"Queso" is Spanish for "evil agorophobic cat".
Wow, hello! Long time, no talk, etc. I do have a half-written post around here somewhere, but first I am in desperate need of advice. *g*
This afternoon I was supposed to leave for Texas. Since it's too long a drive for one shot, I usually split it in half and stay in Jackson. No biggie. I brought my cat with me on the last trip at Christmas. Queso wasn't thrilled, though he eventually settled down. To prepare for this trip, I've had his carrier out on the floor for a few days, and he seemed fine. (It's one of those soft-sided Sherpa duffels.) Well, I put him in the carrier then did my last few prep things before leaving. Guess I forgot to zip it completely shut, because Queso somehow escaped, and all hell broke loose. First, he hid under the bed and hissed when I tried to approach. I finally managed to coax him out of the bedroom and shut the door tight, but he continued to hiss and even thrash out in defensive motions if I got close. Cat treats don't work. At one point I actually got to pick him up and was this close to getting him in the carrier -- and of course he escaped again and nearly attacked me. I opened a container of soft food and added some prescription benadryl that the vet gave me for the last trip. That made Queso sleepy, but he still hisses if I touch him.
UGH. After an hour of this, I gave up on leaving today. It sucks and really screws up some family commitments, but such is life. I was hoping to somehow coax him back in the carrier tomorrow, but now I'm rethinking the whole thing. If he's this freaked out about getting in the carrier, then an 800-mile road trip with my parents' hyper pets on the other end might be too much. (It took him several days to calm down and acclimate at Christmas.) I've left him home dozens of times when I flew, but always with a neighbor checking on him and never longer than 8 days. Problem is, I don't know how long I'll be gone this trip; I'd planned for as long as two weeks. Last weekend my upstairs neighbor told me she'd be happy to check on my cat while I'm gone, and I'm waiting for her to get home so I can ask. He's been fine before, and I'm sure he'll be fine again. But I'm still wary and DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO! GAH! Any advice would be dearly appreciated!
This afternoon I was supposed to leave for Texas. Since it's too long a drive for one shot, I usually split it in half and stay in Jackson. No biggie. I brought my cat with me on the last trip at Christmas. Queso wasn't thrilled, though he eventually settled down. To prepare for this trip, I've had his carrier out on the floor for a few days, and he seemed fine. (It's one of those soft-sided Sherpa duffels.) Well, I put him in the carrier then did my last few prep things before leaving. Guess I forgot to zip it completely shut, because Queso somehow escaped, and all hell broke loose. First, he hid under the bed and hissed when I tried to approach. I finally managed to coax him out of the bedroom and shut the door tight, but he continued to hiss and even thrash out in defensive motions if I got close. Cat treats don't work. At one point I actually got to pick him up and was this close to getting him in the carrier -- and of course he escaped again and nearly attacked me. I opened a container of soft food and added some prescription benadryl that the vet gave me for the last trip. That made Queso sleepy, but he still hisses if I touch him.
UGH. After an hour of this, I gave up on leaving today. It sucks and really screws up some family commitments, but such is life. I was hoping to somehow coax him back in the carrier tomorrow, but now I'm rethinking the whole thing. If he's this freaked out about getting in the carrier, then an 800-mile road trip with my parents' hyper pets on the other end might be too much. (It took him several days to calm down and acclimate at Christmas.) I've left him home dozens of times when I flew, but always with a neighbor checking on him and never longer than 8 days. Problem is, I don't know how long I'll be gone this trip; I'd planned for as long as two weeks. Last weekend my upstairs neighbor told me she'd be happy to check on my cat while I'm gone, and I'm waiting for her to get home so I can ask. He's been fine before, and I'm sure he'll be fine again. But I'm still wary and DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO! GAH! Any advice would be dearly appreciated!