How to transport a cat long distance with minimal complications. How to switch a cat to natural food What to take with you

In this article we will talk about what is preferable to feed a cat, natural food or ready-made food.

Now they are being discussed very widely. However, the main question being considered is what kind of food to feed the cat, economy or premium, cheaper or more expensive. However, the question of whether it is worth feeding a cat artificial food at all is almost not addressed. After all, ready-made food is convenient, first of all, for the owner: there is no need to prepare a diet and waste time preparing food for the cat. What could be easier than opening the package, pouring in dry food or putting in canned food, and no longer thinking about the problem of feeding.

Advertising also greatly contributes to the distribution of feed. It also distorts our ideas about the most suitable diet for a cat. Ready-made food contains grains, but the cat is a predator by nature.

To understand what a cat’s correct diet should be, it’s enough to imagine what a cat eats in natural conditions (in the countryside). Usually these are small rodents, birds, much less often - fish, various insects. This diet includes all the substances a cat needs. Proteins are found in meat. Phosphorus and calcium are in the skin and bones. Despite the fact that we have chosen natural food for our cat, we cannot impose our opinion on you; you must determine for yourself what is preferable for your cat.

Cereals and plant fibers are in the stomach of the prey. Cats eat fresh grass occasionally if their body requires it. Cats do not naturally eat fermented milk products. A person gives them. Cats cannot digest raw milk. Thus, an ideal food should contain the necessary substances in proportions as close as possible to natural ones: 45% meat, approximately 20% animal protein, 10% bones and offal, plant fiber - no more than 20%, the remaining 5% - vitamins and minerals.

However, if feed was prepared this way, it would be very expensive to produce. Therefore it becomes cheaper. To find out what manufacturers of ready-made food offer us to feed our pets, just carefully read the composition of the food on the packaging. From it we learn that the food contains preservatives, antioxidants and sweeteners (not a single product can do without them); by-products (good if so, but by this manufacturers can also mean waste from slaughterhouses: veins, tails, blood meal); flavor enhancers, dyes, fillers such as soy, starch, cellulose. At the same time, the composition of the chemical components of the label is disclosed in sufficient detail.

However, in many countries, legislation does not oblige the manufacturer to detail the composition of the same by-products. And this wording can mean anything. Cats eat most budget foods with great pleasure, but this is due to a large number of attractants - flavoring additives that are attractive to cats. However, there is no need to talk about the usefulness of these supplements. Cats develop dependence on artificial food and begin to develop health problems. Metabolism is disrupted, cats begin to suffer from excess weight, and the incidence of cancer increases. Cats even die from kidney and liver failure.

It is difficult, but possible, to wean a cat off ready-made food.

We fed our first cat popular foods. However, then it became clear that the cat was refusing any other food, demanding only food. In addition, threatening information about the dangers of prepared feed began to spread. It was decided to switch the cat to natural feeding. However, she was already accustomed to ready-made food and categorically refused both sausage and fish. However, we remained adamant, stopping giving the cat food altogether and offering her fish, sausage or meat several times a day. The cat screamed, begging for food. This went on for more than a week. The most difficult thing was to firmly adhere to my position and not give in to the hungry cries of the cat. Under no circumstances should this be done, otherwise the cat will only become convinced that it will always achieve its goal.

Hunger will force the animal to eat what is offered

Dry food is an excellent choice for pet owners who prefer to keep up with the times. Dry food is easy to use, and it is balanced taking into account all micro- and macronutrients, which makes this method of feeding a pet more and more popular.

However, cats, due to their rather conservative nature, react extremely negatively to a forced change of old habits. Failures when transferring an animal to another type of food often occur due to improper behavior of the owner and the lack of a clear action plan. We offer you several rules on how to properly transfer a cat to dry food, which you can take into account.

Take your time

Graduality is a very important aspect of competent transfer from one type of nutrition to another. You shouldn’t start with tough, radical measures. Try to unobtrusively interest the cat by placing a bowl with a small amount of dry food next to the one that will contain its usual food. Perhaps your pet will be happy to taste a new dish, and in this case the translation will most likely be successful.

