Cat travel or the (not so) scary box
How to choose a carrier? Well, it’s not as straight-forward as you think.
If you will be taking your cat for long distance travel, for instance on an airline, there are certain standards that the carrier will have to meet. Those carriers tend to be roomy, very sturdy and lockable. They can also be quite heavy.
The other end of the spectrum is the more fashionable carrier with fabric sides and a frame. These carriers can also meet airline specs, but would only be suitable for cabin travel for your kitty. They are lighter, but can sometimes feel too flexible. You have to carry them carefully (not by the shoulder strap) so kitty doesn’t bounce around.
A more typical carrier has a front door, and sometimes a top door. Lighter plastic, but perhaps not sturdy enough for long distance transport. One thing that makes a visit to the veterinary clinic harder with these types of carriers — it’s not easy to take the lid off (all those screws to undo, and when they get old, they get seized up). For a reluctant cat, the extraction process can be very stressful.
My choice would be this carrier. It’s light, with a nice big knob to open the door. The top and bottom are fastened together with hinge-style clips that are easy to flip, so the top can be removed.
With stressed-out cats, leaving them in the bottom of the carrier for the visit to the clinic allows the cat to feel contained and safer, while allowing me to do most of my physical examination. Way easier than chasing a scared cat around the room, and way less frightening for kitty and for you.
Next time, tips on how to use your carrier every day and how to get kitty to the vet.
Max’s leg
Dear Max,
You were a playful kitten. Because you only had two humans to entertain you, we got a lot of your attention and you, in turn, got a lot of personal attention from us. And how you loved to play.
I take part of the blame for this incident, but then how could either of us have predicted this freak accident?
I was hanging laundry on our drying rack in a corner of the dining room and you were sitting in one of your favorite places – on a chair, under the edge of the table. Cats like quiet, protected areas and you loved to have a cover over your head. Our chairs were old pressed-back chairs with spool backs – similar to the image above.
You were paying attention to the moving laundry as I pulled it out of the basket and draped it on the rack. Being a kitten, you jumped up onto the back of the chair so you could bat at the fabric as it flew past. And then you lost your balance.
You fell backward onto the seat of the chair with one of your hind legs caught between the spools. You immediately panicked and starts to thrash and cry out. I remember my husband running in from the other room, responding to the sounds of a cat in distress. I was terrified you would break or dislocate your leg.
I spoke calmly to you, and braved the teeth and nails of a panicky cat as I cradled you in my arms. But you didn’t try to scratch or bite me. You quieted enough to let me gently lift you up so my husband could free your leg from between the spools. Then you hid, until dinner time.
You were fine, and the next day you were back asleep on the seat of that chair in the afternoon sun.
What did I learn?
- Sometimes our pets will find ways to hurt themselves that we could have never predicted, no matter how well we try to pet-proof our homes.
- A calm and soothing presence can help your pets through stressful times – they will respond to your body language and stress level.
What do you want, kitty?
What are the essentials for a kitten?
If you ask Google, there are a lot of kitten supplies checklists, and some of them are daunting!
What does a new kitten need? Here are the basics.
A way to get your little one home – a carrier.
Food and water. Kittens need kitten food, and fresh clean water.
A place to eliminate. Kittens will naturally use a litter box if it’s attractive and easy to find.
A place to sleep. Your little one needs a safe, warm place to rest.
Something to play with. If you don’t provide the toys, kittens will decide what household items to play with.
Now, there is a lot more to cover with each item. For instance, some carriers make a trip to the vet easier for kitty – and I think we all agree a less stressed kitty makes for a happier owner. Stay tuned over the next few weeks as I expand on these cat essentials.
What else would be on your list of kitten essentials?
Allergic to my life, including Max
Dear Max,
Our life was nice. We had a young child, two cats and a puppy. I had at least one cat on the bed with me at night (usually you) and I found a job at a clinic that really taught me the value of family and work-life balance.
After I’d been working as a small animal veterinarian for a few years, I got a cold I couldn’t shake. The cough wouldn’t resolve, and I starting to have trouble breathing. It was bad enough that I went to the emergency room. My chest x-rays were clear, so I was sent home to rest and let it run its course.
Two days later, I was sleeping in an armchair (with you on my lap) and couldn’t climb one flight of stairs. Back to the doctor, where he diagnosed asthma and started me on medications which helped right away. He also referred me to the local pulmonary clinic for those terrible breathing tests in the plastic box, and to an allergy specialist for testing.
Guess what the allergist found? I was and am allergic to cats, dogs, horses and cattle. My dear Max, not only was I allergic to you and all my pets; I was actually, literally, allergic to my job. I hadn’t even paid off the student loans yet.
