpack. Although these two are not the only stimulators you can use, it is up to you what you want to train your cat. I suggest whatever your cat responds to the most.
Cat Food Treats
Cat treats can be a very powerful tool if you know how to use them. Probably the best way to get your cat to be comfortable inside the cat backpack, whether it is an astronaut cat backpack or cat backpack carrier, is through his stomach. Here’s how:
- Lay the backpack where your cat feels most comfortable. Preferably somewhere he always lays down around the house.
- Throw some cat treat inside the backpack and have your cat retrieve it.
- Once he is comfortable enough and goes in the backpack by himself, start rewarding him for that behavior.
- Slowly close the backpack little by little until you reach a fully closed carrier.
- Once he is inside and the zippers are closed, reward him big for being a good kitty.
- Do this a few times every day until he goes inside voluntarily.
Using cat treats is a useful tool for training your cat to do all sorts of things, check out this video on top tricks to teach your cat:
Cat Toys
As much as food is a great tool for positive reinforcement, toys are too. Here are a few tips on how to use a toy to make your cat get used to cat backpacks:
- Lay the backpack where your cat feels most comfortable. Preferably somewhere he always lays down around the house.
- Throw a toy inside the backpack and have your cat retrieve it or play with it inside the backpack.
- Once he is comfortable enough and goes in the backpack by himself, start rewarding him for that behavior by playing with him.
- Slowly close the backpack little by little until you reach a fully closed carrier.
- Once he is inside and the zippers are closed, reward him big for being a good kitty.
- Do this a few times every day until he goes inside voluntarily. It is best to use his favorite toy.
Once they are comfortable getting into the backpack, whether it is a bubble backpack or a soft cat carrier, its time to try it out. Plan a trip that you and your kitty will enjoy. It doesn’t have to be a big trip, something small like going to the park or going to the store to get some milk. Make sure that he is always comfortable inside the backpack. Check-in with him every few minutes just to be sure.
Check out this video on how to make some cool toys at home:
Continuing Cat Backpack Training
Now that you have it in the bag, it’s time to talk about training your cat after he’s comfortable. There are some things that you must be wary of. If these go unnoticed, they may cause some problems in the future. Once inside the backpack, your cat may get restless and anxious while on your trip. One remedy to this is opening the top flap of your backpack to let their head pop out. Don’t worry, there is usually a strap that is inside the bag that connects to your cat’s collar to prevent escape.
If your backpack does not have this feature, I recommend for you not to do this. Another way of reducing stress is carrying the backpack in front of you (most cat bubble backpacks have this feature). You can even pop a treat inside to reassure your cat that everything is well. Keep in mind that you need to be consistent in training your cat with the backpack.
Growing Kitty
In time, your little kitten will become a full-grown cat. You might have to upgrade your cat bubble backpack every now and then. Re-training will be needed every time you get a new one. Don’t worry, you got this! Just remember all the steps that we talked about and you’ll be good for life. Also, remember that every cat is different and you have to find the perfect method to use for you and your cat. If you do need an upgrade, click here to view our review of Cat backpack carriers.