If the cat has not shown much interest in the new dish, try soaking it in warm water. The aroma of the dry food will intensify, and its consistency will become more familiar to the cat. If your cat is interested in soaked food, simply gradually add dry granules to it, starting with 5–10 pieces and gradually increasing the amount of dry food.

You can switch your cat to dry food by also mixing a new type of food into the old diet, gradually replacing it completely. Start with a small amount of dry food, about 10-20%. The transition period varies from person to person, on average from five days to two weeks.

Be sure to provide your pet with round-the-clock access to fresh drinking water - cats drink little on natural or canned food, but on dry food, maintaining a drinking regime is incredibly important. Lack of moisture on a dry diet can cause diseases of the genitourinary system.

What to do if your cat goes on strike?

Cats are finicky and very stubborn animals, and therefore a “strike”, accompanied by plaintive meowing and begging for the usual food, during a transfer to a different diet is far from uncommon. Often owners do not have enough willpower, and they give the cat what it asks for.

How to switch a capricious cat from natural or wet food to dry food? Here you will have to resort to more severe measures - to deprive the animal of an alternative. You should leave only water (let the animal drink as much as possible) and dry food. Everything else should be excluded, including treats. Your family members should be aware of what is happening and be at the same time with you. A very hungry cat is unlikely to refuse food.

As a rule, cats capitulate the next day. Be sure to praise your pet in a gentle, encouraging tone.

Many cat owners consider this method of switching to a new food “barbaric”, but we hasten to note that a cat in nature does not eat on a schedule, and a short fast will not harm the cat’s health. Remember that small kittens should not go hungry, and the total period of fasting should not exceed three days.

Situations arise in the life of cats that require adjustments to their usual diet. This may be a disease, the success of treatment of which depends on nutrition, or other reasons. Switching a pet from industrial food to natural food is sometimes fraught with difficulties: the cat refuses to accept unfamiliar food. It will be possible to solve the problem by understanding the nature of animal food reflexes and observing a smooth transition from one type of food to another.

Features of transferring to homemade food

Cats are capricious and very picky eaters. Constant consumption of foods that are unusual for them leads to a restructuring of instincts and the fixation of new eating behavior. If an animal gets used to eating the same food for a long time, it will not like the change in diet.

Natural food is not perceived by the cat as something natural and is not attractive to it. In addition, it can cause an imbalance in the functioning of the body's systems, which do not have enzymes to break down unfamiliar proteins. As a result, the cat feels discomfort and refuses to eat.

Return of food instincts

Many owners make the mistake of following the rule “if he wants, he will eat.” Not all animals begin to accept new food even after a fairly long hunger strike. In such a situation, the principle of gradual replacement is suitable.

Feeding the cat new food begins with small doses, gradually increasing the volume.

The owner needs to be patient: a complete transition can only occur in a month. But it is better to accustom a cat to a new regime for a long time than to spoil its stomach and cause a nervous breakdown, against the background of which the animal will be even more reluctant to accept unfamiliar food. Cats do not tend to stage demonstration hunger strikes. The pet really needs help.

The basis of a cat's natural diet is meat. It is towards reviving the instinct to eat meat that all efforts related to switching to home-cooked food should be directed. There are several ways to accustom your cat to it:

1. 1. The usual dry food is ground into powder and small pieces of meat are “breaded” in it. The cat smells a familiar smell and agrees to eat.
2. 2. The structure of wet food resembles meat components: by mixing minced meat into industrial canned food, you can achieve a positive result.
3. 3. Adding catnip encourages cats to try the food.
4. 4. Natural nutrition does not imply the presence of only animal protein in the diet: all other components are also introduced, in small proportions and strictly one at a time. This will help not harm the digestive system and not cause rejection in the cat.
5. 5. The animal is more likely to eat new food in the morning when it is hungry.

The uneaten portion is not left in the bowl. The “storing” reflex occurs in cats only in the absence of food: in this case, the likelihood that the cat will eat increases.

