What is best?
 

Hi all

Hope you can help. My little cat oliver is 2 years old, and totally adored
and spoilt. The thing is, I hate going away and leaving him, as the people
who look after him only pop in to feed him and let him in/out. It's kind of
them to do so, but on the rare occasion if I do do go away, all I do is
worry constantly about him, and whether he's lonely, which is why I do so
very rarely. To be fair, he seems fine when I get home, allbeit a little
clingy for a few hours , but my question is, what is best for him, that he's
on his own territory but very lonely, or that I give him one of those pills
to make him drowsy then take him with me on a 3 hour drive to my parents,
where he will be with me, but cooped up in a (spacious) strange environment
for a week?

Any advice appreciated
Many thanks
Lisa

"LJH" wrote in message
...
Thanks Karen. I must admit, I hadn't thought of that, assuming a cat would
find the journey too traumatic. He does tend to howl pathetically a bit
in
the car, but the longest journey was about 20 mins to the vet, so he'd
perhaps settle down after a while, but would he be better with me in a
strange environment or at home alone?

If you can acquaint him with travel not ending at the vets, it probably
would not be traumatic at all. It sounds like you go to your parents often
(and if I lived that close I would too!). He just needs some rides that end
up at *good* places.

Karen

"LJH" wrote in message
...
Thanks Karen. I must admit, I hadn't thought of that, assuming a cat would
find the journey too traumatic. He does tend to howl pathetically a bit
in
the car, but the longest journey was about 20 mins to the vet, so he'd
perhaps settle down after a while, but would he be better with me in a
strange environment or at home alone?

If you can acquaint him with travel not ending at the vets, it probably
would not be traumatic at all. It sounds like you go to your parents often
(and if I lived that close I would too!). He just needs some rides that end
up at *good* places.

Karen

"LJH" wrote in message
...
Hi all

Hope you can help. My little cat oliver is 2 years old, and totally
adored
and spoilt. The thing is, I hate going away and leaving him, as the
people
who look after him only pop in to feed him and let him in/out. It's kind
of
them to do so, but on the rare occasion if I do do go away, all I do is
worry constantly about him, and whether he's lonely, which is why I do so
very rarely. To be fair, he seems fine when I get home, allbeit a little
clingy for a few hours , but my question is, what is best for him, that
he's
on his own territory but very lonely, or that I give him one of those
pills
to make him drowsy then take him with me on a 3 hour drive to my parents,
where he will be with me, but cooped up in a (spacious) strange
environment
for a week?

Any advice appreciated
Many thanks
Lisa

I have two pretty red tabby girls, both of whom were introduced into a
household with two dogs and three other cats after their adoption. Since
then, I've moved three hours away as well, and we've made dozens of trips
back. They go with me, and while they cry a little in the beginning, they
calm down if there's something in the carrier with them that smells like me.
The hardest part, now, is catching the little one to get her in a carrier,
but they both re-acclimate to the old home environment and all of the same
animals, even if it's been weeks, or even over a month, between visits. They
remember right where the food dish is, too. ;D
Short story short, it's not that long a drive, and they've always done just
fine. And I'm usually only going for a weekend! I can't imagine a week
without my brats!

"LJH" wrote in message
...
Hi all

Hope you can help. My little cat oliver is 2 years old, and totally
adored
and spoilt. The thing is, I hate going away and leaving him, as the
people
who look after him only pop in to feed him and let him in/out. It's kind
of
them to do so, but on the rare occasion if I do do go away, all I do is
worry constantly about him, and whether he's lonely, which is why I do so
very rarely. To be fair, he seems fine when I get home, allbeit a little
clingy for a few hours , but my question is, what is best for him, that
he's
on his own territory but very lonely, or that I give him one of those
pills
to make him drowsy then take him with me on a 3 hour drive to my parents,
where he will be with me, but cooped up in a (spacious) strange
environment
for a week?

Any advice appreciated
Many thanks
Lisa

I have two pretty red tabby girls, both of whom were introduced into a
household with two dogs and three other cats after their adoption. Since
then, I've moved three hours away as well, and we've made dozens of trips
back. They go with me, and while they cry a little in the beginning, they
calm down if there's something in the carrier with them that smells like me.
The hardest part, now, is catching the little one to get her in a carrier,
but they both re-acclimate to the old home environment and all of the same
animals, even if it's been weeks, or even over a month, between visits. They
remember right where the food dish is, too. ;D
Short story short, it's not that long a drive, and they've always done just
fine. And I'm usually only going for a weekend! I can't imagine a week
without my brats!

"LJH" wrote in message
...
Hi all

Hope you can help. My little cat oliver is 2 years old, and totally
adored
and spoilt. The thing is, I hate going away and leaving him, as the
people
who look after him only pop in to feed him and let him in/out. It's kind
of
them to do so, but on the rare occasion if I do do go away, all I do is
worry constantly about him, and whether he's lonely, which is why I do so
very rarely. To be fair, he seems fine when I get home, allbeit a little
clingy for a few hours , but my question is, what is best for him, that
he's
on his own territory but very lonely, or that I give him one of those
pills
to make him drowsy then take him with me on a 3 hour drive to my parents,
where he will be with me, but cooped up in a (spacious) strange
environment
for a week?

Any advice appreciated
Many thanks
Lisa



My daughter takes her cat out in the car quite a lot sometimes just to go to
the shops and back, so she is very used to her carrier and car now. She
also takes her out visiting friends, her cat hated it to start of with, but
now is so used to it, its not a problem anymore.

"LJH" wrote in message
...
Hi all

Hope you can help. My little cat oliver is 2 years old, and totally
adored
and spoilt. The thing is, I hate going away and leaving him, as the
people
who look after him only pop in to feed him and let him in/out. It's kind
of
them to do so, but on the rare occasion if I do do go away, all I do is
worry constantly about him, and whether he's lonely, which is why I do so
very rarely. To be fair, he seems fine when I get home, allbeit a little
clingy for a few hours , but my question is, what is best for him, that
he's
on his own territory but very lonely, or that I give him one of those
pills
to make him drowsy then take him with me on a 3 hour drive to my parents,
where he will be with me, but cooped up in a (spacious) strange
environment
for a week?

Any advice appreciated
Many thanks
Lisa



My daughter takes her cat out in the car quite a lot sometimes just to go to
the shops and back, so she is very used to her carrier and car now. She
also takes her out visiting friends, her cat hated it to start of with, but
now is so used to it, its not a problem anymore.