Cat Travel and Cat Meowing

Question
Carol,

I have the most lovable cat named Kozmo but he meows all the time.  We recently moved to a very small one bedroom condo and he sits by the door and meows from morning and all night long.  He loves to go out in the hall but our neighbors don't appreciate it.  I am afraid that we are going to be reported for all the meowing he does.  I have a squirt gun and that works for about 10 minutes and then he is back at it.  He starts about 3 am and goes all day.  I love him dearly but I can't get kicked out of my home.  Do you have any suggestions.

My other problem is that when we take him in the car he does not stop meowing the entire time we are in the car.  We are going to be going from Wisconsin to Florida in two weeks and we have no one to take care of him so we are going to take him with but we can't listen to him for 24 hours.  I hate the thought of tranquilizing him but I don't know what else to do.  We also have a large black cat that we are taking with us but he is going to be terrified to travel.  He is scared of everything.  I wish we could leave them home but we have no one to take care of them.  If you could give some suggestions, I would really appreciate it.

Karen

Answer
Karen,

Put your cat in a 'safe room'. It is the most familiar place in your new home in your cat's mind and will likely be his chosen spot for a few days until this new house becomes his new home. After a couple of days, open the door to the safe room and let your cat explore at will, on his terms, but just within the limits of the house.

Put their favorite bed, blanket, toys or any item that is familiar to them in the room. The smells of "home" will help them adjust to their new surroundings.

A slow transition with a period of confinement is also good for avoiding behavior problems that might pop up with the stress of moving. By limiting your cat's options to the litter box and scratching post in his safe room, he will quickly redevelop the good habits he had in your old home.

Your cat meows at the door because he thinks his old place is outside. Cats do not have reasoning abilitites to understand new home-new territory. Pick him up and walk him outside to show him things are different. Let him look out a window to learn the new sights and smells. Do not let him out on his own, he will try to go 'home' and may get lost. Collar train him then put your address and phone number on the collar in case he does get out.

There is a cat calming product that you can add to his food that reduces anxiety called Bach's Rescue Remedy. It is available on-line and in health food stores. Here is a link about it: (copy and paste, or type the whole links into your address bar)
http://www.bachflower.com/Pets.htm

You may want to speak to a vet to put the cat on a short term prescription of 'kitty Prozac' (usually for 2 weeks) until he settles down. It is popular and excellent for calming cats with emotional problems such as the stress of a new home with everything different.

Traveling: Use a large, sturdy plastic carrier, with a towel draped over it to keep it dark and prevent your cats from seeing outside. They will sleep better if they don't see what is going on outside. Putting both cats in a large carrier would be comforting to both of them and they can cuddle together. (Have a mini litterbox in there too. Make sure that all windows are up enough that a cat can't jump out. Cats also have no reasoning ability to figure out if the car is moving and they jump out that they can be killed. They just think 'open window, I can escape'.  

Caution using tranqualizers in the car, they can make the kitty vomit and make a mess. The best thing to do is to get Feliway Cat or Comfort Zone with Feliway Calming Spray (from PetSmart/Petco, etc.or a vet's office). It copies relaxing pheromones that cats produce from rubbing their faces on things. Spray the inside of the cat carrier (s) about 20 minutes before putting in the cat(s). It will help a lot. Also have towels, etc. that the cats can hide under to make them feel more secure. Talk gently to them so your voice reassures them. Don't yell at them or punish them for meowing. That will only confuse them and stress them more. Meowing is the only way they have to tell you they are upset. Cats will eventually stop meowing and sleep.

You may get some more ideas by Googling 'traveling with your cat'.

I hope this helped some and has given you some ideas.
Have a safe trip.
Carol