# Is it ok for kittens to live between two houses??



## clairell (Nov 14, 2016)

Hi there
My partner and I are about to get two kittens (they will be 14 weeks old we we get them, British Blue brother and sister, super cute).
We live in two different places Monday to Thursday - I work in a different city and have a one bedroom apartment - and then come home to our house together on Thursday after work. the drive between the two houses is 1.5 hours.
When I say my partner and I are about to get kittens, I really mean I am about to get 2 kittens as I am the one who is mad about cats and they will be my "babies" (my partner has 3 kids that he has half the time, so already has his own "babies")
Anyway my question is - will it be ok if the kittens travel with me and stay in my apartment Monday - Thursday?
I figured if I started it as soon as we get them, it will become the normal for them?
Are there any tips to make living between two houses easier?
Are there any tips to make the travel between the two houses easier?
Originally I was thinking about leaving them with him while I go away to work for the week but I would miss them too much and he is out at work all day and out most evening with kids things.

Any thoughts would be most appreciated

Thanks


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## TallulahCat (Dec 31, 2015)

Yes I expect they will adapt really quickly and be perfectly happy.

At first you could bring some bedding with their scent on so they will have something familiar in each home. After a while their scent will be around anyway. 

Ideally you'll want to give them their own safe room to settle at each house. Hopefully they are not nervous cats and will be keen to explore and will settle quickly. 

To make the journey least stressful, I'd try out a nice big basket so they can travel together (big enough for them both as adults). Maybe look at air freight carriers for medium sized dogs. However as adults they may decide they don't like to be confined that closely together, so get 2 baskets if that happens. 

As kittens they may need space for a litter tray during the journey. Plus food and water in case of traffic jams. 

Also look into vets at each location, in case of emergencies. You'll probably want to register them with one vet for routine things. But make sure you'd know where to take them in an emergency at the other, and perhaps speak to the vets as maybe you can register with two vets in this situation. Just make sure you keep a record of any medical conditions they have, any treatment including vaccines and flea/worm treatment, just so you can say what they've had in an emergency. Maybe just keep their vaccs cards and a list in your car so it's always accessible. 

Will you be allowing them outdoors at all? That will be something to manage carefully if you do. As kittens they will need to stay indoors for now anyway. Make sure your partner and the children will be careful with windows and doors while you are there. In a 1-bed apartment it will be especially important to have plenty of things they can play with, plus a cat tree for climbing and making use of vertical space. In a house they will have more space to run around in, children to interact with, but will obviously still need some toys.


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## Wiz201 (Jun 13, 2012)

Yes they will be fine. You can introduce them to travelling crates now and with the regular moving between two places they'll just see it as normal for them.


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Cats have a very delicate sense of balance and can be upset by the motion of a moving car (motion sickness as you might call it) especially on a long journey e.g. more than say 20 minutes. Some cope better than others. However regular car travel when they are kittens is giving them the best opportunity to adapt to car travel and become used to it.

My experience is that cats cope best with car travel if you keep the speed to no more than 55 mph. Anything over that and they seem to panic and start crying constantly (all mine have anyway.... over the years).

Be prepared for the fact one or both kitties may cry the whole journey. You need to be able to 'switch off' to it mentally so you are not distracted from your driving. (sometimes it is quite hard! )

Bear in mind the kitties may find the journey frightening at first and you might need to consider giving them calming supplements such as Beaphar treats a couple of hours before the journeys. 

For a journey as long as an hour I'd always put a couple of layers of puppy training pads in the carriers (perhaps on top of a piece of vet bed or a fleece). Cats or kittens sometimes urinate or defecate in the carrier if they are frightened by the motion of the car. For the same reason I wouldn't feed them anything for a couple of hours before the journey so their tummies are empty. With the pads it is easy to stop somewhere safe en route and remove the soiled pad leaving the clean pad underneath.


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## QOTN (Jan 3, 2014)

When I was breeding, I always used to deliver my kittens to their new homes, sometimes many hours drive. I can only remember one girl who made a noise for the majority of the journey. It was unfortunate her new home was nearly a 3 hour trip. I did have a boy who never liked travelling and I stopped showing him after two shows but in general, I have found my cats travel very well although I always cover the carrier because I think it helps to keep them feeling safe. There are no shows close to where I live so the journey was always at least an hour and a half and often more, very occasionally three hours plus.