If the pet still eats, even if little by little and reluctantly, success is practically guaranteed. The cat may lose weight, but after some time it will recover and gain weight and its previous shape.

When a pet does not mind changing the type of food

Even when a cat agrees to a change in diet and is happy with the food offered, it is necessary to gradually replace one type of food with another. Too abrupt a transition to natural feeding will inevitably provoke a disorder in the digestive system and affect the well-being and appearance of the pet. This factor is especially worth considering in a situation where food is changed due to illness.

To switch a cat from dry food to natural food, you should follow the following rules:

• Cooked food and meat are heated until warm.
• New food is introduced gradually, from 10% of the previous diet, gradually increasing the share.
• Cats are given bran and probiotics, which promote better digestion and absorption of unfamiliar foods.
• New food is prepared taking into account the individual inclinations, lifestyle, and physiological characteristics of the pet. Your veterinarian will help you create the right menu.
• Anything left in the bowl should be removed before the next feeding.

Each disease has its own diet, and if your pet is sick, the issue of nutrition should be discussed with your veterinarian.

During the period of transition from industrial food to natural food, you should not give fish to cats: together with dry food, its components can cause urolithiasis. This product is rich not only in protein, but also in phosphorus and magnesium, an excess of which provokes the formation of stones. Even after switching to natural feeding, fish is given to cats no more than twice a week.

Let's talk in general about transporting cats, trips to the clinic, to the country, to the sea or to relatives in a neighboring city.

I propose to divide the article into several parts:

1. In the first part we will talk about fears and stress and their effect on the body.
2. In the second we will learn how to prepare the animal.
3. What you need to take with you on the road.
4. In conclusion, a few words about the necessary vaccinations and the preparation of accompanying documents.

What happens to a cat when it suddenly travels?

How are animals usually transported? In most cases, the cat is simply picked up and forced into a carrier, then taken to an unfamiliar place. Sometimes the journey takes several days.

What happens in this case? Imagine, a cat lived in an apartment for several years, saw the world around him from a window or balcony, and there are so many new things here. New smells, sounds, strangers, transport, screams, barking...

An animal from a familiar environment suddenly finds itself in another world, and everything unidentified causes fear. When there is danger, a natural mechanism is triggered: run away or defend yourself.

When a cat cannot escape, it freezes and practically does not react to others. If you have been to clinics where there is an inpatient facility, you most likely noticed how calmly the animals left for treatment behave. They can easily give an injection or connect a system, that is, an IV, or carry out other necessary manipulations.

Yes, of course, they feel bad about it and already agree to everything. But if you compare a sick animal at home and in a clinic, these are two big differences.

In her apartment, a sick cat will defend herself to the last, sometimes the whole family has to hold her for a routine examination. And when it comes to complex manipulations, it becomes completely difficult.

Why am I making such a long digression and telling you different stories about the clinic and IVs? To draw your attention to some points.

It may seem to you that the animal bravely endures the trip, sits calmly in the carrier and does not even meow. This may be true, but most often the cat is under severe stress, it freezes and does not make any sounds. We see calm outside, but what is happening inside is not noticeable.

And inside the whole body is preparing to fight with all its strength or run as fast as possible. Adrenaline is produced, blood supply to the brain and muscles improves, sense organs are sharpened, more oxygen is supplied, and reserves are used.

An hour or two passes, but the causes of stress do not disappear - we continue the journey, we can still hear the noise of the crowd, foreign smells, and changes in temperature.

Exhaustion sets in, the body cannot constantly be in constant mobilization. In such situations, the cat may begin to make loud noises, scratch the carrier, urinate, and lick itself nonstop. Or he will completely stop reacting to what is happening.

Prolonged or severe stress can lead to serious complications. Neurosis, decreased immunity, exacerbation of chronic diseases, allergies and other disorders are often observed.

It has been noticed that after a trip, a cat more often suffers from infectious diseases, digestive disorders, autoimmune pathologies appear, and chronic ones worsen.

