Conference misery::feline_v1

    If you put alot of catnip in the box  maybe that would keep him
    quiet at keast long enough to get out of the building. I know when
    mine get catnip - they are quiet at least as long as they can roll
    in it - or eat it. But I would try to get the best catnip -the
    most potent smelling stuff.  (But I would also make sure my cat
    reacted to catnip - some cats don't) 

    Maybe put the cat under your coat so his body is close to yours.
    It might alleviate his fear because he can see where he is going
    and he knows that you are close.  You can pat his head as you 
    walk and talk or whisper to him.  Or, make a hole in the box
    big enough for your hand to reach in and pat him as you walk
    out.
    
    good luck,
    
    E.T. who_hid_her_cats_for_many_years_until_she_bought_a_house!
    
    

    This may not be feasible - depends upon the building - but
    how about carrying one of those obnoxious LOUD boom boxes?
    Just about ANY music played loud enough should cover even
    a screeching cat.
    
    More realistically, I second Elaine's suggestion.  I once
    smuggled one of our new kittens into a hospital; had the kitten
    snuggled up against me inside my jacket.
    
    [no flames, please, for the smuggling:  my 8 year old daughter
    had just come out of a coma, and I was trying *everything* to
    get her to recognize/respond to something.  She was in a private
    room...no other patients were nearby at any time.]
    
    	Pennie

    re: .3
    
    > [no flames, please, for the smuggling:  my 8 year old daughter 
    > had just come out of a coma, and I was trying *everything* to  
    > get her to recognize/respond to something.  She was in a private
    > room...no other patients were nearby at any time.]             
    
    Far from flaming...I think this is a wonderful idea!  It's well
    known how therapeutic our pets can be.  I hope that in this case
    it worked and that your daughter is just fine.
    
    Karen, Tristan and Tenzing.

    Good Going Penny!!!!!!!!  Great Idea!  Your other idea was great,
    also.  The loud or semi-loud radio is wonderful.  Also, try and
    walk out with 3 or 4 people talking and laughing loudly to 
    distract and nosey lookers!
    
    

    I smuggled my kitten in and out of my on campus appartment in a
    gym bag w/ her favorite toy and some treats.  I also avoided the
    elevator and used the stairs (for some reason when ever we were
    in the elevator w/ someone else it was noise city!).  When I got
    to the lobby I made a b-line for the door.  The bag I feel has some
    advantages one being is something people carry it more often than they
    would a box- therefore not looking as suspicious, she couldn't
    slide around in it, she could feel my body and I could open the
    zipper and pat her or let her look around outside(secutity?).  Most of the
    time she would just go to sleep.                            
    
    Good luck!!
    

  I think the ideas about the crowd of 3 or 4 people was a great
  idea, as is the gym bag idea. But I worry that if the "boom box"
  method were used, someone might approach you to ask you to turn
  the music down, when otherwise they might not have even noticed
  you.    

    Or just do the obvious...walk out meowing loudly. There is an operatic
    aria for 2 cats - just say you were practicing.
    
    Gary

    The meow trick works! Once while smuggling a cat my friends
    son did the meow trick and noone cuaght on!
    

    re. .3 & .4
    
    I second the *no flames*.  I think that was a beautiful thing to
    do.  I would do it too if my daughter was in your daughter's place.
    
    I also second the hope that your daughter is now fine.
    
    Sandi (Lightning, DejaVu & Thunder's mom)
    
    

    I'm sorry, but that is one of the funniest things I have read.
    Bandit, with mouth shut, can make quite a lot of noise even if it
    is not earth shattering.  HOw about VERY late so that by the time
    folks wake up and hear you they think it is some #@^#@*#^@#& cat
    outside and you can be the innocent party.

    Thanks for understanding.  That was 10 years ago, and although it
    took a year for full recovery, she *did* recover, although it was
    a *terrible* year for us all.
    
