Points on Pets

Summer is here and many of us are ready to put the pandemic in the rearview mirror by planning a vacation. Maybe it will just be a long weekend road trip or maybe it will be two weeks in Europe. Wherever you roam, you need to have a plan for taking care of your cat companions while you are off having fun.

I will be spending a couple of weeks in western New York State. My cats, Beau who is twelve, shy, and needs medication and his buddy Mickey who is seven, outgoing, and playful, will not be coming with me. The place I will be renting does not permit it and the seven hour drive would probably drive all three of us around the bend. I got both these furry companions from King Street Cats years ago, and whenever I go out of town I have found either a pet caregiver who comes twice a day, or more recently a house sitter who can keep an even closer eye on them. I am telling you a bit about my own cats because how you decide to care for your cats in your absence depends not only on your personal preferences and what you can afford, but very importantly on the personality, eating habits, and physical health of your felines. One thing for sure;

DON’T LEAVE YOUR

CAT HOME ALONE for more than a day. Two at the very most. According to Vivien Bacon, President of King Street Cats, “cats may appear to be selfsufficient and independent, but even the most aloof among them depend on us for water, food, a safe roof over their heads and daily attention.” Moreover, according to the website Spruce Pets, cats “adore routine”. A different feeding schedule and less attention can cause stress that can then lead to loss of appetite and susceptibility to illness, or to bad behaviors that are destructive to your home and/or pet. Water bowls can get tipped over, litter boxes can get full, and breakables knocked off a shelf. The things that could go wrong when cats are left unsupervised are too numerous to list.

So, what are the alternatives? You can engage a pet sitter, find someone to live in, find a boarding arrangement, or take your pet with you. Your best choice is very dependent on how healthy, flexible, and gregarious your pet is and whether you have more than one.

My friend had a most amazing cat, Ranger, who along with his doggie companion, far preferred going along for the ride to Florida to being left at home. He would not tolerate the cat carrier for such a long drive, but allowed himself to be strapped into the back seat and put on a leash for bathroom breaks. Ranger was an unusual and confident cat. You

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