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#1
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What to do? Board or take with us?
We are going on "vacation" for a little over two weeks soon. I have to
figure out what is best to do for Meep, who is 14, and currently on an apparently vile pain medication that must be given by mouth twice a day. It is stressing her a bit for me to give it to her, but as it is helping her a lot, I'm hoping she'll get used to it (we're going to try a different flavor when the current batch runs low). I tried to put it in her food, but due to it's bad taste, that isn't working. Since we cannot use a home care service, for reasons I won't get into, the only choices seem to be board her, or bring her with us. Normally I board her at a very nice place we've used for years. We spring for the deluxe window cabin, and she used to do quite well there. Recently, though, she's been a lot more stressed out. I do not know if it's an employee or just that she's older, but she's obviously stressed - they report she hisses and sometimes strikes out when they clean her cage. She didn't used to be. When I come in she's very huddled until she recognizes me, then she's fine. Used to be she'd be relatively relaxed, even if not friendly to the staff. Add to this that they'll have to dose her with that terrible stuff twice a day! I'm not sure, but I think that her time in boarding may have had something to do with the last two cystitis attacks she's had, I think they were both within a month or two of boarding her. On the other hand, travel is also a bit stressful for her though she's much better at it than most cats. She goes on a leash when there's nobody about. She is used to the routines of travel and generally handles it pretty well. The main issue with traveling with her is this isn't a strictly pleasure trip - we are moving some furniture to our vacation home, and to maximize the amount of time I'm allowed to take for leave, we need to put in some very long hours of travel time. And, it's summer. I have a cage fan for her but still, hot truck and all that (we take minimal stops when she's with us, but still). Because of her fear of people, we can only take her out on a leash when there's no one else in sight. I can't make up my mind! Any thoughts that might help me decide? jmc |
#2
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What to do? Board or take with us?
On Wed, 07 Jul 2010 20:21:17 -0400, jmc
wrote: We are going on "vacation" for a little over two weeks soon. I have to figure out what is best to do for Meep, who is 14, and currently on an apparently vile pain medication that must be given by mouth twice a day. It is stressing her a bit for me to give it to her, but as it is helping her a lot, I'm hoping she'll get used to it (we're going to try a different flavor when the current batch runs low). I tried to put it in her food, but due to it's bad taste, that isn't working. Since we cannot use a home care service, for reasons I won't get into, the only choices seem to be board her, or bring her with us. Normally I board her at a very nice place we've used for years. We spring for the deluxe window cabin, and she used to do quite well there. Recently, though, she's been a lot more stressed out. I do not know if it's an employee or just that she's older, but she's obviously stressed - they report she hisses and sometimes strikes out when they clean her cage. She didn't used to be. When I come in she's very huddled until she recognizes me, then she's fine. Used to be she'd be relatively relaxed, even if not friendly to the staff. Add to this that they'll have to dose her with that terrible stuff twice a day! I'm not sure, but I think that her time in boarding may have had something to do with the last two cystitis attacks she's had, I think they were both within a month or two of boarding her. On the other hand, travel is also a bit stressful for her though she's much better at it than most cats. She goes on a leash when there's nobody about. She is used to the routines of travel and generally handles it pretty well. The main issue with traveling with her is this isn't a strictly pleasure trip - we are moving some furniture to our vacation home, and to maximize the amount of time I'm allowed to take for leave, we need to put in some very long hours of travel time. And, it's summer. I have a cage fan for her but still, hot truck and all that (we take minimal stops when she's with us, but still). Because of her fear of people, we can only take her out on a leash when there's no one else in sight. I can't make up my mind! Any thoughts that might help me decide? jmc No one answered yet - probably because you know Meep better than we do. By the way, I always thought that Meep is a great name for a cat. I have two that make a "Meep" sound. Well, one isn't actually mine yet but I suspect when it gets cold she might crowd in. I have four cats so boarding is out; I just hire the catsitter for the week. But I'd say go with boarding - in addition to being less stress, she's been there before and you always come to get her and she is familiar with the place even if not thrilled about it. 14 is getting up there for big adventures. Oddly, I think it might be pretty easy for them to give her the meds because she's already not a happy camper so it's just one more insult instead of the big deal that it is when we give meds to the furballs. My vet never has any trouble but I do, because I think that they're already in shock just from being at the vet. They know that they can get away with giving me attitude. I'd only consider taking one of my cats on a trip, he's an adventurous sort like Meep. I couldn't stand the yowling if I took the others further than the vet. Plus, I'd be scared that I'd somehow lose him if someone opened the door or something. Getting lost around my house is one thing but getting lost somewhere else would be a disaster. Let us known what you decide. Purrs either way. |
#3
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What to do? Board or take with us?
I read your post and was thinking about what I would do. IMO I would
board Meep. With possible heat, long hours traveling, and moving furniture, it might be more stressful than being boarded somewhere that she's been before. I'd suggest trying to minimize her stress during boarding. Maybe bring a shirt or blanket with your scent on it, and some Rescue Remedy the staff can add to her water. At least you will have peace of mind that a) she's safe b) she's getting her medication and c)if something health-related happens she'll have immediate care. Just my two cents. |
#4
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What to do? Board or take with us?
