# Tips for taking stressed cat to cattery



## flummery (Feb 9, 2010)

Hi, I hope you can help.

I took my two BSH cats (Horace and Willow) to a cattery last year for the first time and as Horace in particular seemed to get quite stressed about it, Im looking for tips on how to improve the situation this year (theyre booked in for a few days in Sept). Horace is an anxious/nervous cat at the best of times and is shy around strangers. When I dropped them off at the cattery both looked terrified and although Willow seemed to be ok during her stay, Horace never really adapted. When we collected them and drove the 50 mins home, they were both miaowing a lot and Horace peed in the cat carrier 

Would be grateful for any tips/advice on how I can make the car journey and cattery stay less stressful for them this time. 

The cattery is a lovely place so no worries there. I think it may be more stressful for my two as they are house cats, so dont meet other cats/strangers much. 

Does travel spray feliway work? What about draping a blanket over the cat carrier? Anything else that might help?

Thanks in advance.


----------



## londongal796 (Oct 7, 2011)

One of my cats was very skittish and reserved from the time we adopted him. I was really worried how he might do going to a cattery well before his first trip.

Fortunately a few friends of mine strongly advocated the use of a Feliway Diffuser and months before his first cattery stay he had really advanced with the use of it, just in his day-to-day business. He was more receptive to our approaching him for pets, and would sometimes even come to us for attention. He still had his moments but was just loads better.

I used the Feliway Spray as well before the trip but both cats still cried and cried while they were in their carriers on the trip to the cattery. I really don't know what to do about that. I tried the spray in the car and in the carriers the 15 or so mins beforehand as suggested but it didn't keep them CALM, but they didn't vomit or poo themselves or seem overly stressed, they just kept crying. So I don't know if that would help. Others may have more advice on the travel portion.

I included their Feliway Spray bottle with their belongings at the cattery and the lady there said it really does help them loads as she's 'borrowed' a few squirts from people's bottles to help other cats nearby who are quite stressed during their stay. She really felt it worked well.

I thought they'd be really stressed having just arrived at a new place but they both got out and started exploring and didn't mind when we said goodbye. I felt like a mother dropping her kids off at their first day at nursery when the kid finds new friends and toys to play with and doesn't even mind that their mother has gone off--whereas the mother is gutted and can't believe how easily the kid let go of her hand. Well, that was me, wondering how on earth they'd let us go so easily.

They were there for 3 weeks straight, and when we collected them, they seemed perfectly fine and content. I used the Feliway Diffuser in the house again when they got back as well just to keep the calming environment.

If your cat responds well to Feliway, I think it could really help, especially if you put the diffuser on NOW, a few weeks before their upcoming 'stressful trip'.

Best of luck!!


----------



## Cookieandme (Dec 29, 2011)

I have thought about catteries but have decided if I need to go away I will use a pet sitting service who will come in a couple of times a day and feed and play with her.

I think this would be far less stressful.


----------



## Guest (Aug 30, 2012)

You could take them with their own little foam hooded cat beds, that they have slept in for ages, that smells of them and home. Or their own blankets that smell of them and home. Perhaps surround their beds with dried catnip or similar, for weeks til they go, then take lots of dried catnip and make their enclosures smell like bed... Oh and sleep with t towels under your armpits, for a few nights, just before travel, and leave the ttowels in their beds, too.


----------



## flummery (Feb 9, 2010)

Thanks londongal796, that's good to hear about your experience with Feliway - I will look into using this. And thanks househens for the ideas about beds/towels/homely things - will definitely do this.

Any other ideas? Particularly for the car journey, as this seemed to be one of the worst bits for the cats.

I did think about a pet sitting service but ultimately decided that I would feel more reassured that my cats were being 'watched' at all times, rather than just a couple of times a day. I had horrible thoughts of them getting in to some kind of peril and nobody being there to help them out of it for hours!


----------



## londongal796 (Oct 7, 2011)

flummery said:


> Any other ideas? Particularly for the car journey, as this seemed to be one of the worst bits for the cats.


