Yes to setting up an area. Make sure there’s nothing that he would be tempted to climb or jump on. These movements can strain the surgical site. Make sure it’s clean and relatively flat flooring so no hay or anything may prick him down there either. Give him a hidey place to be able to feel safe, but still include some free roam so it’s not complete inactivity.

For the carrier, I suggest getting him used to it. Put the open carrier in his space and putting his food in there and such. This will make it more familiar to him. A lot of people only bring out the carrier when it’s vet time, and that makes carriers scary. Wick’s carrier is always out for him to lounge in, so he is very familiar and unspooked by it.

If it’s a high walled box, I would recommend it or at least do a small step to make the jump less high! A ramp can be hard to make, but if you find a book or box that can act as a step, that’d be good.