Traveling with a cat

Page copy protected against web site content infringement by Copyscape

Cats seldom like to travel. But if you are the owner of such animal or you are going somewhere for a long time and want your cat to go with you, you can do something for your trip will be easier and safer for both of you.

One of the most important conditions of safe trip together with your pet is to keep it in a cool place. We wouldn’t even try to travel in summer if there is no conditioner in the car. Even some minutes in the warm car may cause the damage of heating strike or death. If your cat suffers of overheating (such as, for example, Persian cats because of their long fur and short noses) you should prepare some lumps of ice and put one of them to the bottom of the cage having it packed into the thing cloth. Put some other lumps into the small refrigerator. In this case cat will feel itself cooler and more comfortable during the trip. But even in this case don’t leave your cat in the car under the hot sun and in hot day even in the shadow for any minute. You will be seriously surprised when you learn how quickly your pet may overheat and what serious complications it may cause.

The list of things you need during the trip

One of the last photos of your cat

If, suddenly, your cat is lost, the good clear photo, which can be reprinted, will make the description of your pet clearer. If it possible, take the negative too, to make as many copies as you need.

The list of special features of your cat

Examine your cat for five minutes. Write down all its unusual and unique features.

Medicine card and notes

Some states and all foreign countries require the latest medicine card of your cat. Such card is simple to get - just visit the veterinary for examining and checking the numbers of injections have been made. If your cat suffers of some chronically illness take the copies of doctor’s prescribes with you and the telephone number of your veterinary. The stress caused by the trip may cause the complications and you'd better have all necessary information with you.

Usual food

Some kinds of cat’s food can hardly be got in different parts of the country. It is better to plan everything before because most of cats are naughty as for their diet, and because changing may cause the serious indigestion (and, of course, you don’t want it happen in your car). Take with you the plenty of cat’s food for some additional feedings, so you won’t have problem if some of food “pours” or if you have to travel longer than you expected.


Nausea in the car

If you are the owner of cat which is often sick in the car we offer to you the next.

Put the cat into the cage

When some of such cats don’t see how the environment passes by their stomach will not meet the problem. Find the cage of the necessary size for trip in the car (the small one). If your cat can turn in the cage that means it is too big.

Don’t feed the cat

If you think the gun may shot, don’t load it. If you think your cat may be sick, don’t feed it at least four hours before journey.

Get your cat accustomed to traveling by car

Do the traveling by car more often. Feed your cat after each journey. Some such traveling and, perhaps, it will take them in one day.

Give medicines to your cat

Ask the veterinary to prescribe some medicine which will help your cat to feel itself better during such trips.


Easily cleaned toilet boxes

Easily cleaned toilet boxes are really very suitable during the journey. If you can’t find such boxes use the special clothes for cat toilets. If the cat doesn’t tore such cloth it will be easy to take it out of the box and throw away its contents. Besides, don’t forget you needn’t much toilet filling: the 1-2 cm of it will be OK. Do all these changes gradually during some weeks before the journey. Then your four-legged friend will get accustomed to the new type of toilet or to the cloth and to the less of filling than it was before you have packed the things, put them into the car and drive away.

Necessary size of cat’s harness

Buy the harness of necessary size of H-type. Such harness is the most firm and comfortable for your cat.

The firm cat container

Firm plastic cat’s containers are better them the others. Such container will never be broken if the sudden stop of the car causes falling down of the heavy suitcase on it. Such containers have special holes from the outside for the air comes in through the walls even if the container is pressed between the other bags (try not to do this). Such containers are easy to clean and long used. If the cat urines or vomits all the liquid will stay inside the container. And in general it is the best thing for traveling with the cat.

Fastening chain of cat’s size

Fastening chains are the wonderful invention. They can be of different sizes but you’ll, possibly, need the smallest one. Such chain will let your cat to move more comfortable than the usual chain will. Besides, it is hardly to be tangled and this is another advantage. Take somebody for a walk with you short before you fasten the chain to cat. It’ll take some minutes to study the principle of acting of the break and the licking device.

The plate for water and the water itself

it’s very important to keep the cat in the cool place and to water it well. Cat will suffer from the stress even in the best conditions of environment. So, if it drinks the necessary portions it will feel itself better after the stress. Offer the water to the cat regularly or put some water for all the time in one of the plates attached to the door of plastic container. If you add some chicken or mutton broth into the water it will make your cat drink more.

