Conference misery::feline_v1

    When I moved, I found that it was easier on the cats to bring them
    to the new place first, and lock them in one room with their litter
    box, beds and a few toys while the moving is taking place. Then
    the only thing that you have to worry about is making sure that
    the movers don't open the door that the cats are in (I put a big
    sign on it and tied it shut).
    
    Deb (who just recently adopted a feral Niky and is very pleased
         with him)

    I also moved my cat before the movers got there.  Actually, I brought
    her to her new house the night before and let her sort of get used
    to the smells and territory.  I stayed a few hours with her to let
    her know I was around and to finish cleaning some things.
    
    When we got there with the movers, I went in first and put Lightning
    into the green-house where no-one was going to go and locked the
    door.  The green-house was attached to the house and she could see
    right in.  I kept letting her know I was around and she was fine.
    
    Once the movers were gone I let her back into the house and she
    had more fun going through the boxes and telling me where everything
    should go.  She wasn't too happy that Lynda got the front bedroom
    but finally let me have my way.
    
    Good luck.
    
    Sandi (Lightning's & DejaVu's mom)
    
     

    I agree with Deb.  I'd move them first and then make sure no one
    gets into that room.  As for the physical move itself, don't get
    a big carrier and put them both in.  Nikki make get a little over-
    wrought and might hurt Chaunc.  You might ask your vet for
    a very mild tranquilizer to make the journey easier.  My Chauncey
    always makes me go thru this 'corner and capture' agony, too.  Poor
    Nikki...maybe in a month or so, he'll come to trust you more than
    he does now.  Do you leave his kennel out all the time, and let him go
    in and out of it as he pleases??  Honey often sleeps in his, which makes
    him accept being transported in it a little easier.
    
    I'm glad Chauncey (aka Joshie) has a little brother!
    
    Mary

    You might try leaving the carrier open and put some treats in
    it.
    
    I leave one of the small carriers around all the time and occasionally
    put Bonkers or toys in it. That way they are more used to seeing
    it and it doesn't mean vet automatically. Although I have one
    cat who can smell Bonkers a mile away but when it  is his turn
    to got to the vet the only way I can get him in the carrier is
    feet first with gloves on to protect my arms.
    

    I agree with .3 and .4.  Leave the carrier out and open so that
    Niki can go in and out as he pleases.  We have a large carrier that
    we leave out all the time.  Every once in a while, Silver and Tabbatha
    can be found curled up together sleeping in the carrier.  I put
    a nice soft blanket in there for them and that is where I keep most
    of their toys (Which only lasts for about 5 minutes, tops!).
    
    Good luck Roberta
    
    Holly
    

    I leave the carrier out all the time.  I purposely did not put it
    away when I brought Nikki home so that he would see it everyday
    and realize he was not going to be put back in it so soon.
    
    Nikki LOVES tuna fish.  He's a smart cat though and will know why
    Mom is putting it in there.  Maybe if I can get Chauncey to go into
    it every day until we move (Chaunc is a bonkers freak), Nikki will
    want to follow suit.  I also thought of picking up Chauncey and
    cuddling him while Nikki is watching so he'll associate being carried
    with good things and love.
    
    About moving them first - what a great idea!  I can plan to sleep
    there the night before with them (who cares if Mom doesn't have
    a bed yet!) and let them check out the house.  The next morning
    I can feed them in the basement and close the door while the movers
    move us in.
    
    Keep the replies coming, especially those regarding how to deal
    with putting Nikki in his carrier - how do you give a cat a
    tranquilizer?  I can't even give him his hairball medicine without
    him putting up a fuss.  I end up getting half of it on his paw and
    he bolts from me and hides for the next few hours.
    
    What a wimp Mommy is!
                        

    Nooooo, you're not a wimp!  You're a good kitty-mom--big difference.
    
    Re: giving the tranquilizer--whenever I have to take Billie on long
    trips, I have to give her one.  She likes the carrier, but is not
    crazy about traveling, and even less so about being given medicine.
    My "pill" method is this:  [I'm a leftie so just reverse this if
    you need to!  ;-)]  I get on the floor by Billie, with the pill
    hidden in my left hand, between thumb and forefinger.  With my right,
    I tuck Billie under my arm [picture this--we are usually both backed
    up to the wall so she can't ooze out of my grasp] and hold her there
    with an elbow.  With my right hand going over her chest (to block
    the front feet coming up) I hold her jaws open at the hinge with
    my thumb and forefinger.  With the left hand, I put the pill as
    far back on her throat as I can.  I quickly hold her jaws shut with
    the right [this is starting to sound like wrestling an alligator],
    then gently massage her throat with the left, to stimulate her to
    swallow the pill.  All this should be done as quickly and as firmly
    possible.  Do it with authority--they're like kids and will sense
    quickly that you don't know what you're doing if you fumble around.
    
    You might want to call or see a vet, too, for more advise, and
    certainly a better explanation than I gave.
    
    You sound like you're doing all the right things;  most of all giving
    Nikki a nice home with someone who loves him, AND his best friend!
    
