Lets talk about boarding your cat !
For a variety of reasons, more people are discovering the delight of living
with cats. In urban areas, apartment dwellers find that cats offer
companionship, without the need for frequent outdoor exercise periods. In rural
areas, cats still fulfill their function as rodent catchers for many households.
If you are a cat owner, you are undoubtedly very attached to your furry
roommate. However, there will be times when you will have to make arrangements
for your cat’s care when you are traveling on business, vacations, or when you
host out-of-town guests who are allergic to cats. Therefore, you should examine
some of the facts about cat care that will help you to understand the advantages
of boarding your cat with an ABKA member pet care facility.
What options are available?
It is important to remember that cats do not usually travel well. They do not
usually enjoy it, nor do they adapt well to travel. Many people who try to take
their cats along with them on their vacation end up spending most of their
vacation time searching for their escaped pets. Leaving your cat with friends is
just as unsatisfactory. A cat must go through an adjustment period in a new
environment, and this means that your cat will not look upon your friend’s house
as “home” for quite awhile. Therefore, your cat may try to escape from the
strange house at every opportunity or hide as a fear reaction. Most cat owners
recognize that it is not fair to impose this kind of responsibility on their
friends, nor is it a safe arrangement for their pets. Having a boarding facility
care for your pets in your absence is, therefore, the best alternative. The best
way to arrange for such care is to entrust your cat to an ABKA member pet care
facility, where the security arrangements are adequate to insure that your cat
will not escape, and where the staff are trained in observing and handling the
problems that might arise in your absence.
How do you arrange for placing your cat in a boarding facility?
Stop by your local ABKA boarding facility and visit with the owner. Get
acquainted with the people who will be caring for your cat. Ask questions—take
nothing for granted. Find out if toys or bedding are welcome. Find out about the
diet the facility provides. (If there is a special diet that you would like your
cat to adhere to, most boarding facilities will allow you to provide such food
and will see to it that your cat is fed only what you request.) Discuss safety
features. Boarding cats requires good security to prevent escapes. Discuss
frankly any qualms you may have about boarding your cat. The boarding facility
staff will appreciate your frankness and your interest.
The experienced staff members at an ABKA boarding facility are trained to
recognize the warning signs of potential health problems, and will contact a
veterinarian if they feel it is called for. Many times it is easier for the
boarding facility staff to detect problems than it is for the owner of the cat.
For example, urinary problems, a warning sign that deserves attention, can more
easily be detected in the boarding facility than at home, since the cat is
closely supervised.
It is not, however, part of the staff’s job to diagnose or to prescribe. If your
cat requires veterinary aid while he or she is boarding, you should be aware
that you are financially responsible for such aid. Discuss, before boarding, any
medication or special care your cat might need. Most boarding facilities offer a
certain amount of individual care (playing with, talking to, petting) but you
must be reasonable. Asking the facility owner to allow your cat privileges that
might result in an escape is not fair to either the boarding facility or your
cat.
Make certain that you understand the rate structure for all services and hours
of operation. The fee for boarding includes, not only the care of your cat, but
also the peace of mind that comes from knowing that your cat is safe and with
someone you can trust.
One way of measuring the boarding facility owner’s interest in the profession is
through the facility’s membership with ABKA. You can be certain that ABKA
members are trying to keep current on the latest developments within the
industry and that they truly care about your pet. Look for the membership
certificate and ABKA Code of Ethics proudly displayed.
Facts to consider
Keep in mind that cats react much differently in a strange environment than dogs
do. Cats are instinctively solitary animals. They do not run in packs like dogs.
Therefore, when confronted with strange surroundings, a cat’s normal response is
to withdraw physically and mentally into a protected, solitary state. For this
reason, cats enjoy the “protected” feeling they get from being caged while in
the boarding facility.
While it is true that most dogs want to run around and get acquainted, your cat
will probably want to sit in the corner of the cage and stare, until it feels
comfortable in the new environment. Human contact does not normally accelerate
this period of acclimatizing. It has to take place at the cat’s own speed. A
common reaction of cat owners to the idea of caging is, “My cat loves to run
around.” Perhaps this is true at home, but while in unfamiliar surroundings, the
cage gives the best feeling of safety. “But what about exercise?” Here again,
the difference between a cat and a dog must be understood. Dogs need space in
which to get their necessary exercise, whereas cats exercise isometrically. This
means that if a cat has enough room to stretch, he or she can exercise every
muscle in the body. When your cat is in strange surroundings, around strange
cats and strange smells, your cat will undoubtedly much prefer “safety” to
“space.”
Immunization
Fortunately, within the last several years, there have been significant advances
in immunization programs for cats. In past years, there were a number of
contagious airborne viruses that caused serious respiratory problems in cats.
These viruses could not be controlled by any means except complete isolation of
all cats from each other. Now, however, thanks to advances made by the
veterinary pharmaceutical companies, there are effective vaccines available to
prevent such diseases. Most boarding facilities have strict policies regarding
the immunization programs for these diseases. You should be aware of the
boarding facility’s policy and discuss it with your veterinarian prior to
boarding your cat. In fairness to the facility, you should also make sure that
your cat is not exposed to any contagious cat diseases prior to boarding.
Stress is a factor
Any animal in strange surroundings suffers from stress. This means that the
normal immune process is affected, as well as eating and digestive habits. Your
ABKA member facility will do everything possible to minimize the effects of
stress on your cat. For this reason, it is a good procedure for them to allow
your cat to adjust to the boarding environment at his or her own rate. However,
you can help to minimize the effects of stress by trying to make the boarding
experience as pleasant as possible for your cat. Remember that the more often
your cat boards, the more adjusted your cat will be to the boarding environment,
and the easier the boarding process becomes for your cat.
Welcoming your cat home