Outdoor feral to indoor cat...from 7 hours away
Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2016 4:10 pm
I'm bringing a feral cat into my house, but it's a bit complicated. Kitty is a young male (not sure exactly how old) who lives in my boyfriend's parents' yard two states away. He's very friendly, but he's never been inside. He gets along very well with boyfriend's dog, who is an indoor dog but gets to go outside to play a lot.
My boyfriend's rental does not allow indoor pets, but I've just bought a house, so we are going down to his parents' about a month from now to bring the dog back to my place and we've decided to bring the cat along as well. I've wanted a cat for some time, and this is one who needs a home and also gets along with the dog for sure. So here we come to the question.
Because kitty is two states away, there is no way to bring him in gradually. I'm also not sure if boyfriend's parents are willing to help by setting out a carrier, litter box, scratching post, etc. Based on what I've heard thus far, probably not. So I'm faced with going down there, putting the cat in a carrier, taking him for a 7-hour drive, and then having him indoor in a home he's never seen before.
Once he's here, I've got space for a cat sanctuary, and I can do litter-box training etc. He'll also have the company of the dog, who will be familiar to him. But I'm very concerned about the initial pickup and trip. Any advice?
My boyfriend's rental does not allow indoor pets, but I've just bought a house, so we are going down to his parents' about a month from now to bring the dog back to my place and we've decided to bring the cat along as well. I've wanted a cat for some time, and this is one who needs a home and also gets along with the dog for sure. So here we come to the question.
Because kitty is two states away, there is no way to bring him in gradually. I'm also not sure if boyfriend's parents are willing to help by setting out a carrier, litter box, scratching post, etc. Based on what I've heard thus far, probably not. So I'm faced with going down there, putting the cat in a carrier, taking him for a 7-hour drive, and then having him indoor in a home he's never seen before.
Once he's here, I've got space for a cat sanctuary, and I can do litter-box training etc. He'll also have the company of the dog, who will be familiar to him. But I'm very concerned about the initial pickup and trip. Any advice?