Suddenly, without warning, dgk exclaimed (7/8/2010 2:02 PM):
On Wed, 07 Jul 2010 20:21:17 -0400, jmc wrote: We are going on "vacation" for a little over two weeks soon. I have to figure out what is best to do for Meep, who is 14, and currently on an apparently vile pain medication that must be given by mouth twice a day. I can't make up my mind! Any thoughts that might help me decide? jmc No one answered yet - probably because you know Meep better than we do. By the way, I always thought that Meep is a great name for a cat. I have two that make a "Meep" sound. Well, one isn't actually mine yet but I suspect when it gets cold she might crowd in. I have four cats so boarding is out; I just hire the catsitter for the week. But I'd say go with boarding - in addition to being less stress, she's been there before and you always come to get her and she is familiar with the place even if not thrilled about it. 14 is getting up there for big adventures. Oddly, I think it might be pretty easy for them to give her the meds because she's already not a happy camper so it's just one more insult instead of the big deal that it is when we give meds to the furballs. My vet never has any trouble but I do, because I think that they're already in shock just from being at the vet. They know that they can get away with giving me attitude. I'd only consider taking one of my cats on a trip, he's an adventurous sort like Meep. I couldn't stand the yowling if I took the others further than the vet. Plus, I'd be scared that I'd somehow lose him if someone opened the door or something. Getting lost around my house is one thing but getting lost somewhere else would be a disaster. Let us known what you decide. Purrs either way. Good point about giving the meds... not sure if it applies with Meep in particular though. As far as her getting loose... she wears a harness whenever she is in the truck, we attach the leash before removing her from the crate. Her crate this time is a great big one, softsided so hopefully more comfortable and cooler than the "airline approved" crate. She's gone on road trips many times before, just not in a couple of years. jmc |
#5
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What to do? Board or take with us?
Suddenly, without warning, Rene exclaimed (7/8/2010 4:06 PM):
I read your post and was thinking about what I would do. IMO I would board Meep. With possible heat, long hours traveling, and moving furniture, it might be more stressful than being boarded somewhere that she's been before. I'd suggest trying to minimize her stress during boarding. Maybe bring a shirt or blanket with your scent on it, and some Rescue Remedy the staff can add to her water. At least you will have peace of mind that a) she's safe b) she's getting her medication and c)if something health-related happens she'll have immediate care. Just my two cents. Oh, she already gets her own bed and stuff. Rescue Remedy doesn't really work on her, but I might talk to the vet and see what pharmaceuticals she might recommend. Thanks. So far Boarding: 2 Travel: 0 jmc |
#6
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What to do? Board or take with us?
On Jul 7, 5:21*pm, jmc wrote:
I can't make up my mind! *Any thoughts that might help me decide? If she is allowed to go with you, and would not be in danger there (no idea where you are going), I would say take her with you. It will be less stressful to travel with her human than to be in a strange place without her human. Especially at this age and with medical needs. I do recommend taking a feliway plug-in for the hotel or where she will be most of the time. And some "At Ease" or Feliway spray for other areas. My cat loves the hotel as long as she is the only cat. So, I use the At Ease spray at the cat show. If I am sharing the hotel room with another cat, I use the Feliway plug-in. |
#7
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What to do? Board or take with us?
On Wed, 07 Jul 2010 20:21:17 -0400, jmc wrote:
We are going on "vacation" for a little over two weeks soon. I have to figure out what is best to do for Meep, who is 14, and currently on an apparently vile pain medication that must be given by mouth twice a day. This is a tough one, and there's no obvious answer. Are there any other humans she knows well and likes? As opposed to professional boarding, could she stay temporarily with one of them? Or as opposed to professional home care, could one maybe arrange to spend significant time at your house? -- Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA http://OakRoadSystems.com Shikata ga nai... |
#8
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What to do? Board or take with us?
"Stan Brown" wrote in message t... On Wed, 07 Jul 2010 20:21:17 -0400, jmc wrote: We are going on "vacation" for a little over two weeks soon. I have to figure out what is best to do for Meep, who is 14, and currently on an apparently vile pain medication that must be given by mouth twice a day. This is a tough one, and there's no obvious answer. Are there any other humans she knows well and likes? As opposed to professional boarding, could she stay temporarily with one of them? Or as opposed to professional home care, could one maybe arrange to spend significant time at your house? -- Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA http://OakRoadSystems.com Shikata ga nai... In my neck of the woods, (Salem, Oregon) we have ladies who will come in your house while you are on vacation and spend some quality time with your pets. They will feed them, change their water, and pet them and make sure they are happy for a small fee. They spend about 30 minutes a day with them. This is a great alternative to boarding them out in a strange local..... |
#9
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What to do? Board or take with us?
Suddenly, without warning, Bill Graham exclaimed (7/10/2010 11:50 PM):
"Stan Brown" wrote in message t... On Wed, 07 Jul 2010 20:21:17 -0400, jmc wrote: We are going on "vacation" for a little over two weeks soon. I have to figure out what is best to do for Meep, who is 14, and currently on an apparently vile pain medication that must be given by mouth twice a day. This is a tough one, and there's no obvious answer. Are there any other humans she knows well and likes? As opposed to professional boarding, could she stay temporarily with one of them? Or as opposed to professional home care, could one maybe arrange to spend significant time at your house? -- Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA http://OakRoadSystems.com Shikata ga nai... In my neck of the woods, (Salem, Oregon) we have ladies who will come in your house while you are on vacation and spend some quality time with your pets. They will feed them, change their water, and pet them and make sure they are happy for a small fee. They spend about 30 minutes a day with them. This is a great alternative to boarding them out in a strange local..... Yea, but as mentioned in my original post, this is not an option for us, for reasons I won't get into here. jmc |
#10
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What to do? Board or take with us?
On Sun, 11 Jul 2010 08:13:13 -0400, jmc
wrote: Yea, but as mentioned in my original post, this is not an option for us, for reasons I won't get into here. jmc I've always used neighbors to look after my cat. Have you asked? |
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