cat behavior during boarding
Question:
Oh, no…I wasn’t trying to say that boarding a cat is a bad idea…the original poster asked for experiences…this was mine. Actually, there was nothing wrong with this place. It was a vet’s office, where my brother worked at the time, and he knew that the cat would be in good hands there. It’s just that our particular cat did not like being with all those strangers, worse yet, with other cats nearby! He was definitely an "only" cat. >Ah, please excuse me, but I feel you can’t generalize in this area. So there >are good vets and bad vets, and good and bad shelters; why can’t there be >good and bad boarding?
in regards to…. > We tried boarding our cat once (whan I was a kid). The poor thing hated >it so > much!!! He hissed and clawed at anybody who walked by. He layed in the > litter, pooped in his food, and when we came to get him, he turned his >back on > us. That was the first and LAST time we ever boarded him!
No animals in my address See my cats at: http://ourworld-top.cs.com/peteft15/id19.htm
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > My 14 year old cat is very sweet and affectionate at home, but she > hates to be placed in her carrier to go to the vets or to the cattery for > boarding. The last few times I’ve boarded her, when I’ve gone to get her, > the workers have asked me to place her in her carrier since she hisses and > carries on when they try to do it. She’s more tolerant towards me but still > makes her displeasure known with a little hissing. > I’ve noticed when I’ve gone to her boarding cage to get her that > she’s always lying in her litter box. Is this a common thing for cats to do > when they are boarded? Does it just indicate their insecurity in a strange > place with strange people? Anybody out there that boards cats who can give > me some information on this behavior? Thanks. > Habit is a great deadener. > –Samuel Becket, Waiting for Godot
i have had several occasions to visit the humane society lately–before choosing my little girl–and many of the cats, over 50% are sitting in their litter boxes. with everyone holding them and petting them and pulling them out of the cage and then rejecting them they seem comforted in their litter box. succeeq
Response:
We tried boarding our cat once (whan I was a kid). The poor thing hated it so much!!! He hissed and clawed at anybody who walked by. He layed in the litter, pooped in his food, and when we came to get him, he turned his back on us. That was the first and LAST time we ever boarded him! From then on, we either had someone come over to our house to play with and feed him, or we took him with us. My Dad made this huge cage for the cat, and he didn’t seem to mind it very much. He was OK with travelling with us. Obviously this would be difficult if it were a business trip. If you can, I would have someone who is willing to come over to your house 1-2 times a day, who will feed and play with your cat, and depending on length of your trip, change the litter as well. Erin No animals in my address See my cats at: http://ourworld-top.cs.com/peteft15/id19.htm
Response:
> We tried boarding our cat once (whan I was a kid). The poor thing hated it so > much!!! He hissed and clawed at anybody who walked by. He layed in the > litter, pooped in his food, and when we came to get him, he turned his back on > us. That was the first and LAST time we ever boarded him!
Ah, please excuse me, but I feel you can’t generalize in this area. So there are good vets and bad vets, and good and bad shelters; why can’t there be good and bad boarding? Through friends who own cats themselves I got the address of a pet hotel about half an hour’s drive from where I live. I was reluctant at first to the idea of giving my little ones to a complete stranger, so I went there beforehand and checked it out myself. Turns out this place is a converted farmstead, far off any major road and still partially operated; the owners have horses, cats and dogs themselves and the woman running the hotel used to work in my city’s zoo for a little over ten years. The animals I saw there (including the current boarding guests) seemed content and happy. For the cats they had an area about 15′ x 12′ fenced off up to a height of about 10′, with tree branches and cat walks all around. One of the cat walks leads to a converted stable’s attic, complete with furniture so it looks like kind of a living room. The closets and cupboards all had been outfitted with upholstered little hidey holes; there were cat toilets en masse, provisions for wet and dry food for about twenty to thirty cats (when usually they have five to ten boarding guests). I was told that at least one hour per day is devoted to petting and/or playing. Also, the woman who runs this hotel seemed very honest and no-nonsense, and she obviously knew a lot about cats and dogs and how to handle them. I got to take a look at the food supply while she was busy and she had quality canned and premium dry food on stock. I was told to bring vaccination passports, so if there was a problem she could get in touch with my vet. All of this for about $6,-/cat/day. When I finally brought my kitties there they blended right in (enough space to avoid any encounters they didn’t want) and two weeks later it was very hard to convince them to come back home with me — they actually didn’t speak to me for two days! However, since they went there, my cats have lost all fears regarding the carrier that they may have had before. They even sleep in it, something unheard of before. > From then on, we > either had someone come over to our house to play with and feed him, or we took > him with us. My Dad made this huge cage for the cat, and he didn’t seem to > mind it very much. He was OK with travelling with us. Obviously this would be > difficult if it were a business trip. If you can, I would have someone who is > willing to come over to your house 1-2 times a day, who will feed and play with > your cat, and depending on length of your trip, change the litter as well.
