Worried about my cats travelling

HelenF · 25-10-2007, 07:45 PM

Hi
I have 2 cats which I am taking and am starting to get really worried about them coping. They are 13 years old. They have to go to Sydney quarantine first and then have to fly onto Brisbane. Does anyone else have cats they are taking or already taken? Or has anyone used a cattery in Brisbane they could recommend as they will have to stay in one for a month until we find accommodation that will take them.

Helen

scots-in-oz! · 25-10-2007, 09:56 PM

Hello! Sorry, can't really help with your question. I'm planning on taking my cat too, but he's 9yrs old and I'm a bit worried about how he'd cope with the whole travelling/quarantine thing. He's part of the family though, and I don't think I could leave him behind.

Mags

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kevinboomer · 25-10-2007, 11:13 PM

We have a cat who is 2 years old!!! we were thinking of leaving him behind with either a friend or relative as we thought taking him to oz would probably shorten his life by getting eaten or eating something that would kill him in seconds!!! How much is it to take a cat to oz and is the journey gonna be too stressful for him?????

Lisa x

ali · 25-10-2007, 11:18 PM

Hi Helen,

We brought Becky our 15 year old cat with us to WA and she was fine. The crate she was in was very roomy and we'd put her own cushion in it. She was well looked after in Byford and when we picked her up didn't look as if she'd lost weight and looked very fit and healthy. She was a little quiet for a couple of days when we brought her home, but was back to her normal self once she got used to her surrounding.

Ali

scots-in-oz! · 25-10-2007, 11:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ali

Hi Helen,

We brought Becky our 15 year old cat with us to WA and she was fine. The crate she was in was very roomy and we'd put her own cushion in it. She was well looked after in Byford and when we picked her up didn't look as if she'd lost weight and looked very fit and healthy. She was a little quiet for a couple of days when we brought her home, but was back to her normal self once she got used to her surrounding.

Ali

Hi Ali
Can I ask you how Becky adapted to the heat, etc there? Is she an outside cat? My cat Jerry is an outside can just now, but we're thinking of keeping him inside once we're there. Like Lisa has said, we're worried about him eating something which is gonna kill him! Would be good to let him go outside though, but is it too hot?

Mags

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Kerstin · 25-10-2007, 11:56 PM

HI - We took 3 dogs and 3 cats from UK to New Zealand. Was a 28 hours flight and they arrived all well but very tired. We have now taken them to Australia, and again no problems. I would highly recommend this though - Put them in a cattery in the UK rather than here. Reason for this is that all they want after the long flight is to see you not to be locked up for another month! We had ours in kennels for 6 weeks prior which was much better. You can take them there and even visit just prior to you flying out. Then once you have found a place that takes cats you can send for them.
Another thing to consider is this, there a paralysis ticks in Australia. They are deadly and cats gets them a lot. We lost our cat 1 week after landing to one even though she was treated with a solution. Now we treat our 2 other cats with a tick solution religiously every 3rd day and you have to check them every day for ticks. Just a thought.
It is heartbreaking to leave them behind, but if you have a close family member or friend who you can trust to love them as much as you I would leave them there. We did not have anyone and it would have broken my heart too, but it would have made things a lot easier. Rentals are very hard to come by when you have cats. Aussies don't like cats too much cos of the wildlife here, they are good with dogs... If you are going to take them make sure they can be inside over night or you won't have them for long. Good luck with whatever you decide.

RVN · 26-10-2007, 12:40 PM

Hi Helen (great name)
Im sure your cats will be fine, I ve just got the ok for my old boy to go and he is 16 years old with a slight heart murmur!
What you can do which will help your cats a lot is to purchase a product called Feliway spray from your vet. It is a pheromone spray with helps cats feel less stressed in their enviroment. I would advise you spray his travel crate for several days prior to him travelling and get him used to the crate before hand always helps - ie. feed him in it and let him sleep in there do. Create a safe place for him so he associates the crate with bing a great place to be. You can spray his blanket/toys too. It really is great stuff and your cat will certainly will benefit from it when he goes.
Hope this helps.

another Helen..

ali · 26-10-2007, 12:57 PM

Mags, Becky is an outdoor cat too, although when we were in the rental we got her a litter tray and kept her inside when we went out because it was hot. When we moved into our own home we've fitted a cat flap (poor mite has been really confused). We make sure she has water inside and out and we find her lying in the shade, but she's been fine. We did find 2 lumps a few months ago and thought her time had come, turns out it was an absess that needed surgery and the vet said she'd been in a cat fight (she really hadn't been injured), she was fine and put up a real fight when we had to give her the antibiotics. She's 16 now and not as active as she used to be but really hasn't seemed effected by the move at all

Ali

scots-in-oz! · 26-10-2007, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ali

Mags, Becky is an outdoor cat too, although when we were in the rental we got her a litter tray and kept her inside when we went out because it was hot. When we moved into our own home we've fitted a cat flap (poor mite has been really confused). We make sure she has water inside and out and we find her lying in the shade, but she's been fine. We did find 2 lumps a few months ago and thought her time had come, turns out it was an absess that needed surgery and the vet said she'd been in a cat fight (she really hadn't been injured), she was fine and put up a real fight when we had to give her the antibiotics. She's 16 now and not as active as she used to be but really hasn't seemed effected by the move at all

Ali

Thanks for the reply Ali. Good to hear she's doing well! We though a cat flap would be a good idea too, but to you get any unwanted visitors through it? ie spiders!!

Mags

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ali · 27-10-2007, 12:13 AM

The cat flap has worked out fine so far. We used a company called pets on the move because they had a franchise in Lancashire and they were great, picking Becky up from our house, doing all the paper work, and taking her to the airport. If you're coming to WA, Byford gets booked up pretty early so make enquiries in advance.

Ali