A couple other ideas -- as you have two cats, if they get along well enough, could you invest in a larger carrier so they can both travel together in the same carrier? That will offer them some comfort with one another. I also put blankets in there to help (though if your cats have a tendency to poo or vomit may not be ideal to have that in there, though most catteries offer to wash them if that happens).

I think most cats get stressed out on car journeys so not sure how much more you can do there.

Also, I totally forgot to suggest what househens said, we slept with a few blankets/shirts and used them to wrap around their pillows for the cattery.


----------



## flummery (Feb 9, 2010)

Thanks, that's all useful stuff. What about covering the carrier with a blanket (still allowing for air) - do you think that would help if they couldn't see as much?


----------



## londongal796 (Oct 7, 2011)

flummery said:


> Thanks, that's all useful stuff. What about covering the carrier with a blanket (still allowing for air) - do you think that would help if they couldn't see as much?


In my opinion, I wouldn't expect that covering the carrier with a blanket would reduce stress. Cats tend to like to see where they are going. You could always see what happens if you let them spend some time in the carrier with a blanket on it without moving it, just to see if they respond positively to that sort of experience. I don't have experience with this but I have noticed that if we put the cats in the back of the car (like where we can't see them) they cry more desperately than if they are in the backseats where they can still see us.


----------



## jenny armour (Feb 28, 2010)

no matter how good a cattery is, i couldnt put mine in a cattery. i have always managed to have someone to feed them at home, so that is where they stay. if i cant find anyone, then i dont go away.
anyway i couldnt afford a cattery with all my lot


----------



## monkeymummy32 (May 22, 2012)

Hi, one of my BSH boys was very nervous and shy the first time we used the cattery. He wouldn't come out of his carrier and then when he eventually did, he cowered in a corner and looked very anxious. We rang every couple of days during that first holiday to make sure that he had settled. Since that first visit, every other stay there has been absolutely fine. We always take their own blanket and toys so there is something familiar with them whilst they're there. Good luck x


----------



## Taraxacum (Jul 23, 2012)

If it is the travel that is causing you the most concern, could you try taking your cats for several car journeys before your holiday, just to get them used to the idea. Just drive around for a bit, then take them home and give them some sort of treat, that way a car journey will not be seen as something to be worried about.


The more experiences cats have the more easily they take to new situations. Occasionally we have new guests at our cattery that take a little time to relax/settle, and when we discuss this with their owners, we generally find that the cats are indoor-only cats with little or no exposure to other environments.

As to carriers - we notice that the larger, plastic-coated wire-mesh type of carriers are easier to get cats back in to when they are leaving. I think the fact that they can see out and see where they are is less stressing than being put into a more enclosed space of a full plastic carrier.

Steve


----------



## Maerose (Jun 22, 2012)

When we brought our kittens home we drove through some torrential rain which really stressed Yogi and he became almost frantic. We remembered that the breeder had told us that the kittens were used to listening to Classic FM so we changed the radio channel to this. The change was dramatic! Both kittens immediately quietened and lay down. The rest of the journey was a lot better... Well except that we had to listen to classical music 

Is it possible to play something like this (or a CD) during the day to get them to associate the music with feeling safe and happy? It could then be played during car journeys?

Good luck!


----------



## Bette (May 14, 2011)

I was advised to wear an old T Shirt for a few days before they went to the cattery-don't wash it,and then put it in one of the beds.One of my cats gets more stressed than the other but when I phoned not long after dropping them off the lady said Ingrid (the more stressy cat),was curled up next to it.

I don't think anything can make it perfect but this and the other suggestions will hopefully help.


----------



## flummery (Feb 9, 2010)

Thanks so much for the replies everyone :thumbup:

All the advice is gladly received and it is interestung to read about other people's experiences - hope my boy reacts in a similar way to yours monkeymummy32!

Thanks again and fingers crossed this visit/journeys ends up being better than last time,


----------



## sarahecp (Aug 22, 2011)

Hope all goes well for your boy flummery 

I've got my boys booked in to a cattery for a week in October, it will be their first time, so all the advice has been really helpful to me also, thank you  :thumbup:


----------

