cats on holiday....

[Nicos]

I just wondered what people think of taking their cats on holiday to France ?

I have 2 cats and a house in the Suisse Normande. The journey from door to door can be minimised to 9 hrs. Would you consider taking cats for a three week break, or even a 2 week one??

I have 3 sets of neighbours I can ask to feed them in the UK,so that's no problem, but they really seem to miss us when we are gone .

What do you think??

[Bluebell]

At one time I lived in Dundee and was back and forth to a remote island off Shetland.  My cat used to stop eating when I went so I started taking it with me, along with the dog.  It was a half day's drive to Aberdeen, a very stormy 14 hour voyage to Lerwick, then a day hanging around Lerwick for the teatime boat over to the island.  So about 32 hours, horrible weather and two crossings.  But my cat was still far happier to be with me than left at home.

But taking them to France, is it the same as with a dog?  Injections, a pet passport and a visit to the vet before returning?  I'm not sure I could be bothered with all that.

[KathyF]

I'd be afraid of the cats wandering off and getting lost in a strange place.  We don't have cats now, but when we moved house 7 years ago, one of our two got out and disappeared within a day of moving in and we never saw her again.  Because we now spend each summer in France, we feel we can't risk having another cat, much as I love having cats around.

[Anna]

Personally, if you have 3 sets of neighbours willing to feed your cats, I would leave them at home, especially if your holiday is only for 2 or 3 weeks. I think that cats (unlike dogs) are happiest in the surroundings they know and, normally, don't really miss their owners too much! There are exceptions, of course, but, if your cats are healthy when you have returned from previous holidays, then, I would keep them at home.

It is a long way over to France and, as the OP, has said, it would be a big hassle with Pet Passports too. In the past, when we lived in the UK, we always left our cats at home with a friend or neighbour organised to feed daily and we have always come home to healthy cats and a big purry welcome!

So, I wouldn't put your cats through the trauma of travelling if you don't have to and be happy in the knowledge that you're doing the best for them. 

[Acoustic]

We divide our times between the UK and France and our cat comes with us every time.  He hardly seems to miss a beat when he finds himself in different places.  He seems to know which house has the cat door, which one doesn't, where his food bowls are, where his cat acquaintances live, etc, etc.  Of course he can't say so but he seems perfectly happy with the arrangement!

He travels in a big cage (large dog size) which fills the back of our MPV and which has his cushion, litter tray and food dishes and we make sure it is placed quite high up with the luggage underneath so he can see us and the passing scenery.  The only time he gets a bit fed-up is if we travel at night and there isn't anything to see.  He does need a pet passport and I have to take him to the local vet for the France to UK run (tick and tapeworm treatment, about €35) but other than that it is a pretty painless trip.  We did get some tranquillisers from the vet for his first few trips but he never needs those now.  The trip, including one of the longer ferry crossings is about 20 to 24 hours but with the large cage he doesn't even need to come out for the UK to France run and only to have his micro-chip scanned when we go from France to the UK. 

[Nicos]

It's very interesting to hear from you all.

We had a cat many years ago which travelled with us every weekend to various parts of the UK- up to about 4 hrs of travelling, and stayed in the bedrooms of where we were staying.

He did this from being 8 wks old and was really quite happy about it.

These 2 cats are 8 and 12 and never travelled which is why I'm concerned- and they have always lived in the same house- and never been in a cattery.

That's why I am concerned as to what period of time we should consider the minimum length of stay. If it were for the whole of the summer I'd not hesitate!

Both cats were rabies vaccinated last year and they have had their boosters just in case.

More thoughts please!!!!......

[andyh4]

Our cats regularly travel back and forward between France and Germany and have no problem adapting to the new environment, BUT they do spend roughly 50% of their time in each locations so they probably can regard both as home.

If it were a one off 3 week trip I would probably advise against but if it is 3 weeks say every 3 months, then maybe it would be worth a try.

[Nicos]

OK...an update....

We will be going for 4 weeks now (....I know...such a bore....[Www])

So they're coming with us!

Bit nervous but I've read up on previous threads here which have been very interesting- thankyou!

Shopping list:-

2 puppy wired carriers/cages

puppy training pads

2 harnesses and leads

squeezy water bottle

comfort towels and throws.

Think we'll do the tunnel as we'll be around them for longer than on a 3 1/2 hr speed ferry.

Will also take plastic bags to chuck out any stinky stuff and a handful of dried food if they get peckish.

I'll need to get a couple of litter trays, scoop and litter for when we get there ( cat-flap cats here) and I'll take out their usual feed bowls.

Have I missed anything out???? ( apart from the cats , their usual food and their passports??)

One other thing....do people take out their own wormer and frontline or is the price in France much the same at British vets???