The allergist gave me the advice he should have given me. He told me to get rid of all my pets and change my job. I suspect he knew that he might as well have told me to leave the planet or go live inside that terrible plastic box. Maybe not. Needless to say, I didn’t exactly take his ‘gold standard’ advice.
What did I do? Well, I banished pets from the bedroom and added a HEPA filter. My boss installed a HEPA filter at work and I kept taking the asthma medications like clockwork. I became more aware and fastidious about hand washing at home after petting or cuddling with one of my pets. I was already washing my hands after every animal contact at work.
Why did I choose that course of action? Well, I can’t imagine any other job or life for myself. I also can’t imagine our home without the interaction that I got from you and my other pets and the lessons you taught my children. When I was considering the advice of the allergist, I absolutely knew I could not give up my pets.
I never regretted the decisions I made during that time, and I cherish the lessons I learned from you then as well. You went from cuddling beside me every night to suddenly not being allowed in the room. I don’t remember a lot of drama about the closed door, but I think that’s because we just made the change and never gave in once.
I still got my evening lap cat time, and you were always there in the hall to greet me in the morning.
What did you teach me when I became allergic to you?
- Less time together doesn’t mean less affection.
- Cats can adapt to changes in the house, maybe more easily than we give them credit for.
- Sometimes people won’t follow my advice because of reasons that are important to them. And I should respect that, as long as they aren’t harming their pets.
(Oh, and please remember, dear readers, this is a story of choices I made for myself about not following the excellent medical advice I received. This is not in any way an example you should follow.)
Kittens like games, too
What about a new kitten?
You want to add a new kitten to your household? How exciting!
Please, please, please don’t make this an impulse buy (or an impulse free-kitten decision). I know kittens are cute, and cuddly and give us lots of good feelings, but be aware cats often live into their teens. Think about your lifestyle, and whether you expect to make major changes in the next while. Will you be able to commit to looking after this little life?
For instance, if you are planning to relocate and may need to live in rental housing, consider whether you will be able to keep a cat with you. In some jurisdictions, landlords are allowed to prohibit pets, and some condo boards do not allow pets.
Are you planning to move overseas or have extended periods of travel? If you might want to take your cat with you to another country, there are different laws and requirements for microchip identification, rabies vaccination and parasite treatments. Some countries require a time in quarantine. Depending on your destination, taking a pet overseas with you can take months of planning and cost thousands of dollars.
If you are at time in your life where a 15-year decision is reasonable, then stay tuned as we talk more about choosing a kitten and getting your home ready for this little bundle of energy.
If not, then why not consider offering to spend some time cat cuddling or fostering for your local shelter or rescue. In our area, there are some rescues who are doing wonderful work, and our local SPCA branch.
Kittens are great, but not every home is a great place for a kitten.
Max and the puppy
Dear Max,
When we bought our first home, we lived in a rural area with a nice yard and a young family. It was time for a puppy!
If we’d taken a vote, I’m pretty sure you would have said ‘no’. Your only previous experience with a dog in the house didn’t work out very well.
This time, the pup came from the Humane Society, and he was a Pointer-type dog. He was quick and he loved to play chase. He also loved to eat anything that fit into his mouth, including cat food, cat toys and cat litter.
We didn’t plan ahead to bring a puppy into the home, but you very quickly showed us the gaps in our preparations. First order of business was to cut a cat port into the basement door, so that your food (on a shelf by the basement stairs) and your litter boxes (moved downstairs) were out of reach of puppy.
Cat toys had to be monitored carefully and picked up before Charlie came out of his crate, especially toys that were small enough to be picked up by a curious pup. We also made sure there were always toys and a scratching post available in the quiet basement area, so you could choose to be away from the dog.
We did make a good decision to crate him, so you had run of the house at night and when we were away. I think that made the transition bearable for you, just barely. And we also allowed you to set some firm boundaries with young Charlie when he was still in his socialization period. He learned early that cats are loud and sharp if you get too close too quickly, and since he was about six times your size when fully grown, that was a valuable lesson for us all.
We also took him to puppy classes (old photo above), and he actually graduated! Although he was ‘special’ in some ways, he did learn to accept our commands and he also learned to listen to you. You were brave enough from your exposure to a toddler that you didn’t immediately run and stimulate that hunting dog brain to give chase.
I think, once he learned to be respectful of your space, you didn’t mind living with a dog too much. You never became good buddies, but your coexistence was relatively peaceful. And for that, I thank you, my patient cat.
What did I learn when Max met the dog?
- Adding a puppy, instead of a more mature dog, made the transition easier for the cats because the pup in his socialization period adapted to a household ruled by cats.
- It was a good idea to make sure the cats had their own space and could eat and use the litter box without worrying about a canine ambush.
- Allowing the smaller creatures to set boundaries before the pup reached full size ended up being safer for all involved.
Richmond Veterinary Clinic 