Dog
and cat pet tips - on Pets.ca
Cat illness, dog is sick, behavior
problems....Once a week Pets.ca will publish a pet tip.
Tip
52 - Going on a trip - what to do with your cat
Many
cat owners wonder what to do with their cat(s) when they go out
of
town or on vacation. Do you bring the cat with you, leave it
at home or board the cat at a facility? The answer usually depends
on
the length
of time involved.
In
general cats are most 'upset' when both their environment and
the people
they love are absent.Cats love their regular routine in their
regular environment. If you are going away for a weekend, it's
probably
best to leave
enough
food
and
water
for 2 days
and
let your cat stay home. Even though this is just a short duration,
have someone drop in if possible. Multi-cat households fare better
than a single cat household since the cats tend to keep each
other company. A pet sitting service is a good idea if you don't
have
anyone to drop
in.
Get a recommendation
from your vet. If you are going away for longer than 2 days the
cat can still stay
home
but you
MUST
have
someone
come in at least once a day to check on the cat and give it some
love. Of course you can bring your cat with you, but the change
in
environment
will probably cause your cat some stress and it may well
exhibit behaviours that you are not used to.
If
you must board your cat at a boarding facility make SURE you
get a reference from someone
you trust, like your vet. There are loads of bad boarding facilities
so it is crucial that you inspect the facility before leaving
your cat there. The facility should look and smell clean, should
house dogs away from cats and should never keep 2 cats that
don't know each other in the same cage or area. Leave something
with
your scent on it at the facility. This will help soothe your
cat during your absence.
Safety
tip - Whenever you leave your cat alone for more than 1
day it's crucial
to have someone (preferably someone your cat knows and likes)
come by, take a peek and give the cat a couple of rubs. Cats
and especially kittens can easily get into trouble when you
are gone. Leave the name and number of your veterinarian with
the person dropping by just in case of any emergency.
For
information on car travel with your cat click here
© Pets.ca
2004
www.pets.ca
See the
other pet tips here:
