Question:
I am moving soon with a very nervous feral cat and a very needy rescue cat, and they do not get along at all. The move is 1,200 miles, and I will be stopping at a motel for one night.
My main concern is my feral cat. She rarely comes out of my bedroom. She plays with me at night and is very loving, but only toward me. She "freaks out" at odd noises and other people and won't let me pick her up.
I'm not as concerned about my rescue cat. I think she'll be OK. But how do I keep my sweet little feral cat from totally stressing out and stressing me out while I'm trying to drive? I've had her for three years and she's been in a cage only once -- when I took her to be spayed and get shots.
Any help or advice you can give me would be greatly appreciated.
C.D., Naples, FL Aug 07, 2011
Answer:
I see no easy solution for moving your feral cat with minimal stress to all concerned. There are companies that hire drivers (often students) to deliver cars, and that might be one option, depending on where you are going. I would find two drivers who could take turns napping and driving to avoid an overnight stopover.
Keep the poor cat in a large wire cage with perforated floor so she can relieve herself. Set the cage in the rear seat in a tray filled with cat litter. Get a dropper bottle so she can lick water as needed, and put her favorite dry food in a container secured inside the cage.
You might try this cage and litter box setup yourself, but keep the cat in the cage when you stop for the night. If the evening is cool and the cat is crying a lot, it might be best to leave her in the locked car with the windows cracked.
HOT DOG ALERT: Aside from dogs being left too long in hot cars, this summer I have seen far too many people taking their dogs to craft fairs, parades and other public events; making their dogs play in the water at lakes; and even jogging with their dogs.
It seems to me that many dog owners, young and old, have forgotten how hot and humid weather can severely stress and even kill their dogs. Dogs are closer to the hot pavement than we are, so they really feel the heat. Taking dogs to a lake or stream to cool off in humid weather can make things worse for dogs, while we feel refreshed. Dogs cannot cool off properly when both temperature and humidity are high because they cannot sweat like us. Instead, they rely on evaporative cooling while they pant. This mechanism does not work well when the dew point is high. To take dogs out in hot and humid weather for any extended period of time is both cruel and irresponsible. Heat stress can lead rapidly to heat stroke, which can be fatal.
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