[Anna]

Hi

You asked the question......answer is, I think, you haven't missed anything out.

I think, you didn't really want to hear any other answer to your original question, which was:

"I just wondered what people think of taking their cats on holiday to France ?
I have 2 cats and a house in the Suisse Normande. The journey from door to door can be minimised to 9 hrs. Would you consider taking cats for a three week break, or even a 2 week one??
I have 3 sets of neighbours I can ask to feed them in the UK,so that's no problem, but they really seem to miss us when we are gone .
What do you think??"

as you had already made up your mind!

You have decided to go for four weeks and, I think, your cats will be fine. However, I do also think that your cats would have been fine (and probably less stresseed) if left at home, considering that you had the offer of of 3 reliable neighbours offer to look after them.

You really have to think of the best for your cats. Cats, unlike dogs, are happiest in their own surroundings. So, there you go, that's my tuppence worth, for what it's worth!

In my opinion, to put your cats through a lot of unneccessary upset, in the belief that you're doing the best for them, is totally unrealistic. Let's face it, you are doing this for you. You feel guilty at the thought of leaving them for 4 weeks. Well, you are their owners, and obviously you love them to bits but, please think of them, not yourselves.

Sorry to go on, I really am a devoted cat lover, but if I hadn't been coming over here for good, I wouldn/t contemplate bringing my cats on holiday with me, even for 4 weeks, especially if you had offers of responsible people to look after them. Cats are different from dogs. Cats are happiest in their own environment, whereas, dogs are happier with their owners.

I'm sure others will disagree with my opinion, but I've been a cat and dog owner for many many years and this is my opinion.

Best wishes

Anna

[Nicos]

Thanks Anna- good to have a heart-felt reply.

Yes- we have decided to take them with us- it took a lot of consideration- I think you are probably right in that we are being selfish.

3 weeks and we wouldn't have considered it.

However , we may well end up living  permanently in our French home and between now and then spend longer and longer periods of time between the two places.

I'll let you know when we return if it was Ok or a mistake!....fingers crossed.

[Fay]

Hi Nicos

My cat comes with me on any trip of longer than a week. In the last two years she has accompanied me 14 times - in fact I have had to get a new passport for her as we have almost filled up the first one. Last year was the longest trip so far, 6 weeks in July and August, but this summer we will be there for 9 lovely weeks.

She is equally at home in both houses - basically, with her, it seems to be the case that where ever I am is home!

She has always been a good traveller, just settles herself down and snoozes through the journey. I always travel with a litter tray and covered bowls of dried food and water but she has never indulged in any of them.

I heartily recommend using the tunnel - you remain with your pets rather than leaving them alone on a smelly, noisy car deck, plus of course it's far quicker.

Having said all this, our journey time averages 4.5 hours.

Hope your trip goes well and that your pets are as contented international travellers as Pyewacket is!

Very best

Fay

[Fay]

PS - I would leave it to the vet to provide the treatments for pet passport purposes, that way you will be sure that the correct product has been used.

Now that both treatments are in drop form it's far less traumatic than it was early on when it meant an injection every time.

Best

Fay

[Nicos]

That's reassuring Fay- thanks!

Out of interest, as we are considering doing the tunnel- are there any vets close to the terminal where you can just turn up, or do you have to make appointments?

I know they have to be treated a maximum of 72 hrs before returning to the UK- but is it better to do the whole thing in one journey, or take them to a local vet a couple of days before leaving?

[Fay]

Hi Nicos

It's very specific - the treatment has to be done NO MORE THAN 48 hours and NO LESS THAN 24 hours before you REGISTER your pet at check-in. (Please forgive the SHOUT, this is very important. The vet must log time and date and even batch of inoculation on the passport and my gosh they really do check everything, at the tunnel at least. Plus you have to scan their microchip at the time of checking in.)

Not sure where the 72 hours has come from but forget it - that would result in long delays, probably overnight (you and cats), re-inoculation and a 24-hr wait (1st bit them, 2nd bit you and them). Not ideal.

For me it has been a great thing to establish a relationship with a local vet - Pye is now on their computer system etc. So - if we are crossing at 2pm on the Sunday I pop along at 5pm (when they open) on the Friday. No appointment needed.

But that's my vet - I advise you think about the timing and logistics and work out where is best for you and your cats, well in advance of your return home.

[Nicos]

Oh gosh.....thanks![:-))]

The vet I spoke to clearly got her times wrong![:@]

You've certainly put my mind at ease Fay.......thanks for taking the time to reply!

[Jo]

Fay, Pyewacket??? There's GOT to be a story there![8-)]

[Fay]

Hi Jo

You'd be amazed (as I was when I googled) how many cats are called Pyewacket! Also a racehorse, a 70s folkie band, a Boston restaurant and Roy (brother of Walt) Disney's yacht!

