A Devon Rex approaches the world head-first and curious, which is an advantage in carrier training: the goal is not to force this cat into a box but to let him claim it. Devon Rexes seek warmth and company above almost everything, so a carrier that is soft, scented with home, and stationed where the family sits will draw most of them in on their own — provided the training starts weeks before travel, not the night before.
Make the carrier part of the furniture first
Carrier training for a Devon Rex begins with the carrier doing nothing at all. Set it in a room he already loves, door secured open so it cannot swing shut and startle him, lined with a fleece or blanket he already sleeps on. His wavy coat picks up and holds scent readily, and a blanket carrying his own smell plus yours makes the space read as a bed rather than a trap. Expect investigation within hours: sniffing, stepping in, possibly napping. Resist shutting the door during this stage, however tempting — the single fastest way to undo a Devon Rex's trust in the carrier is one ambush closure before he has chosen it repeatedly himself.
Feed and play the carrier into a favourite place
Once your Devon Rex wanders in freely, move the rewards inside it. Scatter high-value treats in the carrier daily, then feed whole meals there with the door still open, because a cat who eats breakfast in a box has classified it as safe. Devon Rexes are famously playful and slightly clownish, so use that too: trail a wand toy through the carrier and let him pounce inside it, and praise the voluntary entries he offers during the day. If he goes in and settles, let a session of lap-warming follow his exit — this breed works for togetherness as much as for food, and social reward reinforces the lesson as strongly as treats.
Add closures, lifts, and short journeys in small steps
With meals happening happily inside, begin closing the Devon Rex's carrier door for seconds while he eats, opening it before he finishes so the door never coincides with frustration. Stretch the closed time gradually across days, then lift the carrier, walk it to another room, and set it down with a treat delivered through the door. Only after he rides a lift calmly should a short car trip enter the plan — around the block, home again, dinner served. Each step stays below the point where he cries or scratches to get out; if a stage unsettles him, drop back to the previous one for a couple of days rather than pushing through, because confidence in a sensitive, tuned-in breed rebuilds slower than it breaks.
Keep the finished habit warm until travel day
A carrier-trained Devon Rex can still refuse on travel day if the carrier reappears dusty from a cupboard reeking of storage. Keep it out and in occasional use — a weekly treat tossed in, the blanket refreshed with home scent but never laundered the day before travel, since his own smell on the fabric is the reassurance. On the day itself, a worn t-shirt of yours in the carrier and a calm, unhurried loading routine protect the habit you built.
When a training stage puzzles you — he naps in it but panics at the lift, say — KinsLe's Kinny is there to be asked in the moment, and the answers you get stay alongside your Devon Rex's profile so the whole carrier plan builds in one place.