Living with a cat: “Here comes the owner of the place!”
Sharing the same house and common life with a pet is a teaching experience for everyone. Trying to understand what it wants by observing its reactions – let’s call it “learning a new language between species” – is a unique experience that deeply affects and transforms humans. Cats are undoubtedly the pets with whom we experience this the most in modern times.
Life with a cat is amazing. Playing with him, buying new toys, worrying when he gets sick, forgetting how tired you are while caressing his head and more will be experienced in your common life with your cat, which turns out to be the source of happiness and peace beyond words. However, humans are dynamic beings who must be in different places at different times as required by modern life. Therefore, it may be necessary to leave our dear pets for a while due to both business and personal reasons.
Taking your cat out
Taking your cat out, we must say, will be quite tough. This is because cats get used to their environment due to their nature and form strong bonds with their environment. Cat owners know; cats have their daily routine. Knowledge of the places seeing the sun in the house is the default factory setting for cats. It is more or less clear at what time they will lie down; they will start running or climbing to higher furniture to watch around. Cats are fond of these routines.
The stronger are the bonds of cats with their environment, the more secure they feel. In fact, when the famous author Enis Batur said “Cats May Take Care of Kings”, he was talking about a cat that undoubtedly had a strong bond with the house he lived in. However, there are some inevitable situations where taking the cat out becomes an essential need. Sure, the less that is, the better it is (though, since every cat builds his own kingdom, some may like to get out. We will never know why a cat is after something!) The breaking of the bond with the environment (moving out of the house, leaving the cat to a shelter/on a street, etc.) or interrupting the usual course of life (vacation, going to the vet, etc.) could make the cats feel quite uneasy most of the time.
Let’s say you need to take your cat, renowned for being calm at home, to the vet. It is not hard to imagine what will happen to you on the road, right? When your cat first sees the crate, he will start running away. You will try to calm him down by talking nicely. If you are lucky enough, you will catch him in a short time, put it in the crate and take your cat out. He will get nervous. He will start meowing in the car or public transport vehicle. He will not even if you try to silence him. You will again try to calm him down by talking. You will play games with your finger stretched into the crate’s door. He will somewhat feel less uneasy yet, will not completely calm down.
Now let’s assume that you are going on a vacation. You could not find anyone to take care of your cat at home while you are away. You’re not willing to leave your dear cat in a cage in a cat hotel or hostel. Then you will have only one option: going on vacation with your cat.
What should be done before going on vacation with your cat?
You had to go on vacation with your cat. Then get ready for a great vacation!
Your top priority for the trip will be your cat’s comfort. Small but effective measures will ensure both this and your pleasant trip with your cat.
First, leave your cat’s crate at a more visible part of the house a few weeks before the trip. Encourage him to get into the crate. You can use treats for this. Let your cat get used to the crate so that he will not associate it with going out and insecurity. In addition, putting your outfit smelling like you and a toy favored by your cat in the cat crate will calm him down and help to get used to the crate more easily.
Consult your vet before the trip and get advice about the trip. Make sure your cat is fully protected from internal/external parasites and other infectious diseases. Carry disposable under-pads and cleaning materials such as paper towels with you during the trip. You can also take a deep bowl of water with you to make your cat more comfortable during the trip. By this means, your cat can easily drink water without spilling no matter how much the vehicle you are using on your trip moves.
Sedative cat drugs
Some cats feel too uneasy being outside and traveling. In such cases, you can use sedatives as advised by your vet. You can administer your cat the sedative drug approximately 1 hour before the trip. So, the drug will have taken effect and your cat has calmed down by the time the trip begins. In order to avoid the side effects such as vomiting, it would be better to stop giving food 5-6 hours before using the medicine. Your cat may stagger a little and get muddled after taking the sedatives. Do not worry. He will recover quickly after the trip.
Car travel with a cat
Car travel with a cat is not easy. Furthermore, going on a vacation with your cat may be even more difficult depending on the season. While hot weather could be a problem for your cat, especially during the summer, adding the temperature of the car during the travel may cause discomfort for your cat. The first thing you should pay attention to is to make sure that the temperature of the car is not too high. Because cats are affected more severely by temperature compared to humans. It will be useful not to open the windows during the trip to make sure that the ambient temperature remains constant.
If possible, take care to carry your cat in a crate where it can stand or move comfortably. Fixing the crate to the seat with the seat belt will be a precaution to prevent further disturbance to your cat in case of possible sudden movements of the vehicle. You must be careful if you want to take your cat out of its crate. Because a cat who is afraid of the change of his environs can run away to feel safe. This may put you in danger during your trip.
If you are going on a vacation with your cat by car, it will be useful to have a company who will talk to your cat when he is nervous, calm him down and meet her needs when necessary. In addition, if it is a long car journey, parking your car in the shade when you take a break will allow you to spend the break without raising the temperature in your car and prevent your cat from feeling disturbed.
Carrying your cat on board the plane
If you are going on vacation with your cat, the best method will be to choose an airline. But note that, there are too many procedures in this type of travel. First of all, to transport your cat in the plane cabin or in the cargo hold, you must have had a booking made with the airline company. The limit for pets that can be transported in the cabin will vary according to the aircraft type and airline company. Since each airline company will have different procedures, it will be useful to call the airline company and get detailed information when you purchase your ticket. For example, Turkish Airlines has a detailed information web page on traveling with pets.
If you are going to take your cat on a vacation abroad, you will have more to deal with. To be able to take your cat abroad, you will need to know the pet acceptance rules of the country you will be going to. You can see the related rules about the country you will go on the IATA Travel Centre website.
It is essential that you have the documents showing that you have had certain tests (blood test, titration, vaccination card, health certificate, etc.) done while going on vacation abroad with your cat. This is a process that takes some time. This is because you can obtain some of the documents from just one institution in Türkiye. In addition, it is obligatory that microchips have been attached to all pets that will be taken abroad. It is a good idea to have two copies of each document so that you will not have any trouble when starting your travel.
Finally, note that each airline company’s pet transport rules may differ. When you purchase your flight ticket, call the airline company to learn about the weight limit and the crate size accepted for traveling with your pet. Then, if you find out that your cat is over the accepted limit of weight, start giving him a diet and have him do some exercise! No pain, Rocky! No pain!
Going on vacation with your cat might be a difficult experience. Yet there is no doubt it will be enjoyable. We hope our blog post will be useful enough for you to have a remarkable vacation.
Enjoy your holiday.
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