Cat Question

[SarahLovesJS]

So I''ve never had a cat before. FI has (he grew up always having one around), but we were discussing maybe getting one next year and here is my question. Do cats get traumatized by moving like dogs sometimes do? We''re definitely moving next July and I wouldn''t want to traumatize the poor kitten.

I would want to get one in probably May or June because our current apartment doesn''t allow pets, but our next place must. Should we just wait? Thanks!

 

[princesss]

I''ve never had an animal get traumatized by moving. So far Lola has adjusted, but she went from a home to the shelter to a home, so she may have just been happy to have more than a cage. But really, everybody I know who moves with pets has never reported a problem.

 

[Lauren8211]

Cats are most comfortable in familiar surroundings. So no, they don''t really enjoy moving, but it definitely won''t traumatize them. I''ve moved my oldest cat about 7 times, and after a day or two he''s just fine. You can use Feliway plug-ins to help soothe the kitty the first few days.

It doesnt traumatize them to the point of changing their behavior. Just a few days and they''re fine.

Good Luck!

 

[SarahLovesJS]

Thank you, that''s reassuring! FI suggested it in passing and really freaked me out!

When my aunt and uncle moved their dog FREAKED for weeks, but she was a bit neurotic so that may have been it I guess.

 

[CJ2008]

Sarah how sweet of you to think of this.

The key is to let them adjust to their new surroundings slowly. So for example, when I got to FL (I flew with cat on the plane - he was fine - I needed a valium) I let him have a room in the apartment all to himself where people wouldn''t be going in and out of, and he could be in there relaxed. I put his litter box in there along with toys, food, water, etc. Plus, when you''ve got all the commotion of moving, etc., it is just safer to make sure the cat''s safe behind closed doors - as many times as you can remind people to close the door behind them...well, I just don''t leave it to chance.

When everyone was gone, I would just open the door and let him come out whenever he wanted. Little by little, he became more comfortable. I would say it took him several days to roam around the house like he owns it.

 

[LGK]

Some cats are traumatized by it. We''ve moved once in our kitty''s lives, and the girl kitty flipped out. She spent a solid three days hiding in her cat carrier. We left it in the living room with the door open, put the litter and food right near it, and when she had to eat or pee she''d scuttle out, give the apartment a good hissing, and then hiss some more, and scuttle back in the carrier. Finally she started venturing out some more but hissing constantly still. We just let her have a safe space (her carrier was her safe space of choice) and gave her cuddles and patience, and made sure all her necessities were close so she didn''t have to go far before she was ready.

It took about a month for her to fully adjust but she did, of course. There was a *lot* of hissing at the beginning, though! Her poor brother thought he was really on her sh!t list! Sonar''s always been a champion hisser, but that first week was like living with a leaky teakettle.

That being said, a kitten is not likely to be as inflexible as an older kitty. Sonar was 7 when she moved for the first time. Even if the potential kitten gets upset for the move, they''ll adjust quickly... if our grumpy girl could, a young kitten sure could!

 

[moremoremore]

Listen, if the King of the Wussy-cats...and I mean KING, Vinny can do it, yout kitty can too! Cats are always traumatized by something..plastic bags, popcorn, their shadows...LOL...but they forget....Vinny and Gracie were so good during a 14 hour car ride to NC (*I* was a total wreck) .... they got to the temporary apartment and Gracie hid behind the toilet for about a week, and Vinny just followed me around constantly....When we got to the new house, they had a lot more space to explore and sniffed and snuck around for a day or so and then discovered the screened in porch and it was love ever after. Cats adjust very quickly...I can tell you''ll make a great cat mom! Bonks!

 

[CJ2008]

Date: 9/8/2008 12:22:01 AM
Author: moremoremore
Listen, if the King of the Wussy-cats...and I mean KING, Vinny can do it, yout kitty can too! Cats are always traumatized by something..plastic bags, popcorn, their shadows...LOL...but they forget....Vinny and Gracie were so good during a 14 hour car ride to NC (*I* was a total wreck) .... they got to the temporary apartment and Gracie hid behind the toilet for about a week, and Vinny just followed me around constantly....When we got to the new house, they had a lot more space to explore and sniffed and snuck around for a day or so and then discovered the screened in porch and it was love ever after. Cats adjust very quickly...I can tell you''ll make a great cat mom! Bonks!

mine too! he is OBSESSED with being on the patio. I always tell DH he (the cat) is truly living the FL retired life! haha

 

[SarahLovesJS]

Thanks everyone! Okay now here''s my second question if you''re interested..if any of you have allergies to kitties, how do you deal with them? Take medicine or does it get better?

 

[Tacori E-ring]

My cats were fine during our moves too. Going to the vet seems to be more traumatic for them (or car rides in general). I am not sure allergies ever get better. I know my SIL loads up on her medicine before she comes to visit and we make sure we clean really well (remove any stray cat hairs). She is also careful not to pet them and then touch her face or let the cats rub against her face.

 

[Pandora II]

Date: 9/8/2008 9:06:47 AM
Author: SarahLovesJS
Thanks everyone! Okay now here''s my second question if you''re interested..if any of you have allergies to kitties, how do you deal with them? Take medicine or does it get better?

Find out exactly how allergic you are BEFORE you get the cat. DH is horribly allergic and finds it really hard to be in the same room where a cat has been recently.

You don''t want to get a cat, get attached and then have to give it away because you feel so awful around it.


On the moving - my parents take the cats on holiday with them: a 7 hour journey each way. They love it and we''ve never had a problem. They are Siamese, who tend to be more interested in and attached to people than places.

 

[Lauren8211]

Date: 9/8/2008 9:06:47 AM
Author: SarahLovesJS
Thanks everyone! Okay now here''s my second question if you''re interested..if any of you have allergies to kitties, how do you deal with them? Take medicine or does it get better?

When FF and I first started dating, he couldn''t even TOUCH my cat. His eyes would swell up and his asthma would hit and he''d have horrible allergy attacks.

Now he can rub his face right in his fur, and he''s fine. Over time, I think most people adjust. There are also anti-allergen wipes and powders that you can put on your kitty so the dander doesnt bother you as much. Petsmart has a pretty good selection.

Good Luck!

 

[princesss]

Definitely find out how bad the allergy is. BF is mildly allergic, and was fine with just one cat in my apartment. Now that I have two (and the new cat is a male, which tend to cause more problems with allergies) he''s fairly sneezy and congested. He takes some sudafed once a day if it gets bad, and uses the Visine antihistimine eyedrops.

 

[AmberGretchen]

Ditto about the allergies, although its important to remember that medication can help a lot. My DH is allergic, and he used to have a really tough time. He had to take meds for about the first 6 months when we first got our two girl kitties, and how he doesn''t need anything.

I still use meds to manage my asthma/allergies, but am totally fine most days as long as I remember to take them.

 

[SarahLovesJS]

Thanks for the allergy responses, too! I''m definitely not that bad. Every time I''ve visited FI''s parent''s house I''ve been around their cat and been fine aside form an itchy throat a bit. Kind of felt like I had a cold..but I am not sure if it was the cat or just different air because it tends to happen to me when I go to my parent''s house too. But the cat slept with me/ON ME..haha..and I was fine. I was just wondering if there was anything I could take to combat the cold feeling if it was due to the cat.

 

[dendon]

We moved into a new house when Slippers was a kitten. When the movers came to the house, I left her in the bathroom with the door closed with her toys, food & litter box. When we got to the new house, did the same while the movers were there and then let her out. She was fine, actually loves it more than the old house!