    	Pennie

    Pennie:
    No Flames!  I think your story is great.  "They" say that coma patients
    should be stimulated by familiar sounds.  If it were me, I could
    not think of any sound more comforting or stimulating than a nice
    loud purr.
    
    Anne
    

    ..I have the same problem.. "the kids are a secret".. Pookie is
    quiet when we go out... I use this big wicker.. it has pillows in
    it and of course her favorite little binky with kitties on it, and
    of course toys, snacks etc,, I am sure that my vet and groomer
    think I am strange. when we come in and out pops her royal highness..
    mousey in mouth and she wants to pick out her own cage for the day
    thank you..!!! ahem.. Happy on the other hand is a "talker" anyway
    and once I take out the basket.. she yacks away the  entire time..
    " MUMMY.. I am not going.. wahhhhhhhhhhhh.. cry mumble, cry wahhhh
    cry. so I WALK REAL FAST.... and inside the wicker basket , sitting
    on her favorite pillow with binky and she burrows in and crys and
    mutters and  is HAPPY WHO IS NOT HAPPY until she is back home!!!
    ah yes..  you should see me... down 3 flights of stairs.. very rapidly
    to parking lot.. put wicker basket in front seat of car, attach
    seat belt, get in car drive way.. get to destiantion walk casually
    in.. return  home after all is said and done,, remove basket, try
    to  go up 3 flights of stairs quietly and nonchalently.. saying
    quietly to happy.. we are home now little honey-bunny,, so we must
    be quiet until we get inside.. ok.... etc.. and then  I HEAR..
    MUTTER, MEOWR, CRY MUMBLE, MEOWR..!!!!  it 's worth it!!! 
    regards
    kate

    I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one who does "crazy" things
    for the LOVE of a little furface!!!  For the next few weeks, I will
    probably be doing what noter .14 has done.  Management will be in
    my apartment some time in the next 4-6 weeks, but I can't find out
    exactly when, and I don't want to draw to much attention to myself
    by asking for an exact date.  So my little guy will have to spend
    the days during the week elsewhere.  But, since he has a BIG mouth
    when he's forced to do something he doesn't want to, I had to ask
    for other experiences.  It may be funny to read, but not funny to
    deal with.  Actually, when you are trying to preserve the existence
    of something you love, it's a really stressful time.
    
    Recently, I went away for the weekend and had the suitcase out in
    preparation.  I noticed that my little "friend" loved to crawl into
    the case and go to sleep.  So, I think that I will do that with
    a nylon bag.  When he gets used to going in it himself, maybe he
    won't yell about being put in it long enough to get to the car and
    back each day.  It'll be a real hassle each day for both of us,
    but we can't move and we **CAN'T** give him away.  So.... we do crazy
    things!!!  Thanks for all of the advice.....and, I hope I find
    something to make his travelling easier for both of us.  
    

    Hey, draw attention to yourself!!  You have every right to know
    *exactly* when someone will be in your home.  Tell them you're very
    nervous about having someone come in without your prior knowledge
    and I'm sure they'll be cooperative (unless the management company
    are total Bozos).  I went thru that for a couple years with Honey,
    but now, I've got the property mgmt folks well trained!
    
    Penny,
    
    I worked at St. John's Hospital in a former life.  We had a little
    girl in a coma who's doggie missed her very much.  The girl was
    10 years old, and had been comatose for a month.  We had
    the parents smuggle the dog in late in the evenings, and within
    three days, the little girl had come out of the coma.  The dog would
    lie next to his mistress, licking her face and arm, and it was at
    those times we saw an increase in brain activity.  We were all
    convinced it was this that brought her around.  No flames here!
    A warm fuzzy can be the best medicine!

    I may be like Mary (in another life) but isn't it against 
    the law for someone to go into your apartment without your know-
    ledge?  In this instance you know the time frame but if it doesn't
    fit into your plans then I would say so. It sounds like a big in-
    convenience to me. Are they going to be working in your apartment?
    
    What kind of a repour do you have with your apartment manager?
    No one wants to rock the boat but I would certainly make it
    easy on yourself and the cat.
    