How to prepare a cat for a trip?

You need to start with a comprehensive vaccination, if you have not done so already. For example, if your cat is not vaccinated, then you need to treat it for worms, wait 10 days and get the first vaccination. Then you wait 21-28 days and do a revaccination (repeat), everything is approximately according to the standard scheme.

And again you wait 10-14 days for immunity to develop after the second vaccine, but now you can go outside.

It is more convenient to carry out the first outings in a carrier, so that the cat gets to know the unusual surroundings, hears the sounds of the street, and smells. Leave for 3-5 minutes and go home. Let the cat out in a familiar environment, see that she has calmed down - give her a treat and praise her. The point of such small trips outside is to make it clear that it is not scary or dangerous.

A common mistake is to calm and pet an animal on the street when it is in an excited state. This will only reinforce the wrong reaction. I’m nervous - the owner praises me, which means it’s good. You need to praise and give treats in a calm state. In the future, when the street becomes a familiar place, then the desired behavior can be reinforced there too.

The next day, take a longer walk. I think you understand the principle: daily, in doses, accustom the animal to an unfamiliar environment. Then you can take a walk on a harness and go to places with large crowds of people. A little later, take public transport a stop or two.

Keep in mind that adaptation may take several months, so if you are thinking about how to transport a cat over a long distance, then prepare for this in advance.

Necessary items on the road

You need a durable cat carrier with a door that closes securely. If you are planning a flight, then I recommend that you check with the airline about the carrying requirements.

It is clear that you need a drinking bowl, clean water, food, a harness and a tray. Without the usual tray, there may be problems with the toilet on the road or in a new place.

Take your “favorite” medications, perhaps your pet has chronic diseases and needs certain medications, you can also take an emergency first aid kit.

Yes, they also often ask me what kind of anesthesia to give so that the cat sleeps the whole way. Unfortunately, there are no safe and effective drugs to immobilize and calm animals. Some people use “Cat Bayun”, “Novopassit”, but the results are different; for some it helps, in most cases it doesn’t.

Accompanying documents

In this chapter I will describe the most necessary things that are required almost everywhere when traveling with animals. But when you decide to travel to another country, check the requirements for transporting cats of that country. They are similar in most countries, but may have their own characteristics.

The first thing that must be done is a vaccination against rabies, with a mark and seal of the state veterinarian in the passport. It is important that the vaccine is given no earlier than 30 days before departure and no later than one year.

There must be a veterinary passport, issued with notes on preventive treatments for your animal.

Then, a few days before departure, you need to go to a state veterinary hospital, where you will be issued an F-1 veterinary certificate. In it, the veterinarian will record your data and indicate the route to follow.

At customs, the certificate will be replaced with an international certificate for entry into another state.

In addition, the animal must be microchipped in advance; basic information about the cat and owner will be recorded on it. In most countries this is a mandatory requirement.

Special rules apply when transporting by rail; for some time they required the purchase of a compartment or SV. The rules change periodically, so check this point in advance.

Conclusion

Friends, I have listed the main points, if you have anything to add, write in the comments below, share your experience of traveling with animals.

Cat's hearts absolutely do not require change! That is why your long-awaited vacation (or, for example, moving to another city) will be a great inconvenience for the furry family pet and will bring him only stress and nothing but stress. But abandoning your pets is unworthy of a person, so you should take care in advance not only of your own comfort, but also of the cat’s comfort - after all, you are responsible for the one you tamed, and you cannot escape this. Transporting a cat in a car, even over the longest distances, is no more difficult than traveling with a one-year-old child... Although, of course, no one will call your path easy in either case.

Prepare a special cat moving kit ahead of time, so your cat will survive the unpleasant journey with minimal stress for himself and for you.

Shortly before the moving date, visit your veterinarian and discuss with him all possible (and impossible) problems along the way and in the new place.

Take the phone number of your veterinarian or veterinary clinic: everything that can happen on the road cannot be predicted in advance, and professional advice will never be superfluous.

