Social Butterfly & Well Traveled

[harperc]

Today, I had to go to PetSmart, so I thought it would be a good idea to bring Chloe with me for an adventure. She hasn't been a bunch of places and I thought that it would be a good idea to get her out and about to socialize.

She has traveled in the car but always cries.. no matter how long the drive. (5 minutes to 4 hours) That was only half the fun of our trip.

I brought her blanky with her and set it up in the cart with her new bed that I picked out thinking that this would calm her down some. She was totally stressed and looked like she just wanted to escape. Poor baby! But, none the less, it was just plain stressful for the both of us.

She gets along with new people at the house quickly and plays with my sister's dog on the weekends when she visits, but I could really use some pointers on car rides and new places.

Any ideas??

Thanks guys!

Chloe and Rachel

 

[marlene]

I put Pedda's blankie on the child seat of the cart. Everything else goes in the basket so she doesn't have strange things right against her. Other than that, my only advice is to talk to her in a low reassuring tone of voice, and go as often as you can. Familiarity will do wonders to relax Chloe.

 

[susi794]

Some kitties just don't like to go bye bye in the car or go outside of their comfort zones.

 

[harperc]

I put Pedda's blankie on the child seat of the cart. Everything else goes in the basket so she doesn't have strange things right against her. Other than that, my only advice is to talk to her in a low reassuring tone of voice, and go as often as you can. Familiarity will do wonders to relax Chloe.

Thanks! We will try to get out more often! I must have looked like "the crazy cat lady" because I was talking to her the whole time trying to reassure her that she was okay. Oh well, at least she was fine with the people around her. I think it was just a lot to take in at once, new smells, sounds, and bright lights...who wouldn't be a little freaked?

 

[ElGatoLoco]

No advice here but Butternuts goes nuts. He won't stay in the basket. He runs around the kitty trees. He goes and sniffs around the adoption kitties. He's not scared of anyone. Including dogs. As long as they aren't barking.

 

[harperc]

Some kitties just don't like to go bye bye in the car or go outside of their comfort zones.

Yeah, this is true... but we'll be traveling for Christmas, and I haven't ever left Chloe by herself. After awhile in the car she is okay... usually when we get out of the city.

She did really good at Thanksgiving at the in laws house...she treated it like home and wasn't freaked out at all... She even curled up with my mother-in-law.. (Traitor!)

 

[harperc]

No advice here but Butternuts goes nuts. He won't stay in the basket. He runs around the kitty trees. He goes and sniffs around the adoption kitties. He's not scared of anyone. Including dogs. As long as they aren't barking.

LOL!! Chloe saw the kitties and was hawking them down, like, ohhh wait... what is this??? Cats with fur? That is odd... Maybe she just wants to explore more. There were tons of people walking around, so I let her walk around, but felt like I was getting in the way. I think after the holidays we will have to go early in the morning and just peruse around and check everything out.

 

[Nofuratu]

For store visits I keep Nofuratu in his carrier, either his sleepy pod, or a purse style carrier so he feels very secure...his carrier smells like him and the purse style fits great in the baby seat part of shopping carts.
Cats are not technically social animals so its harder to get them used to outside life after the kitten stage, after the first year.
However, short trips regularly is the key.
For the car sitting in it without running for 10 mins, every day for a week, then the next week turn the car on but just sit in the driveway, then the 3rd week just drive around the block.....etc.
For store visits or outdoor events try not to coddle your cat too much...you dont want to reward nervouse behavior, and you dont want your cat to think you are anxious, even if you are just worried about them being able to cope...
Take deep breaths and ignore your kitty a bit during a store visit, and act like its no big deal, then they wont feed off your anxiety over their anxiety...LOL.
Definetely keep em in their bed or carrier from home and just carry them around in it in the shopping cart...its familiar to them.
Do it at least 3 times a week when trying to get your cat used to travelling about with you....once a week or less is not often enough and will just make their nervousness worse.....so short trips to the post office, bank, corner store, picking people up etc are good ideas.
Good luck!

 

[pooner]

I've seen a product in a cat magazine that is suppose to help calm cats. You put it on their paw and they lick it. I don't know if it works but it sounds good. Pooner usually meows the first part of a car ride although, he meows much more if my husband is in the car too. If it's just Pooner and I he does well.
Good Luck

 

[sphynxie]

I have taken Nudie with me everywhere since I got her and she does well. I use a stroller with her blanket and I think that the stroller makes her feel safe from the crazy world around her. Keep taking Chloe with you places and see if she gets better each time

 

[ktate88]

I would keep trying to take her places. Short trips just in the car, then to places. Petsmart, Petco, pet stores. Some small businesses will let pets come in. Usually the bigger non-pet stores are a bit more hesitant in my experience. Home Depot used to allow dogs but no longer does.

Always keep her on a leash or in some type of carrier until you know she will be okay. Then I still suggest a leash/harness for bigger stores.

Niles does pretty well at most stores. He isn't scared of dogs unless they bark or get too close to him. I don't take him to the pet stores on the weekends unless its very early or very late because it is too busy for him to be comfortable.

 

[TotenEngel]

I feel your pain!
Smeagol howls almost non stop in the car, his breeder told us he was good in the car and he howled the whole journey home (2 hours!) which was no fun for my poor husband driving on motorways lol
We have a petsathome store 5 minutes round the corner, so whenever we go there I am trying to take him to try and get him used to it, however, why the snow and his flu we haven't been for a while!
Good luck and thanks for the tips Nofur!