Of course this is the best possibility. I’d just like to point out that if you look around for a good cat boarding house, you may end up with a working alternative, especially if you can’t have someone come by and spend 1-1.5 hours every day. Juergen w/ Rima ^,,^ and Lucy ^..^
Response:
I’ve boarded my cats several times, since the pet sitter accidently let them out and couldn’t get them back in. the first time when I went to get them from the kennel, the person told me that Hisser spent a lot of time lying beneath her bed, than on it. Luna was okay with it, she is more likely to get used to people fairly quickly. Hisser just doesn’t warm up to strangers. but the next couple times, when I’ve checked on them, and picked them up, they appear fine. When I’ve had to confine strays in a small space, that are sick and can’t go outside, some of them tend to lie in the litter box, I think b/c they are scared and unfamiliar with their surroundings. It’s not their own space, with their own smells and definitely the kind of environment they are not used to. After a day or so, they are more likely to sleep on the bed, I provide. * Sent from RemarQ http://www.remarq.com The Internet’s Discussion Network * The fastest and easiest way to search and participate in Usenet – Free!
Response:
Does she have a favorite bed, or binky — some such thing? Even a comfy item of your clothing you have made a point of wearing. If you don’t have one, find some comfy binky thing and sleep on it for a couple nites then make up a "hidden" bed for her, where she can be mostly enclosed and hidden within the area she is boarded at. I sent my cat’s binky with her when she _had to stay at the vets. She spent three days hiding underneath her binky. Thats better than laying in a litter box. She made a joke out of herself with everyone in the office, because she never came out from under the binky the whole time. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > My 14 year old cat is very sweet and affectionate at home, but she > hates to be placed in her carrier to go to the vets or to the cattery for > boarding. The last few times I’ve boarded her, when I’ve gone to get her, > the workers have asked me to place her in her carrier since she hisses and > carries on when they try to do it. She’s more tolerant towards me but still > makes her displeasure known with a little hissing. > I’ve noticed when I’ve gone to her boarding cage to get her that > she’s always lying in her litter box. Is this a common thing for cats to do > when they are boarded? Does it just indicate their insecurity in a strange > place with strange people? Anybody out there that boards cats who can give > me some information on this behavior? Thanks. > Habit is a great deadener. > –Samuel Becket, Waiting for Godot
Response:
My 14 year old cat is very sweet and affectionate at home, but she hates to be placed in her carrier to go to the vets or to the cattery for boarding. The last few times I’ve boarded her, when I’ve gone to get her, the workers have asked me to place her in her carrier since she hisses and carries on when they try to do it. She’s more tolerant towards me but still makes her displeasure known with a little hissing. I’ve noticed when I’ve gone to her boarding cage to get her that she’s always lying in her litter box. Is this a common thing for cats to do when they are boarded? Does it just indicate their insecurity in a strange place with strange people? Anybody out there that boards cats who can give me some information on this behavior? Thanks. Habit is a great deadener. –Samuel Becket, Waiting for Godot
Response:
Oh, no…I wasn’t trying to say that boarding a cat is a bad idea…the original poster asked for experiences…this was mine. Actually, there was nothing wrong with this place. It was a vet’s office, where my brother worked at the time, and he knew that the cat would be in good hands there. It’s just that our particular cat did not like being with all those strangers, worse yet, with other cats nearby! He was definitely an "only" cat. >Ah, please excuse me, but I feel you can’t generalize in this area. So there >are good vets and bad vets, and good and bad shelters; why can’t there be >good and bad boarding?
