Cats are not a big fan of change and it’s not surprising that they’ll react badly towards the situation. Such as moving to a new location, cats will become fearful which can led to soiling the house, excessive meowing and crying, hiding, escape attempts and aggression.
In order to have the transition go smoothly it’s important to prepare the cat. Get them use to the cat carrier, get the new house to smell like them and establish a little haven for them in the new house when it’s time to move them.
This is the second time I’ve became a babysitter for my friend’s cat, Priscilla. Whenever my friend goes on vacation with her family I’ll gladly watch over her cat for the time she’s away. I don’t mind because I also have a cat myself. I have a lot of experience and knowledge when it comes to cats.
What my friend does is bring her cat over, along with her things (litter box, food/snacks, and toys) so that she doesn’t have to share with my cat. I’ve tried to let my cat, Fluffy and Priscilla get to know each other but they don’t like one another so it was best to keep them separated. Plus, it wasn’t a permanent change so there wasn’t a need for them to get to know or get along with one another when Priscilla wasn’t going to stay for long.
So what I did was place Priscilla in an area where she could establish as her own. The new area is a very large space and it wasn’t overwhelm with Fluffy’s scent because she hardly enters there. When Priscilla enter she was scared but it didn’t stop her from exploring. She checked every nook and cranky she could. After that she looked for a hiding place, so what I did was open an empty closet door and she immediately claimed it as her haven.
So whenever I go check on her I can always find her there sleeping. For the first few days I had to coax her out to interact with me and to let her know that she can trust me and not be scared anymore. She was familiar with me so I was able to make her comfortable a lot more quickly. I reached a point with her where whenever I open the closet door wider, she’ll greet me in happy and relaxed state.
I also made sure to keep a daily routine with her. Cat’s love a stable routine because it’s something they are more comfortable with and gives them confidence. They won’t be afraid of the unknown, whether they’ll get food or whatnot. So when they know what to expect it keeps them happy and less scared.
I stick closely to a schedule for feeding (it’s helps to make sure the cat eats at the same time each day), play and attention. As of now, Priscilla isn’t scared anymore, she’s playful, sweet, silly…basically her personality shows and she’s calm with her new surroundings. That’s exactly how I want her to be because I don’t want her to be scared. It’s a learning experience for her to know that not every new location means she needs to be in fear.
It also helps that she feels at home whenever she’s at my house. To know that whenever her human family goes on vacation that she has her own mini vacation.
 DamnBlackHeart · Sat Jun 30, 2012 @ 07:58pm · 0 Comments |