Moreover, take with you an extract from your medical history, so that in case of some trouble you do not remember in hysterics the name of a painkiller that is dangerous for your pet.

Cat carrier

A cat carrier (a special closed container, not a bag or basket) must be! This is an axiom, the rest is details. Carrying will not only make the move safe for the animal itself, but will also save your nerves. Think for yourself: firstly, you won’t have to catch a frightened cat running around inside a car, especially at a speed of 100 km/h. Secondly, you won’t need to control your every move: for example, when the cat is in a carrier, you can safely open the car door or lower the window, without the risk that the cat will jump out onto the highway at full speed.

When purchasing a cat carrier, keep two important points in mind. First of all, buy a “home on wheels” to grow. Your baby kitten will quickly become a decent-sized cat, and the carrier most often does not stretch. In cramped spaces, but no offense - this is definitely not about cats during road trips, so feel free to buy for your 5-kilogram pet a carrier designed for a 10-kilogram giant.

In addition, be sure to let the cat get used to the carrier: buy it in advance and place it in a place accessible to the animal so that he can independently examine the new thing. Try going out for a walk (briefly) several times in advance with your cat in a carrier. Also arrange a dress rehearsal and go for a ride in the car.

Food and drink

Cats, like dogs, are very susceptible to dehydration, especially under stress. Lack of water can have an extremely negative impact on your pet, so take enough clean water with you and offer your cat a drink at every opportunity.

Food for a cat on a trip is a separate matter. Many people prefer not to feed the cat during the trip - they say that before leaving, he ate a little and that’s enough, there will be less hassle with the toilet.

What if you travel for a day? Or is the cat sick, old, or has he simply never missed lunch in his life? Be prepared for the fact that you will have to feed the cat.

Moving is not the time to wean your cat off his bad eating habits. However, remember, your cat can get poisoned in exactly the same way as you, so if you don’t have a refrigerator in your car, fish, sausages, and other gastronomic excesses will have to be canceled. The best option is dry food or ready-made portions in small packages. Feed the cat as often as he wants (within reason, of course), and you will raise him upon arrival.

If your furry pet has secret weaknesses - for example, he loves some special treats, then traveling is exactly the time when you can allow him this little pampering.

Be sure to take a small supply of food: it is unknown how quickly you will get used to a new place, and the cat needs something to eat.

By the way, don’t forget the dishes: you won’t eat spaghetti with your hands, will you? Don’t make a meal out of the world, take what you need, there’s enough room in the car.

Toys and good mood

Every cat will tell you that a little catnip on the go never hurt anyone. Moreover, mint will make your cat not only more tolerant, but even, if you’re lucky, playful. And don’t forget to take his favorite toys with you, where would you be without them?

Blanket

Cats love everything soft and warm (bags and boxes don’t count), so take at least a blanket with you. It is advisable that this blanket was previously used by the cat for its intended purpose - for a cozy and safe rest. Throwing a blanket right into the carrier will add a little home and safety to an already travel-filled horror.

Toilet matters

It’s clear that after eating, that not-so-fragrant moment of visiting the restroom will definitely come. Take everything you need with you on the road: where (tray), and what to use (filler), and what to use later (scoop and plastic bags). All work must be done in a closed car, so brace yourself. Moving is not an easy task.

Think ahead, is your furry and wonderful pet capable of panicking in a new place and, for example, running away to another neighborhood or throwing itself into the sea in order to swim to get home? Most likely, yes: it’s a rare cat who feels at ease surrounded by other people’s things and new smells.

If you don’t want to write announcements in tears from the series “The cat is missing, return it for a reward, children and adults are suffering” or rush around the area in hysterics shouting “kitty-kitty,” get an ordinary cat leash. This is definitely the lesser evil.

Heavy artillery

Special cat tranquilizers are often the only way to calm an animal after many kilometers of new, and therefore debilitating, experiences. Cats are always very nervous in unusual situations, especially in a car going somewhere. Of course, consult your veterinarian before using any medications. Some veterinarians are strongly against the use of any sedatives.