I think cats may vary because I rescued a boy once. CP sent him to me because they had been told he was a Havana but when he arrived he was a black DSH and he was a terrible traveller. He used to mess in n his carrier within a few miles. I discovered this just taking him to the vet so when I took him to his new home I made sure I had another carrier with me so I could decant him when necessary. Oddly enough he was fine after that first reaction so he might well have become accustomed to longer trips in time.

I know owners of some of my kittens who have taken them on holiday in their touring caravan with no problems at all, so I am sure it would be better to keep them with you all the time if possible. If your kittens are brought up to be happiest round humans, the travelling should be much less of a problem than separation for 4 days.


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## moggie14 (Sep 11, 2013)

A very good friend of mine travels a similar distance every weekend to come up to Bristol to be with her parents and friends. During the week she is down in Weymouth.
She has done this journey ever since her cat was a small kitten so the kitten is used to it and doesn't get stressed. So I think it's very possible your kittens will be OK.
A big point to make however is that this is a house cat that has never gone outside. If you were planning to let your cats free roam I doubt it would work to be honest.


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## 1290423 (Aug 11, 2011)

Well my ex husband did it for a while, and he's still alive!
So I'm guessing so......





Sorry, couldn't resist xxx


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## clairell (Nov 14, 2016)

TallulahCat said:


> Yes I expect they will adapt really quickly and be perfectly happy.
> 
> At first you could bring some bedding with their scent on so they will have something familiar in each home. After a while their scent will be around anyway.
> 
> ...


Thanks TalulahCat that makes me feel better about it. I have got a climbing tree for my apartment, only 1 metre high but about 4 ledges and different things hanging off it! Will get one of those nylon tunnels for them to chase each other through too. I am hoping because there are two of them, they will have each other as company and it will make it easier and more entertaining for them.
In the apartment I was thinking of putting a litter tray in a cupboard - with the door left semi open - is that a good idea? Another option is in the corner of the lounge, kind of hidden around the side of a couch.
At our main house we a fantastic small fully contained and cat proofed garden at the back of our house - so whilst they will be indoor cats they will have access to this garden only.
Do you have any tips for the first few car rides - someone suggested butter on their paws?


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## clairell (Nov 14, 2016)

chillminx said:


> Cats have a very delicate sense of balance and can be upset by the motion of a moving car (motion sickness as you might call it) especially on a long journey e.g. more than say 20 minutes. Some cope better than others. However regular car travel when they are kittens is giving them the best opportunity to adapt to car travel and become used to it.
> 
> My experience is that cats cope best with car travel if you keep the speed to no more than 55 mph. Anything over that and they seem to panic and start crying constantly (all mine have anyway.... over the years).
> 
> ...


Thanks chiliminx - are there obvious signs of motion sickness? Good idea re the pads, I will use them on the 1st trip from the breeder to my apartment (about 30 mins) and see if they are needed or not


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## clairell (Nov 14, 2016)

QOTN said:


> When I was breeding, I always used to deliver my kittens to their new homes, sometimes many hours drive. I can only remember one girl who made a noise for the majority of the journey. It was unfortunate her new home was nearly a 3 hour trip. I did have a boy who never liked travelling and I stopped showing him after two shows but in general, I have found my cats travel very well although I always cover the carrier because I think it helps to keep them feeling safe. There are no shows close to where I live so the journey was always at least an hour and a half and often more, very occasionally three hours plus.
> 
> I think cats may vary because I rescued a boy once. CP sent him to me because they had been told he was a Havana but when he arrived he was a black DSH and he was a terrible traveller. He used to mess in n his carrier within a few miles. I discovered this just taking him to the vet so when I took him to his new home I made sure I had another carrier with me so I could decant him when necessary. Oddly enough he was fine after that first reaction so he might well have become accustomed to longer trips in time.
> 
> I know owners of some of my kittens who have taken them on holiday in their touring caravan with no problems at all, so I am sure it would be better to keep them with you all the time if possible. If your kittens are brought up to be happiest round humans, the travelling should be much less of a problem than separation for 4 days.


