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What to Do With Your Cat While You’re On Vacation

You’ve spent weeks looking forward to your vacation. You’ve arranged for time off from work and made all the travel reservations, but there’s one major obstacle standing between you and your getaway. What to do with Kitty??? 

When making arrangements for your cat, keep in mind that most cats do not like change. Having you absent from the home for several days is a big deal for them, so it’s best to minimize other change as much as possible. With that in mind, let’s review the options for ensuring your cat is well cared for in your absence: 

#1 – Let the cat stay on its own. Most cats do just fine on their own as long as someone comes in briefly every day or even every couple of days to put down fresh food and water, clean the litter boxes, deliver a few scratches behind the ears, and play with them a bit. They’re at home in their environment, your scent is everywhere, and if you have multiple cats they can amuse each other. 

 

 

#2 – Arrange for a friend, family member, or professional pet sitter to stay in your home while you’re gone. If you have a cat who does not do well alone or if your cat has health concerns then this is a good alternative. Although your cat may go skittering for cover until they get used to someone other than you coming through the door, chances are they’ll soon warm up to their caretaker and be glad for the companionship. 

#3 – Take your cat with you. Most cats do not enjoy traveling, but if yours does and if you will be staying in pet-friendly lodging, then this may be the perfect solution for you, especially if you plan to spend a lot of time in your lodging facilities. 

#4 – Leave your cat with a friend or family member. If you don’t have anyone nearby to stop in and care for your pet and a pet-sitter isn’t in your budget, then consider asking a cat-loving friend or family member if your cat can stay with him or her while you’re gone. Although your cat may not appreciate being taken out of its normal environment and may spend a good deal of time hiding under a bed the first day or two, chances are it will come around and do just fine. 

#5 – Board the cat. Some cats do well in boarding facilities while others have difficulty adjusting to the kennel environment with all its strange sounds and scents. If you decide to board your cat, visit the facility in advance and ask to see where your cat will be kept. Make sure you feel confident that this is a safe and comfortable place for your cat to stay while you’re away. 

 

 

Once you’ve decided on the best arrangements for your precious pet, remember to leave their caretaker with your cell phone or another number where you can be reached in case of emergency. Also leave written information such as the name and number of your veterinarian, any special feeding considerations, or medication needs. Additionally, if your cat will be staying away from home, whether with a friend or at a boarding facility, send along a pillowcase you’ve recently used or anything else that carries your scent, as this will be reassuring to your cat. 

By taking the time to make the proper arrangements for your cat, your vacation time can be a positive experience for both of you. Your cat can remain safe and healthy and you can enjoy your vacation to the fullest, knowing that your faithful companion is being well cared for in your absence. 

Normally, it is one hell of a task to take your pets along when you are travelling at long distances but you can’t just leave them behind as they are part of the family but sometimes they do create nuisance onboard a flight or cruise so they have to be monitored and never let out of sight whenever they are out on their own and that couldn’t be more true for our trips & tours program where there was a get together of college friends which turned into a nightmare when my cat went berserk at a dinner party and caused pandemonium all around. 

Is Crating Your Dog A Cruelty?

Critics of crating point to any number of things to prevent putting a dog in a crate. “How would we like to…” – well we (as in people reading this) are not dogs. We don’t relish a roll in smelly stuff or eating roadkill either but dogs do it if given a chance.

Yes there is a chance that the dog will be trapped in a vehicle in a crate. There is a much bigger chance he’ll survive the accident and bolt into traffic, being hit and killed outright or getting lost, without the safety of his owner. This happened to a Wolfhound near Meridian Mississippi and a pair of Pyrs near Clarksville Tennessee. The dogs have not been found – if only they had been restrained in the vehicle! The loss of a dog is difficult enough – but surviving an accident to then bolt and get lost from all that is familiar is tragic – especially when it’s preventable.

Dogs trained to a crate for a few hours per day don’t get a chance to learn bad habits or tear things up. Unfortunately, due to activities of animal rights activists in some areas a dog can’t be left in their own yard without being stolen, and if in the house crates are a way to keep them out of trouble while you’re away. It speeds house training if used properly. Best guard dogs seem to be trained in giving protection and safety to their owners. Hence, it is important to provide them with proper training.

