Were you aware that many lost cats, now homeless and struggling to survive on the streets were in fact once upon a time someone’s pet? Countless numbers of cats are lost every day to a life of slow starvation and suffering. The most common time cats are lost is when people move their cat to a new home. Also cats are lost when moving them about in cars. This often occurs when taking the cat to the vets. The owners fail to put the cat in a secure cat carrier and the cat escapes – never to be seen again.
There is no need to lose cats. It simply requires some forward planning on the behalf of owners. Often times the cat is an afterthought when moving and this is a sure way to make your cat another statistic. Your cat does not understand what is happening and the whole experience of moving for most cats is extremely frightening. Cats are fright and flight creatures. This means when they are frightened if given the slightest opportunity they will take flight. Have you ever tried to catch a cat when it is in full flight? Don’t even bother because they are gone in a flash.
Planning ahead requires having sturdy cat carriers/cat cages available on the day. If you don’t have one of your own then you will need to borrow one. Unrestrained cats in cars is inviting a tragedy. Also whenever a grown cat is being transported ensure he has identification on him in the event of an accident. If a lost cat is wearing a collar (with elastic insert) and identification disc it can be recognized easily. It is worth noting that people repeatedly will take more notice of a cat on the street who is wearing a collar than one who isn’t.
If you are not fussed on cat collars then it can be removed once your cat is safely transported. Should you be moving address then the collar and identification disc are critical until your grown cat has been at the new address for at least three weeks. There can be terrible consequences involved in putting collars on cats that get lost, especially young cats who are not fully grown.The advantages and disadvantages all need to be weighed up carefully. However that is for another discussion.
When you are moving a cat to a new address the golden rule is they must not be permitted outside for three weeks. This gives your cat time to sit and look out of windows, hear strange noises and familiarize with new smells. By doing this you are allowing your cat to get his bearings. And remember there are a whole new group of cats out there that must decide if they are going to accept your cat into their territory.
A separate room needs to be set aside for your cat at the new address. This room needs to have the door firmly closed. So many folk choose the laundry for this purpose but this can be a foolish choice. Often there is a door direct to the outside from laundries and cats won’t miss this obvious escape route. If you are dealing with a timid cat then make sure he has somewhere to hide in the room such as an igloo or under a bed. Don’t force a cat in new surroundings out until he has the confidence to come out under his own steam.
By doing a few simple things cats can easily be transported and established comfortably in new surroundings without being lost. The responsibility to achieve this result remains entirely with the owner. Very few lost cats are ever actually found again or in fact are taken in as strays and given another chance. How sad it would be to sentence your cat to that fate!
