Safegaurding Your Pets Against Air Pollution Vol XII , Issue No 12 , Dec 2019 | Page 25

as your cat needs to appreciate the
car ride rather than fearing it. The
loud honking and traffi c noise during
day hours make it hard for your kitty.
Start with an interactive play session
with your cat, then put out her
favourite wet food, feed her well, and
pet her gently. Now your cat is ready
for her night ride. Always remember
to use your most affectionate voice
to comfort your cat. A short drive of
10 minutes done for 2-3 nights in a
row is good to start creating Positive
associations with the car and the
carrier.
Packing
The process of packing is drudgery.
For cats, though, it’s an intense
experience. They often love it,
choosing to dive in and out of boxes,
thinking you’ve created this indoor
play-land just for their amusement—
or they hide in fear over the chaos
taking place in their once-peaceful
territory. Whichever reaction your
cat has, precautions have to be taken
to be sure she doesn’t get packed in a
box by mistake. I’m not kidding…—it
happens.
A cat playing in the packing boxes
may decide to take a little nap in one.
She burrows down into the linens
that you’ve placed in there. You don’t
realise that she’s in there, you close
up the box, and into the moving truck
it goes. Whenever you pack, put your
cat into a separate room or at least
make sure you know where she is
before you close any boxes.
A Week Before the Move
The week before your relocation, get
a copy of your cat’s Medical Records
from your veterinarian (if you’ll be
changing veterinary clinics). If you
already have a veterinarian selected
in your new location, have your
current veterinary clinic forward the
records there. Also, the week before
the move is a good time to have an
ID tag made with your new address
and phone number for your cat’s
collar. You’ll be putting it on your
cat on the day of the move. You may
also consider getting your cat Micro-
chipped.
Get your cats to use Scratch Boards.
These will carry your cat’s strongest
scents to the new house. If your cats
have never used a scratch board
before, try Corrugated Cardboard
Horizontal Scratch Boards. Most cats
take a liking to it immediately.
If you are moving within the same
city, try taking your Cat to the new
house with a couple of her (already
in use) scratch boards. Carry her
wet food, and an interactive toy as
well. Place her Carrier along with
one scratch board in the room which
is going to be her Sanctuary. Place
another scratch board in any of the
other rooms. Now open her Carrier.
Let your Cat explore the new place at
her pace (don’t rush). You may walk
around with her, placing her scratch
board in every place she enters, so