    Best of luck,
    
    Jane

    I hope the network stays together long enough for this to get in.
     I'm not backing up to correct spelling and so forth.  About pills
    -- I hold the cats''s head with my left hand, with the thhumb on
    one side of the jaw hinge and the index finger on the other side
    on the hinge, and open the cat's mouth by pushing down on the lower
    front teeth with my right hand.  Then the left hand fingers canm
    hold the mouth open while the right hand pops the pill in.  Some
    people can open the mouth enitrely with the left hand, but I can't.
    
    About getting a cat into a carrier:  a longsleeved jacket will help
    if you are getting scratched.  I (stealthily) put the open carrier
    in a room with no cats places to hide in.  Then I pick up a cat
    (they are used to being picked up and hugged) and bring them into
    the room and close the door with my foot.  Be determined (but gentle
    of course) -- if you lose your nerve you will have a cat standing
    on your head.  I think it is easier on them too if you can just
    swoop them into the carrier rather than having to chase them.  Some
    carrier designs are easier to get a cat into than others.  I have
    one where the entire side opens up.  Of course, that gives them
    more room to wiggle away when you're trying to get them in.
    

    I went a different route - I kept the kids (13) at the old place
    as long as possible - emptied out a room - put them all in that
    room with all their carriers open - loaded the truck - loaded
    kids in carriers - loaded kids - drove everything to new digs -
    left kids in my truck in the garage until all stuff was unloaded-
    spread furniture (theirs & ours) around - kids were quiet and
    warm in my truck and couldn't hear noise so they slept through
    all unloading - brought them in from the truck to where their
    swimming pool & food area was located, opened all carrier
    doors one right after another, stood back, and waited! When
    they came up stairs, they found familar furniture & people -
    very little fuss & muss.  I was lucky because there had been
    no other animals in the new house - so pretty much all they
    could scent was our furniture & the new carpeting!

    Roberta,
    
    Has Nikki chosen you or your husband as her person yet?  If so try
    taking an old (about to be discarded) T shirt which has been worn
    by Nikki's person and NOT washed in an open carrier.  That way the
    carrier will smell like her person.  It may help her with the trip
    or it may turn her against her person.  
    
    Frank

         I've had no problems putting Loki and Fluffy in their carriers,
    but Bigfoot (old gentle puss until it's time to go to the vet, get
    nails clipped, etc.) is a *real* problem.
    
         I've found that the best way to put Bigfoot in his kennel is
    to stand the kennel on end (so that the door is facing towards the
    ceiling.  Then, I pick up Bigfoot and put him back feet first into
    the kennel.  By the time he can get any footing at all, the door
    is closed and voila! the cat's caged.  He's getting smart though
    and figuring out how to position his back feet against the door
    and push away ... sigh.  Maybe you can try this way on Nikki and
    see if you can get him in.
    

    RE:  .11
    
    Last night, I called my Aunt in New York who has the same problem
    with her cat - and she does EXACTLY what you do!!  I have to bring
    Nikki to the vet tonight - he has an upper respiratory infection
    that I originally thought was hairballs.  When he went into sneezing
    fits the past two nights and I saw his eyes and nose watering, I
    knew he needed medical attention and called the vet this morning.
    He's going in at 5:30 tonite.
    
    Wish me luck!!  I'm going to need it - especially because not only
    does Nikki hate his carrier, but also HATES to be picked up.
                   

    Re: .12
    
    Sometimes upper respiratory infections last for two or three weeks,
    and the poor puss looks really awful.  But with treatment, fluids,
    and so forth, they invariably do okay, my vet says.  I mention this
    because Holly had one when I got her, and it lasted three weeks.
     She looked so sick and it lasted so long that I began to think
    you-know-what;  that's why I mention it.  Other cats get over mild
    cases in a few days.
    

First:

I really feel it is risky to have the cats around while moving.  They move
REAL fast and it only takes 30 seconds for a cat to get through an open
door and out into unfamiliar territory.  If you've gone to the effort to
adopt these guys, please be very careful about moving.  In spite of the
perceived trauma, I would take them to the kennels overnight and not
pick them up until after the move is complete.  Even if you have to leave
them for the whole weekend, it would be easier on them than going through
the strange noises, smells, and confusion of a move.  When you pick them
up, you will be moving them into a place with THEIR STUFF already there,
which will help them adjust to the new surroundings....I've been through
this with my boys (both ferel before I got them) and it was just a whole
lot easier the second time when I kenneled them for 3 days (a whole
long weekend) and brought them to the new house with the waterbed already
installed, their cat box clean and ready, the food and water in the
final place they would ALWAYS find it...the adjustment for them was a
matter of hours rather than days (as it was the first time).

Second:

I think cats HATE to travel...my vet says their vision and sense of
balance get messed up when they are in a car...and I know my cats
associate the crate with travel in the car...ergo, they HATE going
into the crate.  They will go in for treats, but the minute the
door is closed, they are "in trauma" about the upcoming trip...I
don't really think you can change that much...just talk to the
kitty and make the trip as mercifully short as possible.

NOTE:  An exception to the "cat hates cars" theory was my Grandmother's
cat, Rocky, who loved to ride in the back window and always went
shopping with us....but then Rocky was a little strange in many ways.

