Car-Traveling Cats
Why should you take a cat with you?
Cats suffer greatly from loneliness. If you leave your caudate pet for more than a day, the cat will feel depressed. Therefore many cat owners prefer to travel together. If this is just a short walk, you can use a carrying bag or a special backpack for animals. But how should you travel in the case of a long trip by car abroad? First of all you should take care of the documents and veterinarian papers. This should be an internationally recognized veterinary passport. There must be notes about vaccinations against various infections, including rabies, the dates of dehelminthization of the animal, and information about the chip. The last one is mandatory. The chip is a matter of animal safety. You can also buy insurance for the animal. A grafted and chipped animal can cross countries without worrying about the lack of immunity. However, a tick collar is a must anyway.
How to make your cat feel comfortable?
In addition to the usual bedding, tray, and bowls for food and water, you should take your cat’s favorite toys, and also the amount of food for the whole trip. Otherwise it might be a big problem to find an accustomed food in another country. Cats, like people, need stops, fresh air, and movement. But it is necessary to avoid a situation of escape and subsequent search for the animal in an unfamiliar area.
During the stops your animal must be in carry-ons or in a harness with a leash. The owner must take into account the situation of a sudden appearance of other animals and an unpredictable reaction of your cat. In addition cats do not perceive smells of gasoline. At gas stations you need to keep an animal far from fuel sources.
In general the cat must be prepared for travel in advance. Veterinary drugs such as Fospasim can relieve stress and prepare the nervous system of the animal for stress associated with a trip in the car. They should be given to the cat one week before the expected departure date. Valerian root and its derivatives are not recommended. First, its effect on the animal’s organism and its nervous system is mainly depressing, and the reaction of the cat is often unpredictable.
During the ride, especially at the beginning of the journey, the animal can express concern with a chaotic movement through the car’s interior, as well as loud meowing. To calm the animal, it is better to talk with him in a gentle tone, hold on, and stroke. Usually, after a couple of hours of restless wakefulness, the cat calms down and falls asleep. It is better if the cat will fall asleep on the habitual blanket which has a home smell. It will cause a sense of safety in the animal.
Another universal remedy is catnip. Its small amount will not overload the car, while definitely will bring complete pleasure to your cat.
Since the animal can feel sickness like a human, it is better not to feed the cat three to four hours before the trip. During the next stop, you should offer water and food, but do not insist. For the case of an “accident with digested food” you should have disposable diapers and wet napkins without a pungent smell in the car.
Dangers of auto traveling with a cat
A cat, like a child, can get sick during a journey, or can run away and get lost. What to do in these cases, we will consider in more detail.
Diseases of cats, like humans, can begin by being acute or can progress gradually. As a rule, the latter happens more often. This is explained by the fact that feline are extremely patient creatures, they try to “sleep off” any malaise. And when the cat really stops rising due to health issues, the situation is really bad, and the changes occurring in the feline organism may already be irreversible. Therefore, you should know beacons that manifest troubles in the cat’s health.
Cats cannot tell what is happening with them, and therefore they signal the owner via their behavior, or rather, deviations from the norm. For example the sudden refusal to use the litter box, the demonstrative toilet in an absolutely unacceptable place, the unmotivated aggression, the refusal to eat or drink — all this will be a sign of a deterioration in health and an occasion for a visit to a veterinarian and have tests done. Of course on the road much of the behavior of the animal will seem unusual, but an attentive owner will distinguish the signs of stress from an unfamiliar situation from behavioral disorders as signs of a beginning indisposed.
In case of health problems you should have a veterinarian’s phone number or his email address. After all it is impossible to envisage all possible situations which can arise on the road, and the timely advice of a specialist may prove invaluable.
Remember about dangers of dehydration. Water should be offered constantly, and it must be fresh.
If the cat has a loose stool, you should put an animal diaper on it, give it a smect and go to the vet. Veterinary insurance for the cat will solve all problems with paying a visit to the doctor. You should always have not only a tray, but also a filler, as well as plastic bags and napkins.
Traveling with a cat is as easy as having a one-year-old child! Both can turn into a pleasure, if you take care before the trip.
Thank you for reading, and don’t forget to obtain an international driving license before the trip abroad with your cat. Cats feel the mood of their owners. Driving your way across the world confidently will add a good mood to your cat.