In normal temperatures dogs don’t need a drink 24/7 – a six or seven hour stretch is not an issue *providing* they are not confined in the sun and heat. Most don’t need to eat 24/7 either. Gates are fine – until the dog learns to go over them. A dog that gets into chocolate or other treats in the kitchen can be a very sick, if not dead, dog – which wouldn’t happen if safe in his crate with treats and toys.

What SHOULD a well trained dog do when you’re gone? Play with toys a bit and curl up for a snooze? So why does it matter if it’s on the couch or in his own den in the crate. Many dogs find security in their crate and will run there if anxious. Some like a crate so much they will squeeze into a crate much smaller than they should – such as the German Shepherd who found the only crate open was the fox terrier’s – and squeezed into it for a snooze! She had the door open and did no have to stay there – had run of the mobile home.

Properly used, crates are an invaluable training and travel tool. A dog used to a crate is MUCH less stressed when emergency evacuations happen – even in uncertain chaos the crate is familiar. Any tool can be misused. But to automatically say crating is cruel is not right either. A difference of opinion does not make cruelty.

A Cat Tree – Overview, Benefits And Buying Guide

No doubt in the fact that a cat tree keeps your pet occupied and happy. Lots of people who own a cat always prefer the purchase of such toys to keep their pets busy and never facing any kind of issue. But, the basic question is, what is a cat tree exactly? Let’s learn about it.

A Cat Tree – Overview

A cat tree is also known with other terms like cat house, kitty condo, cat condo, and several other names is the same thing. It is an artificial structure where cats can play, exercise, spend most of the time, and relax. A cat tree is designed in a perfect manner that cats love to rub their paws on the tree walls to sharpen their nails. Along with these things, cats love to jump from trees to other places. So, if your cat irritates you during the day time, then a cat tree is a better option, and you can rely on it without a single issue.

Advantages of Cat Trees

Buying a cat tree for your pet is one of the impressive things to do because pets love to jump and learn so many things on it. Your kitten will definitely love owning this toy. There are several advantages, and the main advantages are as follow –

  • A Permanent Place to Relax

Cats always love to explore new places because they get bored with ease. If you own a cat, then you may know about this thing. If you place a cat tree at home, your cat will change his/her preference and will be on tree for most of the time.

  • Exercise and jumping 

Cats love to exercise, and they do plenty of things to entertain. So, when you place a cat tree, they jump from one place to another and keep on spending most of the time jumping. Due to this, they end up doing exercise.

  • Scratch with Nails 

Cats have the habit to scratch stuff with their nails because they feel itching in them. When you buy a cat tree, then you can find that they love to scratch their base. The tree stem-like structure is installed with material which makes them feel comfortable while scratching.

  • Stay busy with the tree always 

Most of the cats are irritating when they don’t find anything to do. They irritate a lot, but if you buy them such toys, then they are not going to irritate you at all. This is the best thing about owning a cat tree.

These are all the advantages that you can easily obtain with the purchase of the best cat activity trees condos, and it is not that typical also. There is a huge variety available, so you can choose any of the quality options.

Cat Tree Condos – A Buyers Guide

To grab a great deal, looking after the below mentioned five points would come in handy and let you grab the best product with ease. Let’s have a look –

  • Always check out the height of the cat tree because of better the height, the easy to entertain your cat. But, you should consider the space in your pets’ room.
  • There is plenty of entertaining stuff in a cat tree, so you can consider that. If there isn’t much stuff to enjoy, then your cat will never play with it.
  • The material used in manufacturing is also necessary to check out. There are several materials used, so you must check it.
  • To know about the pros and cons of a product, you can look after reviews. They will help you find some of the best things, and it can also help you know about flaws.

These are important factors to consider. Always decide your budget before getting started, and everything is done after considering all these things.

So, What’s the final verdict?

Buying the best quality cat tree doesn’t mean buying an expensive product. So, you should think about genuine durability, the material used, height, and space in the cat tree house so that your cat relaxes with ease. Hope, these factors will let you grab the best deal without getting into any kind of issue for sure.