 

[harperc]

For store visits I keep Nofuratu in his carrier, either his sleepy pod, or a purse style carrier so he feels very secure...his carrier smells like him and the purse style fits great in the baby seat part of shopping carts.
Cats are not technically social animals so its harder to get them used to outside life after the kitten stage, after the first year.
However, short trips regularly is the key.
For the car sitting in it without running for 10 mins, every day for a week, then the next week turn the car on but just sit in the driveway, then the 3rd week just drive around the block.....etc.
For store visits or outdoor events try not to coddle your cat too much...you dont want to reward nervouse behavior, and you dont want your cat to think you are anxious, even if you are just worried about them being able to cope...
Take deep breaths and ignore your kitty a bit during a store visit, and act like its no big deal, then they wont feed off your anxiety over their anxiety...LOL.
Definetely keep em in their bed or carrier from home and just carry them around in it in the shopping cart...its familiar to them.
Do it at least 3 times a week when trying to get your cat used to travelling about with you....once a week or less is not often enough and will just make their nervousness worse.....so short trips to the post office, bank, corner store, picking people up etc are good ideas.
Good luck!

Thanks for the tips!!

 

[tessblack]

Yeah wish I could help but mine are so out going and do well in the car and vets, petsmart etc. They were like that from the beginning. I guess I am fortunate. I would just keep trying and see if she gets more comfortable.

 

[harperc]

Yeah wish I could help but mine are so out going and do well in the car and vets, petsmart etc. They were like that from the beginning. I guess I am fortunate. I would just keep trying and see if she gets more comfortable.

Thanks Tess. Yeah, she has hated the car from the moment that I brought her home... She cried for 30 minutes and then fell asleep for the rest of the way home... Thankfully! I am just glad that she isn't yelling anymore while in the car.

I went to the PetSmart at 290 around Barker Cypress on the feeder.. A really nice guy that worked there said that he has seen two cats "like mine" that come in and get pictures taken with Santa and that they stroll in on leashes. Is he talking about you guys?

 

[ckutkuhn7]

SoBe totally freaks when new people come to the house, she freaks in the car, has even made a jail break out of the stroller once. lol
She did well at PetSmart on the one trip I've taken her. I can't wait for the weather to break so I can get her outside again. Winter is such a downer. lol

 

[want a sphynx]

Scarlett had NEVER been out of the breeders house before I got her except to be spayed! She is almost 2 years old, they have a mobile vet they use for exams, shots, etc. But she was an angel on the way home, good thing, it was a 6 1/2 hour drive! She just curled up in a blanket on my ;ap and went to sleep! As soon as the weather gets better, I plan on teaching her to walk on a leash with a harness ( a really cool kind called come with me kitty) And then taking her different places. My dogs always went to the nursing home to visit my mother, but since mom passed away in June, we won't need to go there any more. But I do want to get Scarlett used to going everywhere with me. People always commented how well behaved my dogs are, its because I take them often, and am very CALM with them... they pick up on our emotions, so you HAVE TO BE CALM if you expect your pet to be.

 

[MissMySphynxBoys]

I have one of those Sphynx who do not enjoy riding in the car. You can read about my woes in this thread if you like:

http://www.sphynxlair.com/f33/question-about-rescue-remedy-pets-4949/


Gleek is now 8 1/2 months old. We continue to go out (although I take him out less in cold weather). He still cries while the car is in motion, but he is not as frantic as he once was. I have learned to ignore his nearly non stop crying, but secretly hope he will mellow out with time.

 

[tessblack]

Thanks Tess. Yeah, she has hated the car from the moment that I brought her home... She cried for 30 minutes and then fell asleep for the rest of the way home... Thankfully! I am just glad that she isn't yelling anymore while in the car.

I went to the PetSmart at 290 around Barker Cypress on the feeder.. A really nice guy that worked there said that he has seen two cats "like mine" that come in and get pictures taken with Santa and that they stroll in on leashes. Is he talking about you guys?

Yeah that is the one we take them to. I am sure he means mine. We go quite often and let them stand at the bird cage and check out the birds. Also we take them to the vet in there for routine stuff. Let me know if you plan to go again. I love an excuse to take them somewhere. I usually only take one if I am by myself but they are pretty good on the leash.

 

[lodisphynx]

I've had my kitty for about 6 weeks now, and never a peep out of him in the car, whether in carrier or held. Took him to grocery store - wrapped him up like a baby in his blankie and carried him around while hubby pushed cart - we were in store for at leat 45 minutes, and never the least bit of struggle to get out.....
He was only 4 months old then, don't know what he will do now that he is going into the "terrible twos"

 

[Jennifer]

This summer I want to take them out. My parents have birds and squirrels all over there home and last fall, they bought a camp. I think I will take them out and see how they do. They ask to go outside and I put them on their leashes and walk them around the yard.
They are ok in the car.

 

[susi794]

Remember the "scratch....scratch....scratch" post I made about our trip to get scanned? Well, I just took Lulu to the vet the other day and she pooped all over her carrier, her blanket, and herself again on the way there and again on the way back. Going anywhere with my crew is an adventure for the senses....we poop, we cry/scream, we dig and claw at the carrier. I just plug my nose, turn up the radio and hope to heck we get there soon. LOL