Take with you some bottles of water. New water may cause indigestion of some cats as like as the new food may. When you reach the place of destination add some new water into the bottle every time you pour the water for the cat. In some days you will use only new water. Then you will not have any problems.


Don’t forget about the special signs

Every cat what is taken to the traveling given to the special hostel or just left at home with the person who’ll take care of it must have the special perceive signs. There are some kinds of such signs nowadays.

Labels

For attaching these labels use the self-unfastening collars only. It may save your cat’s life if it hangs somewhere being caught by something. Leaving to the journey doesn’t forget to write the telephone number of the place where somebody is in. Advantages: easy to use, cheap, and available for reading at any moment. Defects: they can be easily unfastened or lost.

Microchips

They are set under the skin of cat and serve as a constant perceive signs. Advantages: they can’t be taken away; they give more information and serve as clear evidence that you are the owner of the cat. Defects: such kind is not wide spread nowadays, so some veterinary hospitals and shelters have no scanners yet. There are also some systems which compete with one another, so not all scanners can read all microchips. This is the very progressive technology but it is not ideal nowadays.

Tattoos

The tattoo with the number on it is drawn on your cat’s belly. Advantages: tattoo can’t be moved and it is the clear evidence that you are the owner of the cat. Most laboratories will not use cats with tattoos for their explorations. Making the tattoo takes only about a minute and it won’t cause any harm to the cat. Defects: some cats don’t like the process of making tattoo because they are taken strong and touched with some noisy vibrating tool. This problem can be solved with the help of firm restriction of cat’s movements and the skilled tattoo-maker. Not all the shelters find the tattoo with the animals and know what it means but most of them always pay attention to it.


MOVING TO ANOTHER PLACE

Most of cats do not like changing. I suppose that if the cats could rule the world then the food was given always in time, only a few strangers come to their place, all the dogs which were following cats were taken out and the moving to another place were forbidden.

More than one cat has already become the reason of some grey hair with its owner having being rushed outdoors at the moment when the workers carried out the next box. it’s quite necessary that the frightened cat prefers to watch all these at the distance refusing to come back home for some days. it’s dangerous for it, it will trouble you and it can grow into the real catastrophe if you have busy business timetable.

Besides, there are cat which like to get into boxes. You couldn’t imagine that the cat can be packed into the box and put into the truck but, believe me, it sometimes really happens! The cat may fall asleep in the box being frightened by the strange noise and then, quickly, it becomes the prisoner of the box in the truck.

Protect yourself and your cat of such problems planning everything before. The best way to help your friend to feel itself good during the moving is to take it to the special hostel or shelter while the things are being packed or to put your pet into the separate room.

If you prefer the separate room for your pet you should better use the bathroom. Then it won’t be difficult to pack the things and then to provide comfortable conditions to your cat. Nobody will trouble it during that difficult process. Make the bed for the cat from the old jersey or T-shirt, put the toilet box, provide it with food and water and give some toys to the cat. Put the radio set there and find the channel where talking is being translated, this will help you to avoid some unusual noise in your house. Of course, you should hang the table “Don’t enter!” and tell the workers not to enter the room.

As soon as you come into your new house provide the separate room for the cat again. If the cat spent much time in the street lock her in your new house at least for a week. When it knows well where you are, where food is and where is its favorite place under the sun, the possibility of your pets escape will reduce.

Every time when you have to enter the house or to go out of it carrying boxes or taking them lock the house. I suppose you don’t want your cat to run away from the house.

The good idea is to feed your cat with tastier things the first week in the new house than usual. It will make the good impression and the cat will understand that it is a nice place.

Now some instructions for the case if you decide to let your cat go out in the street. To do it means always to run a risk. These instructions are not the guarantee. So if you are in trouble about your cat’s safety it’s better to take it home.

In one or two week strict home imprisonment you may let your cat spend some time outdoors with you. Before going outdoors put the special label on your cat. It must be the new label with your new address and telephone number on it.

