Moving with a cat to the country

Winter is finally losing its positions, and it is more and more difficult to stay at home. Many city dwellers try to get to their dachas as soon as possible. How to deal with your beloved pet in this case? Is it worth taking it with you? What if we’re only going on weekends?

There is no single answer. It is not recommended to export a kitten under the age of four months, because. only by this age does quarantine end after mandatory vaccination. Much depends on the pet itself: are such trips familiar to him? It may be better to leave him at home for a couple of days to maintain a normal emotional state. Of course, it is much better if someone looks after him at this time.

A trip to the country is a pleasant event. Try to make it so for your pet.

What you need to do before the trip, how much time it takes

You need to start preparing for your trip well in advance. The main task is to protect yourself and your pet from various diseases that he can become infected with. 

Be sure to vaccinate the animal against rabies, because this is an incurable fatal disease, dangerous for humans. In many regions of our country, situations are unfavorable for rabies, so it is necessary to take this problem seriously. To do this, 10-14 days before the planned vaccination, we give the cat an anthelmintic drug (there are many of them, choose the one that suits you for the price and other characteristics. You can consult with a veterinarian in advance). Please note: if you are deworming a cat for the first time or irregularly, it is worth repeating this procedure twice, with an interval of 10-14 days. 2-3 days after taking the drug, you need to treat the pet from ectoparasites (fleas, ticks, etc.) using drops, tablets, etc. intended for this. 

So, when all treatments are done, you can be vaccinated. Usually the vaccine is complex, and you vaccinate the animal against several of the most common infections at once. But, at your request, the doctor can only vaccinate against rabies. After vaccination, you need to keep the animal at home in quarantine for about 30 days. During this time, your friend’s immunity will return to normal.

If you are vaccinating an animal for the first time, make sure that the vaccination period has not expired.

A trip is a serious test for a cat, so a few days before the event, you can start giving her calming drugs recommended by a veterinarian.

How to prepare the site for the arrival of a pet

There is no need to specially treat the site for the arrival of the pet. Make sure that there are no dangerous objects on your territory that can injure the animal, deep holes, some plants can be poisonous to the cat. If you treat the area against insects, do it in advance, at least 2 weeks before your pet appears there. 

You can put repellers for rodents, because. many cats love to hunt them, and this will help protect them from various diseases that are carried by rodents. Just do not use chemicals: this can harm not only rodents, but also your furry friend.

The cat is getting used to the house, help her get used to the new place.

What is the best way to transport a pet if you are going to travel by car and by train

To transport an animal, it is best to use a special bag – “carrying”, with a hard bottom and a mesh or lattice window. You should not let your cat out in transport, both in public and in a car: unusual sounds, smells, environment can scare the animal, and it injures itself or you. In a car, this can cause an accident. 

Do not feed your pet before leaving to avoid problems along the way (after all, it can also get sick). Be sure to offer water. Place an absorbent pad on the bottom of the carrier.

What you need to take with you so that the pet and owners are comfortable

Be sure to take things familiar to your cat to the dacha: a bowl, bedding, scratching post, favorite toy. Especially if she’s leaving the house for the first time. So adaptation to a new place will be faster and easier. We do not leave the house and the tray. Perhaps this will make your furry more comfortable and more familiar. 

Take care of the first aid kit, where you can put chlorhexidine and levomekol for treating wounds, enterosorbents used for poisoning. For more serious treatment, be sure to consult a veterinarian.

Change your pet’s diet only if necessary.

Is it necessary to somehow change the diet of the pet and is it worth taking food with you

Take your pet’s usual diet with you to the dacha, do not switch to food from the table. However, as mentioned above, travel can be stressful for a cat. And stress, at the moment, is considered the most important factor in the occurrence of idiopathic cystitis (ICC) – a disease common in cats, which is an inflammation of the bladder wall. 

Therefore, if your pet is having a hard time with this situation or you are visiting for the first time, please ask your veterinarian about the possibility of using foods that reduce the likelihood of recurrence of signs of feline idiopathic cystitis and contain ingredients to combat stress, such as Hill’s Prescription Diet c/d Urinary Stress. It is recommended to introduce a new diet gradually, replacing the previous one within seven days. 

If you are afraid that your pet may run away, what actions should be taken

Of course, a cat cannot sit in one place. Most likely, she will explore the territory, look for new interesting places. If you are afraid of losing your pet, it is better to have it microchipped in advance at the veterinary clinic. You can also put on a pet collar with a medallion, where your data is indicated, or with a GPS tracker. In this case, the collar should be easily unfastened, because the cat can catch on something and get injured or die.

Conclusions

1. Whether to take a cat with you to the country house for the weekend depends on how the animal reacts to the trip. It is better not to take a kitten under four months old out of the house.

2. Before the trip, you need to carry out all the necessary vaccinations and treatments for the animal. If you are doing this for the first time, it is best to start about two months before your trip.

3. There is no need to specially treat the site for the arrival of the pet. Make sure that there are no traumatic places and objects on it.

4. To transport the animal, it is best to use a special bag – “carrying”.

5.  Take with you to the country the things familiar to the cat, including the tray. Take care of the first aid kit.

6. Take your pet’s usual diet with you to the country house, if the cat is very stressed, you can start using special feeds in advance.

7.  If you are afraid of losing your pet, it is better to microchip it in advance, put on a collar with a medallion containing your data, or with a GPS tracker.

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