Safegaurding Your Pets Against Air Pollution Vol XII , Issue No 12 , Dec 2019 | Seite 24

Feline Matter
MAKE YOUR NEXT HOUSE RELOCATION
STRESS-FREE FOR YOUR CAT
By Neha Gupta*
A move to a new house? Mention it
to Your Cat, and she’d probably tell
you, “Are you Kidding? This IS my
Home, and I ain’t Moving! I have my
Favourite Window, have birdies to
Watch, Eat my Lunch, Take a Nap
in my Favourite Spot, Guard My
Territory, and enjoy Our warm Bed.
And you’re telling me, I have to let
go of these, sit inside the dreaded
Carrier, have a Scary Bumpy Car Ride,
and it’s all topped off by the arrival in
an Unfamiliar Territory?? Thanks but
no thanks!”
Cats are creatures of Habit, and from
a cat’s perspective, Moving Day isn’t
the best day of her life. Since moving
to a new house is something that
most cat parents will have to do at
some point, making it as painless
for your cat as possible will make
a Big difference to you and your
cats’ stress levels. Cat Parents often
overlook this plan-ahead precaution
and their cats disappear before the
move. So, start preparing your cats
for the move at least Ten Days Before
the move. If you have a cat who goes
outdoors, about 10 Days before the
move stop letting her outside.
The week before the move is usually
crunch time for people: their packing
becomes more intense, they’re sleep
deprived, and the stress level rockets
off the scale. Your cat, ever the
observant one, will sense something
is afoot and may choose to lay low
for a while by not returning home at
night. The last thing you need is to
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in there as well. Do this at least 3-4
times in a day.
have to spend the day of the move
searching outdoors for your kitty.
It’s tragic to think about the fear
and confusion that the cat must feel
when she does head back home and
fi nds no one there for her.
Let us break down the entire moving
process into smaller bits, so every
step of House Relocation is easy on
your feline friends:
The Dreaded Carrier
Most Cat Parents are guilty of using
the carrier only during vet visits or
car rides, and hence, your cats don’t
have a very positive association with
the carrier as it reminds them of a not
so great experience. It is time to bring
out that Cat Carrier, line it with a soft
and comfy blanket and leave it in
your cat’s favourite spot. Remove the
door of the carrier, so that your kitty
can move in and out freely without
worrying about getting trapped. Feed
your cats their favourite wet food and
a few treats every time they go inside
the carrier and spend more than 10
seconds. Leave their favourite toy
Creature Companion | December 2019 • Vol. XII • Issue 12 • Noida
After about 2 days, you may attach
the door of the carrier, but leave
it open, and when your Cat steps
inside, give her a treat and close
the door for about 2 minutes. Make
sure you sit in front of the carrier
and talk lovingly to your kitty while
you do this. With her toy inside, the
treat, and your loving tone, your kitty
wouldn’t mind the closed door, and
would not feel abandoned or trapped.
Carry your kitty in the carrier from
one room to the other, and place the
carrier back in its original place once
you’ve carried her inside for about 3
minutes. Do this a few times every
day.
By Day 5, you can also take your kitty
in the carrier to your car, spend 5
minutes inside the car, and bring her
back home (do this when its quiet
outside, and ensure there are no dogs
or cats around). Continue this for 2
days in a row, at least 3 times in a day.
Remember to reward your cat with
an interactive play session followed
by a treat. Your Cat is now looking
at the Cat Carrier in a much Positive
way. You can now safely proceed to
the next Step.
The Car Ride
Once your cat is used to being carried
in the carrier, take her out for a short
ride in the car. I usually recommend
night time for car rides at this stage,