The most famous Pyewacket is in the film "Bell, Book, and Candle" starring Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak, the latter as a modern Manhattan witch who casts a spell on Jimmy S - her 'familiar' is a large Siamese cat called Pyewacket.

But the name first appears, as far as I know, in an engraving of Matthew Hopkins, the Witchfinder General, in which a poor old dear is listing the names of her 'imps', including Vinegar Tom, Grizzel Greediguts - and Pyewackett. Hopkins concluded that she was in league with the devil because no human mind could come up with such outlandish names - oops!

I think most people are referencing the movie rather than ancient East Anglian witch trials....

My Pye, as you can see from her pic, looks like a little imp. The French have all sorts of trouble pronouncing the name so most of them think she is called Paille (straw), which also suits her rough, wavy coat and long skinny legs.

Best

Fay

[vervialle]

It is interesting looking at the different replys, I have always had cats for 30 years and when I first went to France and camped, I was amazed to see the french campers with cats, I would book my cat then into a cattery in England, but I was just amazed how these people just brought their cats with them.It was always out of the question for us due to the laws of the U.K. regarding Rabies, so it was never a consideration.However when they brought the pet passport scheme in,  I had a young cat and I thought if the French can transport their cats when they holiday so can I. I am not sure I would start it with an elderly cat , but I had a two year old, so I got the passport sorted and she comes with us every time we go to France, it may be two weeks it may be three months,she travels well in a cage with food water and litter tray, I use eurotunnel so she is never left, I would hate her to be in the hold of a ferry as it is so noisy.She settles in our french house within hours, cannot wait to get into the barn with all the mice, loves chasing the lizards and I think she is happier in France as she has so much space, we have a small garden in England.The first time I did the journey,450 miles from Calais, I kept stopping to let her out of the cage on a lead, but now I do the journey in one, she sleeps all the way and never eats or drinks in her cage despite me putting it all there for her, when we arrive she tucks in to a huge bowlful, and is happy just to be with us.She is loved like a child and so I would reccomend it to anybody where their pet is an important part of their life, we love taking her and enjoy seeing her have the freedom she does not have in England, but it is funny when we go home in September, she is quite happy to settle into another english winter, by our log fire,almost pleased to have a quiet life after her busy summer.It has worked out so well, we take her to a vet for her treatment on the monday and travel home on the Tuesday, our local vets in France are brilliant and make such a fuss of her, she is just an ordinary tabby and I think they just think it is normal to bring her with us.It works very well and I never have that heart renching feeling of leaving her.She accepts the lead very well and when my husband drives home she sits on my lap all the way home , with a few starnge looks from the Toll cashiers on the motorway, I always keep her lead on as a saftey measure.Unlike the previous poster, I think it is more traumatic for a very loved pet to be left, than be with you, but the younger you start it with an animal, the more they will adapt. Good luck.

[Nicos]

An update to our 4 week stay in France.....

Well we finally decided to take both cats in seperate cages bought from Pets at Home - the smallest dog size.

3 1/2 hr trip to Portsmouth one cat mewed for 1/2 hr- the other for just over an hour and then they both slept the rest of the way.

They were certainly more settled with a cloth over the cage so they could only see forwards.

No problem on the boat- 6 hrs - both were sleeping when we got back to the car.We'd left all the windows slightly ajar.

1 hr to the house with no mewing.

2 days in the bedroom and the cat which cried less in the car was desperate to explore the house, and by the next day was off mouse catching in the garden and field. The other cat stayed under the bed for a couple more days and then joined the other cat in the garden.

Both loved the hunting and were rarely seen without a mouse hanging from their mouths!!

By the end of the second week they had settled in thoroughly.

The trip to the vets was fine (46 hrs before check-in)( 1st cats he'd had to do passports for) They cost E69 for them both to be wormed and defleaed and the passports filled in.

Home journey was quieter with one cat but the other one needed a bowel movement and mewed until he'd done it.

Neither cat ate or drank on the journies although they had access to both. The puppy training sheets in the cages were useful incase of 'accidents'

We hadn't expected to get them out at the French port for their chips to be read, but they were fine as we were taken to a sealed room.

Yep I'd do it again for 2 1/2 weeks or more- perhaps by this time next year I'd take them for a week or more.

Both cats settled back home with no problems.

Thanks for all your advice folks. These middle aged cats settled in really well - phew!

[Catalpa]

[quote user="Fay"]Hi Jo

You'd be amazed (as I was when I googled) how many cats are called Pyewacket! [/quote]

And here's another one. [:D]

[IMG]http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a12/angos/-wacktail-1.jpg[/IMG]

But he's Wacket for short. [8-|]

[Jo]

Oh WOW!!!![:-))] What a tail!!! He's beautiful![:D]