    Don't forget to pick up all the litter.!!!!
    
    Barbara

    I have to use the "sneak" method at my apartment too.  I usually
    have to get the cats out for cat shows on the weekend and for
    maintenance on the apartment (which they'll only do on the weekdays).
    Sometimes even the apartment maintenance people are not sure when
    they can get to the apartment, for example, when my dishwasher was
    broken they had to wait to receive a part.  I told the manager that
    I would feel more comfortable if I knew when maintenance would be
    in, she said she couldn't promise that she'd be able to contact
    me first but would try.  She did, she called 5 minutes before I was
    supposed to leave for work and I made a beeline with the cats to
    my vet for one day's boarding.  Up until that morning I'd been using
    an elaborate method of camoflaging the cats in the apartment (music
    on in the living room, music on in the bedroom, bedroom door shut,
    suit case on the inside of the bedroom door as close as I could
    get it while closing the door [to keep little cat paws from sticking
    out the door] and the vacuum cleaner propped in front of the door
    (too keep nosy maintenance people from getting too close).  I have
    no idea if this would have worked since I got the call and was able
    to get everyone out.
    
    My sneak method consists of:
    
    1.  I get everything I need to take with me ready and set it by the 
        front door.  (If maintenance is coming into the apartment I do the
        best I can to hide all physical evidence of cats in the apartment.) 
    
    2.  I grab whatever cat is closest (by now they've usually figured
        out what is happening and are hiding which is why I've discovered
        that closing open doors to bedrooms when I see the cats out
        in the living room leaves them very few places to hide).
    
    3.  With both cats secured in the carrier I look out the window
        first to make sure no stray maintenance type people are lurking in
        the pool/jacuzzi area right outside my apartment.
    
    4.  I open the front door and check for loitering neighbors, etc.
    
    5.  I grab the carrier (carrier weight + 2 11-12 lb. cats) and get
        down the four flights of stairs as quickly (and gracefully) as
        I can with kitties meowing softly (thank goodness) all the way.  
        The neighbors have probably figured out what's going on because 
        I'm tiptoeing down the stairs saying quietly "Shhhhhh, Shhhhhh, 
        Shhhhh, No meowing, Shhhh".
    
    6.  I put them in the car and make a beeline out of the complex
        for where ever I'm going.
    
    I also consider this aerobic exercise since I'm usually overwhelmed
    by the weight of the carrier, especially going up the four flights.    
                                   
    Good luck with your sneaking!
    
    Jan

    If you're talking about an apartment building, I used to have that
    problem in the place I lived in for two years up until last April
    when I bought a house.  Every time I had to take my cat to the vet,
    or worse, our building had a faulty smoke alarm, so at any given
    time, in the middle of day or night, I'd have to grab the cat from under
    the bed or wherever she was hiding and put her in a duffle bag of
    some sort slightly unzippered so she could breath and then make
    a run for the car or somewhere no one could her the "meowing".
    
    The price we pay for sneaking a pet into a "No Pets Allowed" building!
    
    Hope this helps and good luck!
    
    diane
    

    Thanks for all the help!!!  We have already been notified that the
    management will be making the yearly inspection of the apartment
    (required by law in this place).  BUT... they so kindly made it
    convenient for themselves by telling us that it will happen over
    the next EIGHT weeks.  I have already called to get an exact WEEK
    (I figured I'd settle for a week, rather than the exact day.  You
    see, as one noter so appropriately stated, the management has a tendency
    to be BOZO's.  They could easily tell me one day and show up the
    next.  Anyway, the people in the office are finding out when the
    time will be for my building.  And, yes, it is a law that they cannot
    enter your apartment without notice.  But, we're not dealing with
    thoughtful people here.  They can say they tried to notify me whether
    they did or not.  And, after they've seen the cat, what's left to argue?
    