in regards to…. > We tried boarding our cat once (whan I was a kid). The poor thing hated >it so > much!!! He hissed and clawed at anybody who walked by. He layed in the > litter, pooped in his food, and when we came to get him, he turned his >back on > us. That was the first and LAST time we ever boarded him!
No animals in my address See my cats at: http://ourworld-top.cs.com/peteft15/id19.htm
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > My 14 year old cat is very sweet and affectionate at home, but she > hates to be placed in her carrier to go to the vets or to the cattery for > boarding. The last few times I’ve boarded her, when I’ve gone to get her, > the workers have asked me to place her in her carrier since she hisses and > carries on when they try to do it. She’s more tolerant towards me but still > makes her displeasure known with a little hissing. > I’ve noticed when I’ve gone to her boarding cage to get her that > she’s always lying in her litter box. Is this a common thing for cats to do > when they are boarded? Does it just indicate their insecurity in a strange > place with strange people? Anybody out there that boards cats who can give > me some information on this behavior? Thanks. > Habit is a great deadener. > –Samuel Becket, Waiting for Godot
i have had several occasions to visit the humane society lately–before choosing my little girl–and many of the cats, over 50% are sitting in their litter boxes. with everyone holding them and petting them and pulling them out of the cage and then rejecting them they seem comforted in their litter box. succeeq
Response:
We tried boarding our cat once (whan I was a kid). The poor thing hated it so much!!! He hissed and clawed at anybody who walked by. He layed in the litter, pooped in his food, and when we came to get him, he turned his back on us. That was the first and LAST time we ever boarded him! From then on, we either had someone come over to our house to play with and feed him, or we took him with us. My Dad made this huge cage for the cat, and he didn’t seem to mind it very much. He was OK with travelling with us. Obviously this would be difficult if it were a business trip. If you can, I would have someone who is willing to come over to your house 1-2 times a day, who will feed and play with your cat, and depending on length of your trip, change the litter as well. Erin No animals in my address See my cats at: http://ourworld-top.cs.com/peteft15/id19.htm
Response:
> We tried boarding our cat once (whan I was a kid). The poor thing hated it so > much!!! He hissed and clawed at anybody who walked by. He layed in the > litter, pooped in his food, and when we came to get him, he turned his back on > us. That was the first and LAST time we ever boarded him!
Ah, please excuse me, but I feel you can’t generalize in this area. So there are good vets and bad vets, and good and bad shelters; why can’t there be good and bad boarding? Through friends who own cats themselves I got the address of a pet hotel about half an hour’s drive from where I live. I was reluctant at first to the idea of giving my little ones to a complete stranger, so I went there beforehand and checked it out myself. Turns out this place is a converted farmstead, far off any major road and still partially operated; the owners have horses, cats and dogs themselves and the woman running the hotel used to work in my city’s zoo for a little over ten years. The animals I saw there (including the current boarding guests) seemed content and happy. For the cats they had an area about 15′ x 12′ fenced off up to a height of about 10′, with tree branches and cat walks all around. One of the cat walks leads to a converted stable’s attic, complete with furniture so it looks like kind of a living room. The closets and cupboards all had been outfitted with upholstered little hidey holes; there were cat toilets en masse, provisions for wet and dry food for about twenty to thirty cats (when usually they have five to ten boarding guests). I was told that at least one hour per day is devoted to petting and/or playing. Also, the woman who runs this hotel seemed very honest and no-nonsense, and she obviously knew a lot about cats and dogs and how to handle them. I got to take a look at the food supply while she was busy and she had quality canned and premium dry food on stock. I was told to bring vaccination passports, so if there was a problem she could get in touch with my vet. All of this for about $6,-/cat/day. When I finally brought my kitties there they blended right in (enough space to avoid any encounters they didn’t want) and two weeks later it was very hard to convince them to come back home with me — they actually didn’t speak to me for two days! However, since they went there, my cats have lost all fears regarding the carrier that they may have had before. They even sleep in it, something unheard of before. > From then on, we > either had someone come over to our house to play with and feed him, or we took > him with us. My Dad made this huge cage for the cat, and he didn’t seem to > mind it very much. He was OK with travelling with us. Obviously this would be > difficult if it were a business trip. If you can, I would have someone who is > willing to come over to your house 1-2 times a day, who will feed and play with > your cat, and depending on length of your trip, change the litter as well.