    I now agree with .14.
    
    Nikki is in the hospital - he is very sick with an upper respiratory
    infection.  The vet said he was probably harboring it at the shelter
    and the stress of being moved to a new environment brought it on.
    She told me she has at least six cats from the shelter in isolation
    that she is treating for the same infection.  Nikki was very dehydrated
    and congested when she examined him and she said some cats don't
    pull through at all, but since I caught it early and acted quickly,
    she feels he will be just fine with the proper treatment.  I have
    to call her later this morning to find out how he's doing and will
    post another reply.
    
    She also told me NOT to board the cats at the shelter when we move
    because as new cats are brought in, more germs are spread around
    and it could make the whole situation a lot worse for both Nikki
    and Chauncey in the long run.  I'm going to ask her if I can board
    both cats at the vet overnight and if they don't do boardings, what
    does she suggest I do.  I feel as though I've had a streak of bad
    luck with cats - first Chauncey disappears, then I adopt Nikki and
    he gets sick - now this moving situation has me all panicky and
    crazy.  And to top it all off, Dana is getting VERY jealous and
    resentful of all the attention I am giving my cats.
    
    Well, thanks for letting me ramble on and on....Will let you all
    know how Nikki is doing.
    
    /Roberta
    
    P.S.  I put Nikki in his carrier feet first last night with the
    carrier standing on end as described in an earlier reply.  It worked
    like a charm!
    

         I'm glad my suggestion worked.  As I said, Loki and Fluffy
    have been to vets before, so even though they protest, they go into
    the kennels fairly easily.  Bigfoot, who never went to the vet (ex-
    cept once in early life to be neutered), protests vigorously and
    now has figured out how not to get into the box even back-feet-first
    (now I've got to hold him with one hand and hold his back feet 
    together with the other so that they will go in without his getting
    a foothold on the door - he's a strong little bugger too!).  You'll
    find that all cats will go into the kennel very nicely after when
    it's time to bring them home from the vet - they always make a bee-
    line for the kennels and turn around quickly to look at you and
    say "come on and close this door and take me home!"
    
         Good luck with Nikki - we're all pulling for him!
    

    Just talked with the vet.
    
    Nikki is doing much better this morning.  He even started to eat
    again last night.  They are going to keep him overnight and let
    me know tomorrow if it is okay to take him home.  The Dr. said I
    can board both cats there when we move and to make the arrangements
    through her.
    
    Now I feel much better.  Although I know Nikki will be fine being
    boarded at the vets, Chauncey is going to be a little brat having
    to stay in a kennel - better they listen to him scream than me!!!
    And besides, he will be FORCED to use the litterbox.
    
    Thank God Nikki is going to pull through.
    

   Just a suggestion for the move.  I don't recall how many days the
    two would be boarded buuutttt,  maybe someone has a spare bedroom
    or basement wouldn't mind keeping the two.
    
    When I have moved on two occasions, my mother has kept Sy in an
    extra bedroom for two days.  I knew he was safe and not near any
    animals that had feas or other nasty things.
    
    Linda
    

    I only plan to leave them for the weekend - take them down Saturday
    morning and pick them up the following Monday morning.  I feel
    comfortable leaving them at the vet.  Nikki needs a rabies shot
    and Chauncey could use a thorough examination by a good, reputable
    Dr., which this one definitely is.  Not only that, he could use
    a bath and groom if they do it.  Might as well utilize their time
    there effectively.  I also feel it will be good for Chauncey to
    be at an interim place during the move itself.  He is so used to
    having free run of the apartment complex, it would be traumatic
    to uproot him and put him in an unfamiliar environment on the same
    day.  Since I cannot let him outdoors in the new place until he
    knows it is his home, being at the vet will get him used to staying
    indoors for a few days and most important, TO START USING THE LITTERBOX
    AGAIN!
    
    BTW, I spoke to Nikki's Doctor yesterday, and he is coming along
    but is still very congested and not eating as well as she would
    like him to be.  She wants to keep him there today and maybe over
    the weekend, continue to give him antibiotics and fluids, and monitor
    his progress very closely.  He will have to remain on antibiotics
    once I get him home, and she will show me how to administer them
    in ways that he won't know he is being medicated.  So for now, she
    wants me to just check in with her on a daily basis and go from
    there.  Incidentally, since Nikki was harboring this infection at
    the shelter and because so many other shelter cats are there
    with the same ailment, the Framingham Animal Humane Society will
    incur ALL of his medical expenses.  Nikki's former roommate at the
    shelter was brought in yesterday with the same viral infection,
    so they feel he would have come down with it at the shelter anyway
    if I had not adopted him early.
    

    Got an error writing note 18...networks...geez...
    
    Anyway, I'm sure that both you and Dana (and the kits!) will be
    glad when everyone is well and the move is over.  It's a really
    stressful time, but things will get better.
    
    I'm glad that Nikki is doing better and that the shelter will pick
    up the tab for his care.  I think you're decision to board them
    is probably the best one and I think they'll settle in once you've
    settled in.
    
    Good luck with the move!
    
    Mary