Thanks QOTN - I am glad to hear you feel that about separation. I didn't want to get my two little babies and then only be with them half the time, otherwise they will bond the best with the person is they are with all the time. Plus I would miss them terribly


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## clairell (Nov 14, 2016)

moggie14 said:


> A very good friend of mine travels a similar distance every weekend to come up to Bristol to be with her parents and friends. During the week she is down in Weymouth.
> She has done this journey ever since her cat was a small kitten so the kitten is used to it and doesn't get stressed. So I think it's very possible your kittens will be OK.
> A big point to make however is that this is a house cat that has never gone outside. If you were planning to let your cats free roam I doubt it would work to be honest.


Thanks moggie14 thats great to know. These kittens are still with the breeder and so have never been outside. At my apartment they will be inside all the time and at our main house we have this small fully enclosed and cat proof garden (we had a cat before an it never escaped and no other cat could ever get in) so they are effectively indoors (fingers crossed they never escape). I am still going to get them collars just in case a door is ever left open...although I have drilled it into my partners kids to keep them shut


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## moggie14 (Sep 11, 2013)

Sounds great, you have really thought of everything. Can't wait to see photos! xx


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## clairell (Nov 14, 2016)

moggie14 said:


> Sounds great, you have really thought of everything. Can't wait to see photos! xx


Here they are at 10 weeks - Max (Silver) and Lulu (B







lue)


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## carly87 (Feb 11, 2011)

Woe! Hang on a sec! Did you say these kittens are still with the breeder so have never been inside? If that's the case, I'd be concerned. Most good breeders bring their kittens up in the house and under foot so they can get used to lots of household noises, human traffic, etc etc.


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## clairell (Nov 14, 2016)

carly87 said:


> Woe! Hang on a sec! Did you say these kittens are still with the breeder so have never been inside? If that's the case, I'd be concerned. Most good breeders bring their kittens up in the house and under foot so they can get used to lots of household noises, human traffic, etc etc.


sorry, typo! They have been brought up inside and have never been outside!!!


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Awww, such cute little babies!  I can see why you are besotted with them - I would be too, bless them. 

Re: the motion sickness, first signs are usually an increased pitch of the crying. Though one of my girls defecates without warning sometimes, only 5 minutes into the journey, (hence the puppy pads in the carrier.) Vet says this is due to her feeling ill from the sway of the car. 

Re: litter tray in the cupboard - if you want to place one of the trays there, I'd probably remove the cupboard door completely because cats are instinctively very wary of entering dark enclosed spaces where they'd fear a predator could be lurking.


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## spotty cats (Jul 24, 2012)

They should travel fine and get used to the regular journeys.

We have a 2-3 hour round trip, plus time at the vets when our kittens are vaccinated and then neutered, we have never had a kitten get ill or mess the carrier in all our litters. They tend to just settle in for the journey, speed of the car has never been an issue for our cats or kittens. All our adults are also used to the car from kittenhood and have no issues travelling.


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## clairell (Nov 14, 2016)

chillminx said:


> Awww, such cute little babies!  I can see why you are besotted with them - I would be too, bless them.
> 
> Re: the motion sickness, first signs are usually an increased pitch of the crying. Though one of my girls defecates without warning sometimes, only 5 minutes into the journey, (hence the puppy pads in the carrier.) Vet says this is due to her feeling ill from the sway of the car.
> 
> Re: litter tray in the cupboard - if you want to place one of the trays there, I'd probably remove the cupboard door completely because cats are instinctively very wary of entering dark enclosed spaces where they'd fear a predator could be lurking.


Good idea removing the door, easily done


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## clairell (Nov 14, 2016)

spotty cats said:


> They should travel fine and get used to the regular journeys.
> 
> We have a 2-3 hour round trip, plus time at the vets when our kittens are vaccinated and then neutered, we have never had a kitten get ill or mess the carrier in all our litters. They tend to just settle in for the journey, speed of the car has never been an issue for our cats or kittens. All our adults are also used to the car from kittenhood and have no issues travelling.


Great to know, thanks


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