Of course this is the best possibility. I’d just like to point out that if you look around for a good cat boarding house, you may end up with a working alternative, especially if you can’t have someone come by and spend 1-1.5 hours every day. Juergen w/ Rima ^,,^ and Lucy ^..^
Response:
I’ve boarded my cats several times, since the pet sitter accidently let them out and couldn’t get them back in. the first time when I went to get them from the kennel, the person told me that Hisser spent a lot of time lying beneath her bed, than on it. Luna was okay with it, she is more likely to get used to people fairly quickly. Hisser just doesn’t warm up to strangers. but the next couple times, when I’ve checked on them, and picked them up, they appear fine. When I’ve had to confine strays in a small space, that are sick and can’t go outside, some of them tend to lie in the litter box, I think b/c they are scared and unfamiliar with their surroundings. It’s not their own space, with their own smells and definitely the kind of environment they are not used to. After a day or so, they are more likely to sleep on the bed, I provide. * Sent from RemarQ http://www.remarq.com The Internet’s Discussion Network * The fastest and easiest way to search and participate in Usenet – Free!
Response:
Does she have a favorite bed, or binky — some such thing? Even a comfy item of your clothing you have made a point of wearing. If you don’t have one, find some comfy binky thing and sleep on it for a couple nites then make up a "hidden" bed for her, where she can be mostly enclosed and hidden within the area she is boarded at. I sent my cat’s binky with her when she _had to stay at the vets. She spent three days hiding underneath her binky. Thats better than laying in a litter box. She made a joke out of herself with everyone in the office, because she never came out from under the binky the whole time. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > My 14 year old cat is very sweet and affectionate at home, but she > hates to be placed in her carrier to go to the vets or to the cattery for > boarding. The last few times I’ve boarded her, when I’ve gone to get her, > the workers have asked me to place her in her carrier since she hisses and > carries on when they try to do it. She’s more tolerant towards me but still > makes her displeasure known with a little hissing. > I’ve noticed when I’ve gone to her boarding cage to get her that > she’s always lying in her litter box. Is this a common thing for cats to do > when they are boarded? Does it just indicate their insecurity in a strange > place with strange people? Anybody out there that boards cats who can give > me some information on this behavior? Thanks. > Habit is a great deadener. > –Samuel Becket, Waiting for Godot
Response:
My 14 year old cat is very sweet and affectionate at home, but she hates to be placed in her carrier to go to the vets or to the cattery for boarding. The last few times I’ve boarded her, when I’ve gone to get her, the workers have asked me to place her in her carrier since she hisses and carries on when they try to do it. She’s more tolerant towards me but still makes her displeasure known with a little hissing. I’ve noticed when I’ve gone to her boarding cage to get her that she’s always lying in her litter box. Is this a common thing for cats to do when they are boarded? Does it just indicate their insecurity in a strange place with strange people? Anybody out there that boards cats who can give me some information on this behavior? Thanks. Habit is a great deadener. –Samuel Becket, Waiting for Godot
Response:
Oh, no…I wasn’t trying to say that boarding a cat is a bad idea…the original poster asked for experiences…this was mine. Actually, there was nothing wrong with this place. It was a vet’s office, where my brother worked at the time, and he knew that the cat would be in good hands there. It’s just that our particular cat did not like being with all those strangers, worse yet, with other cats nearby! He was definitely an "only" cat. >Ah, please excuse me, but I feel you can’t generalize in this area. So there >are good vets and bad vets, and good and bad shelters; why can’t there be >good and bad boarding?