    So....not trusting them too much, I've decided to inconvenience
    myself and buffer the known (???) week with a week on either end.
    It will be a hassle, but in the long run will give us some peace
    of mind about our little guy.  Oh yes, all toys have to be picked
    up every morning, litter hid, etc., etc.  
    
    We already made a practice run this weekend.  Since my guy is only
    6 months old, and has only known the world of 4 walls, we decided
    it best to make a practice run to my mom's house so that he could
    get used to it.  I had decided, from previous noters suggestions,
    that the nylon carry case that I have would be the best.  I have
    a pet carrier box, but have to camouflage the carrier with another
    box so no one will know what we are carrying.  We know from experience
    that he doesn't like this arrangement, and mouths off about it the
    whole time he's in it.  So, I got some treats, put them and his
    favorite pillow in the bag.  A couple of times a day for the last
    several days, I would put him in the bag and walk him around the
    house.  He either thought I was crazy, or it was a weird game. 
    But he put up with it and never said a word.  So, when dry run time
    came, we did the same thing.  He never said a word the whole time
    to and from the house, or whenever in the bag.  In the car he just
    explored or sat and talked to us once in a while.  He LOVED my mother's
    house--lots more room to explore, and learned how to take the stairs
    3 and 4 at a time.  When we got home again, he sat by the bag and
    kept looking at us.  So, I feel relieved that when the time comes
    to transport him every day (twice a day) he will be happy at "grandmas"
    house and tolerant of the transportation tactics.
    
    Thanks again for all of the suggestions.  It's nice to know other
    people care enough to respond, but also that there are other people
    living dangerously, but VERY HAPPY with their little furry friends.
    

    This is all SO funny!  I can't stop laughing.  I'm lucky enough
    to be where they allow pets, but the deposit is outrageous (a
    non-refundable $375.00 pet deposit on top of your regular deposit),
    so, in order to avoid paying money I don't have anyway, I belong
    to the sneak group myself.  Trouble is, Corkie's favorite place
    is in the window, and since she's been indoors only all her life,
    I can't refuse her the window.  So far, there has been so much turnover
    in management that nobody knows who paid and who didn't.  I hope
    this doesn't make "honest" people mad, but who can afford to lose
    $375.00.  If they'd even give a part of it back, I could see it,
    but their reasoning for keeping it is that no matter what pet
    you have, or how clean you are, all apartments have to be exterminated
    and deodorized.  Corkie never makes any mess, litter vacuums up,
    and she prefers to have her hairballs on the tile (sorry, that's
    gross).  Anyway, good luck to all you fellow sneakers, there's just
    no way to shut up a fuzz face.
    
    Pat
    
    (Just wait until November when I get my new baby -I'm getting a
    canine to keep my old girl company).
    
    

    
    
    	Re: .21
    
    	I can see the reasoning in keeping the deposit.  They couldn't
    	your apartment to someone with allergies unless they spent some
    	money cleaning it.  But still....
                                         
    	Karen

    I'd be willing to bet that if they DO clean every apartment it is
    done at a minimum expense, and they make a good deal of money anyway.
    Sounds to me like it's just one more way to make a buck-- and they
    do it by tugging on our hearts.  I know of one place that charges
    $750.00 for a pet, but I don't know if you get that back.  Some
    people are cleaner than others when it comes to taking care of pets,
    BUT.....
    

    One apartment that I was looking at that allowed kittens required a
    regular $500 deposit and an extra $200 kitty deposit.  If you moved out
    at the end of your lease, the $500 was returned as well as $150 of the
    $200 kitty deposit if there was no kitty damage.  She said the $50 was
    for cleaning etc.  If you moved out before the end of your lease you
    forfeited your $500 but they would still return $150 kitty deposit
    because she said "It's not your kitties fault that you decided to
    move out early!"  :-)
    
    Then again she doesn't know kitties very well..."Mom I want a big back
    yard, an empty cellar to run around in, lots of big windows, a couple
    of stairs to waist energy on, a big tub to drink from and quite frankly
    this apartment just won't do!" 
    
    Suzanne