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Watch more How to Take Care of a Cat videos: http://www.howcast.com/videos/514849-How-to-Travel-with-Your-Cat-Cat-Care
Are you thinking about going on vacation with your cat? If you are, you might be a little stressed out about how that’s going to go. With good reason. Many cats don’t like to travel. They don’t like to get in carriers, and they don’t like to be in the car. In fact, it’s one of the major reasons people don’t take their cats to the veterinarian.
They just are afraid that their cat’s going to be so stressed out, or that they won’t be able to get the cat in the carrier, that they don’t even make an appointment until their cat is too sick. So, if you want to travel with your cat, and, you know you need to take your cat to the veterinarian, the best thing to do is prepare ahead of time, and teach your cat to like getting in the carrier. One way to do this, is to purchase a carrier that you feel comfortable that you could be able to handle relatively easily. It should be a nice, solid carrier, and it should fit your cat. It can be a little big, that’s not a problem. Then, make sure it’s not too small, because it will be really difficult and uncomfortable for your cat in there.
The other thing is, get that carrier out at home, and make it part of play time. For instance, you could take a treat like this, and just toss it right in the carrier for the cat to get. And then let the cat come out, and play some more. You could do that ten times a day, and pretty quickly, your cat will be going into the carrier, almost as soon as you open the treat. Now, the other thing you want to keep in mind, is that you also want that cat to be comfortable in the carrier. So, you might leave the carrier out, with a nice, soft blanket in it, and maybe some extra special treats, just for the heck of it, if they happen to walk by.
This will help your cat be interested in checking out the carrier, even when you aren’t around, thereby, creating even more positive associations with the carrier. And if you want to go easier than that, even, just feed your cat’s meals, first, by the carrier, and then inside it. And pretty quickly, you’ll see a cat that’s very eager to go inside. Now, if your cat gets car sick, that’s a whole ‘nother conversation. You should definitely talk to your veterinarian about that, because that can be one reason why cats learn to hate their carriers. The carrier means they’re going in the car, and the car means they’re going to get sick. Thankfully, there’s great medications that can help car sickness in animals, and your veterinarian can prescribe one for you. In addition, there are anti-anxiety medications that can make visits and travel less stressful. They’re not right for every cat, and there are variety available.
So, this is another time when talking to your veterinarian is really important. But, the thing you can do the most easily at home, right off the bat, is teach your cat to be comfortable in a carrier. And that’s how you teach him to travel.
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