in regards to…. > We tried boarding our cat once (whan I was a kid). The poor thing hated >it so > much!!! He hissed and clawed at anybody who walked by. He layed in the > litter, pooped in his food, and when we came to get him, he turned his >back on > us. That was the first and LAST time we ever boarded him!
No animals in my address See my cats at: http://ourworld-top.cs.com/peteft15/id19.htm
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > My 14 year old cat is very sweet and affectionate at home, but she > hates to be placed in her carrier to go to the vets or to the cattery for > boarding. The last few times I’ve boarded her, when I’ve gone to get her, > the workers have asked me to place her in her carrier since she hisses and > carries on when they try to do it. She’s more tolerant towards me but still > makes her displeasure known with a little hissing. > I’ve noticed when I’ve gone to her boarding cage to get her that > she’s always lying in her litter box. Is this a common thing for cats to do > when they are boarded? Does it just indicate their insecurity in a strange > place with strange people? Anybody out there that boards cats who can give > me some information on this behavior? Thanks. > Habit is a great deadener. > –Samuel Becket, Waiting for Godot
i have had several occasions to visit the humane society lately–before choosing my little girl–and many of the cats, over 50% are sitting in their litter boxes. with everyone holding them and petting them and pulling them out of the cage and then rejecting them they seem comforted in their litter box. succeeq
Response:
We tried boarding our cat once (whan I was a kid). The poor thing hated it so much!!! He hissed and clawed at anybody who walked by. He layed in the litter, pooped in his food, and when we came to get him, he turned his back on us. That was the first and LAST time we ever boarded him! From then on, we either had someone come over to our house to play with and feed him, or we took him with us. My Dad made this huge cage for the cat, and he didn’t seem to mind it very much. He was OK with travelling with us. Obviously this would be difficult if it were a business trip. If you can, I would have someone who is willing to come over to your house 1-2 times a day, who will feed and play with your cat, and depending on length of your trip, change the litter as well. Erin No animals in my address See my cats at: http://ourworld-top.cs.com/peteft15/id19.htm
Response:
> We tried boarding our cat once (whan I was a kid). The poor thing hated it so > much!!! He hissed and clawed at anybody who walked by. He layed in the > litter, pooped in his food, and when we came to get him, he turned his back on > us. That was the first and LAST time we ever boarded him!
Ah, please excuse me, but I feel you can’t generalize in this area. So there are good vets and bad vets, and good and bad shelters; why can’t there be good and bad boarding? Through friends who own cats themselves I got the address of a pet hotel about half an hour’s drive from where I live. I was reluctant at first to the idea of giving my little ones to a complete stranger, so I went there beforehand and checked it out myself. Turns out this place is a converted farmstead, far off any major road and still partially operated; the owners have horses, cats and dogs themselves and the woman running the hotel used to work in my city’s zoo for a little over ten years. The animals I saw there (including the current boarding guests) seemed content and happy. For the cats they had an area about 15′ x 12′ fenced off up to a height of about 10′, with tree branches and cat walks all around. One of the cat walks leads to a converted stable’s attic, complete with furniture so it looks like kind of a living room. The closets and cupboards all had been outfitted with upholstered little hidey holes; there were cat toilets en masse, provisions for wet and dry food for about twenty to thirty cats (when usually they have five to ten boarding guests). I was told that at least one hour per day is devoted to petting and/or playing. Also, the woman who runs this hotel seemed very honest and no-nonsense, and she obviously knew a lot about cats and dogs and how to handle them. I got to take a look at the food supply while she was busy and she had quality canned and premium dry food on stock. I was told to bring vaccination passports, so if there was a problem she could get in touch with my vet. All of this for about $6,-/cat/day. When I finally brought my kitties there they blended right in (enough space to avoid any encounters they didn’t want) and two weeks later it was very hard to convince them to come back home with me — they actually didn’t speak to me for two days! However, since they went there, my cats have lost all fears regarding the carrier that they may have had before. They even sleep in it, something unheard of before. > From then on, we > either had someone come over to our house to play with and feed him, or we took > him with us. My Dad made this huge cage for the cat, and he didn’t seem to > mind it very much. He was OK with travelling with us. Obviously this would be > difficult if it were a business trip. If you can, I would have someone who is > willing to come over to your house 1-2 times a day, who will feed and play with > your cat, and depending on length of your trip, change the litter as well.
