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| What Options are Available for Boarding my Cat in Tucson? |
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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 kitty along with them on their vacation end up spending most of their vacation time searching for their escaped pet.
Leaving your cat with friends is just as unsatisfactory. Cats must go through an adjustment period in a new environment and this means that they 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 kennel care for your pets in your absence is, therefore, the best alternative. Obviously, the most satisfactory way of arranging for such care is to entrust your cat to an ABKA kennel, such as Sabino Canyon Pet Resort, where the security arrangements are adequate to insure that your cat will not escape, and where the personnel are trained in observing and handling the problems which might arise in your absence. |
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| Facts to Consider |
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| Keep in mind that cats react much differently in a strange environment than do dogs. Cats are instinctively solitary animals. They do not run in packs as dogs do. 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 a boarding kennel. 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 his condo and stare, until he 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 "kitty loves to run around." Perhaps he does at home, but while he is in unfamiliar surroundings, his cage gives him a 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 can exercise every muscle in his body. when your cat is in strange surroundings, around strange cats, he will undoubtedly much prefer "safety" to "space." |
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| Immunization |
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| 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 which caused serious respiratory problems in cats. These viruses could not be controlled by any means except complete isolation of all cats from each other when in a boarding kennel. Now, however, thanks to advances made by the veterinary pharmaceutical companies, there are effective vaccines available to prevent such diseases. Sabino Canyon Pet Resort has strict policies regarding the immunization programs for these diseases. You should contact us concerning our policies before you choose to board your cat with us. |
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Stress is a Factor |
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| Any animal in strange surroundings suffers from stress. This means that his normal immune process is affected, as well as his eating and digestive habits. Sabino Canyon Pet Resort will do everything possible to minimize the effects of stress on your cat. 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 he will be to the kennel environment, and the easier the boarding process becomes for him. Therefore, several short periods of boarding prior to a lengthy vacation will probably do more to help your cat adjust to boarding than anything else. |
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| Welcoming Kitty Home |
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| After you pick kitty up from the kennel, be sure to keep him locked in the house for a few days before allowing him to roam. Just as he had to adjust to the kennel, so will he have to adjust to being home again. Allow him to find that "at home" feeling again before letting him out of the house. |
Reprinted with permission from the American Boarding Kennels Association. |
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