This is the time when the fastening chain is necessary again and the well-worn harness too. Let your cat explore the yard and the territory near it. If you are in trouble because your cat can go into the street, ask your friend to hide somewhere near the road. So, if the cat occasionally appears near the road he will run from his place and make only some steps forward to your cat shaking with the pair of cans filling with coins. Don’t follow the cat! It will run away without any followings and this is, of course, the main idea.


Cat is lost!

The nightmare becomes real: your cat is lost! What should you do?

Make the announcements

Use all clear photos you have, make the announcements with all the necessary information: the date when it was lost, the place where it was seen last, the special features and so on. Write down some phone numbers, so if you are not at home when somebody is calling you’ll know that the cat has been seen or found.

Offer the award

The award is stimulated people. Offer the good award. Of course, we’ll hope that your cat wasn’t taken by people who supply labs with animals for explorations, but if it happened the good award will help you to get your cat back.

Give the announcements to the newspapers

In most local newspapers there are parts with announcements about the lost and found animals. Some of them print these announcements even without tax. Look through these announcements every day. Perhaps, somebody will give the announcement that your cat has been found.

Connect with veterinary, shelters and police

Send your announcements by post everywhere, call wherever you can yourself, hang the photos there, telephone anywhere to know if somebody heard something about your cat. The more polite and insisted you are the better they will remember your cat.

Glue the announcements

Glue the announcements in the supermarkets, shops selling ready-made products, goods for pets, on the crowded crossroads - and, in generally, in the places where people go regularly.

Find the children’s support

Children know everything what happened in the neighborhood better then adults. The award for them is the best stimulator.


PLANE TRAVEL WITH YOUR CAT

The best traveling by plane with the cat is when it is in the kennel inside the passenger cabin together with you. Many airlines have the limit of the number of pets on the board during the flight, so you have to buy the ticket for your cat in advance.

While preparing for the flight you shouldn’t feed your cat during four or five hours before the start. We recommend to put the cat into the kennel for some hours and then before the departure to let it use the toilet. So, if you are lucky, your pet will do it before the flight. If you are going to give some calming medicines to your cat do it an hour before the flight because if you want the medicine to act you’ll need time. Take a little bottle of water with you. The changing of water may cause constipation especially if your cat has got stress.

Use the little plastic kennel only for the flight. It will protect your cat of wounds if the cage falls down or is fallen down by some other baggage during the flight. Be sure that either cat or kennel has special marks and ID tags. Being on the board of the plain doesn’t take your cat out of the kennel. It is frightened so you shouldn’t trouble you pet if it isn’t necessary.

Airlines which offer moving “counter-to-counter”

If your pet must fly without you the best variant is moving “counter-to-counter”. It will let you send your cat from the bar of registration an hour or less before the registration and then to take it from the special baggage room which is near the usual baggage room in the point of destination. Without such service you’ll have to use the usual system of baggage moving and it usually means that you have to leave your cat in the flight department two or more hours before the flight and as much time as it said before you’ll need for taking it then. It is difficult for all who are involved.

Always call in time to reserve the place for the cat, and then call again before moving to the airport to be sure that the flight is on time.

When you arrive to the airport you mustn’t trouble. If you show that you worry your cat will immediately do the same. No matter how much you worry because of the flight don’t show it! You’ll have time to bite your nails later. Don’t open the kennel and take the cat out at any circumstances. If the cat runs away at the airport try to find it there!

We always give much money to carrier who takes our animal. We hope it will cause his good mood and he’ll be kind to our cat. We want him to tell about that to other carriers and they’ll know about the great value of that animal for somebody.

All airlines have some differences but you may be ready to the following instructions and rules. The restrictions of temperature are general and they are very important for the cat. The general restrictions are the following: the temperature couldn’t be less than 7.2оC and more than 18.ЗоC. Some airlines may lessen the lower level of temperature if you have a special medical certificate signed by the veterinary. The usual demand is the latest certificate. Perhaps, you’ll have to send the plate, food and water in a special bag or the veterinary certificate that the cat needn’t any feeding during the flight. Try to send it if it is possible if you don’t want somebody to open the kennel. If the cat was given some medicine you must say to airliner workers about it. Of course, use the firm kennels only, which are special for flights! It happens that cats go out of it in the flight department and then hide somewhere for some days. Be sure that your cat is in safety! For this aim the cat and the kennel must have special marks with all information.

Related Links:


To main page


Flag Counter
6’122’125