Of course this is the best possibility. I’d just like to point out that if you look around for a good cat boarding house, you may end up with a working alternative, especially if you can’t have someone come by and spend 1-1.5 hours every day. Juergen w/ Rima ^,,^ and Lucy ^..^
Response:
I’ve boarded my cats several times, since the pet sitter accidently let them out and couldn’t get them back in. the first time when I went to get them from the kennel, the person told me that Hisser spent a lot of time lying beneath her bed, than on it. Luna was okay with it, she is more likely to get used to people fairly quickly. Hisser just doesn’t warm up to strangers. but the next couple times, when I’ve checked on them, and picked them up, they appear fine. When I’ve had to confine strays in a small space, that are sick and can’t go outside, some of them tend to lie in the litter box, I think b/c they are scared and unfamiliar with their surroundings. It’s not their own space, with their own smells and definitely the kind of environment they are not used to. After a day or so, they are more likely to sleep on the bed, I provide. * Sent from RemarQ http://www.remarq.com The Internet’s Discussion Network * The fastest and easiest way to search and participate in Usenet – Free!
Response:
Does she have a favorite bed, or binky — some such thing? Even a comfy item of your clothing you have made a point of wearing. If you don’t have one, find some comfy binky thing and sleep on it for a couple nites then make up a "hidden" bed for her, where she can be mostly enclosed and hidden within the area she is boarded at. I sent my cat’s binky with her when she _had to stay at the vets. She spent three days hiding underneath her binky. Thats better than laying in a litter box. She made a joke out of herself with everyone in the office, because she never came out from under the binky the whole time. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > My 14 year old cat is very sweet and affectionate at home, but she > hates to be placed in her carrier to go to the vets or to the cattery for > boarding. The last few times I’ve boarded her, when I’ve gone to get her, > the workers have asked me to place her in her carrier since she hisses and > carries on when they try to do it. She’s more tolerant towards me but still > makes her displeasure known with a little hissing. > I’ve noticed when I’ve gone to her boarding cage to get her that > she’s always lying in her litter box. Is this a common thing for cats to do > when they are boarded? Does it just indicate their insecurity in a strange > place with strange people? Anybody out there that boards cats who can give > me some information on this behavior? Thanks. > Habit is a great deadener. > –Samuel Becket, Waiting for Godot
Response:
My 14 year old cat is very sweet and affectionate at home, but she hates to be placed in her carrier to go to the vets or to the cattery for boarding. The last few times I’ve boarded her, when I’ve gone to get her, the workers have asked me to place her in her carrier since she hisses and carries on when they try to do it. She’s more tolerant towards me but still makes her displeasure known with a little hissing. I’ve noticed when I’ve gone to her boarding cage to get her that she’s always lying in her litter box. Is this a common thing for cats to do when they are boarded? Does it just indicate their insecurity in a strange place with strange people? Anybody out there that boards cats who can give me some information on this behavior? Thanks. Habit is a great deadener. –Samuel Becket, Waiting for Godot
Response:
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