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Vet-visit travel stress
The night before and the morning of
Carrier out, comfortable bedding, pheromone spray on the bedding 15 minutes before loading if you use one. Feed lightly a few hours ahead to reduce nausea risk. Load the cat without the chase-and-wrestle - a carrier-trained cat walks in; an untrained one does better wrapped loosely in a towel and lowered into a top-loading carrier than pushed backwards into a front door. Then a cloth over the carrier, into the car, carrier secured.
The waiting room is a design problem
In the exam room
Open the carrier and let the cat come out on their own clock; a top-loading carrier can be unlatched so the exam starts with the cat sitting in the familiar base. Bring a small towel or blanket from home for the table - familiar smell on a cold surface. Speak less, move slower. You know your cat: if a certain hold or a certain person calms them, say so. Vets genuinely use this information.
When training isn't enough
Some cats have travel fear that practice doesn't fix, and some visits can't wait for practice. Tell the clinic when you book that your cat is a hard traveler. Options your vet may use include situational anti-anxiety or anti-nausea medication given before travel, and low-stress handling techniques in the clinic. Asking about pre-visit medication is standard care, not a last resort. Also worth saying: a cat who dreads the carrier still needs their annual visit - skipping care is the worst of the options on the table.