Vacations are meant to be enjoyable for humans, but they may create stress in cats, resulting in behavioral issues and separation anxiety. Cat behavior issues might emerge when the owner is away, traveling, or returning. While some cats can handle travel, hotels, or kennels, most cats prefer to remain at home with a pet sitter. While this isn’t always feasible, there are actions you can do to reduce your cat’s stress and the risk of vacation behavior issues.

Changes in Your Cat’s Environment

To the point where altering anything might possibly lead them to get anxious, cats are creatures of habit and thrive on consistency. There are a variety of changes for cats when their owners go on vacation, including the absence of their owners, different feeding times, less care, encountering new people, and, if they are boarded, experiencing new locations.

The time it takes your cat to acclimate to and accept a new habit may range anywhere from five days to two weeks, and in some cases even longer. Consider how long it takes some cats to welcome additional cats into their household or to get acclimated to a new environment. Both of these scenarios highlight how rigid cats can be when it comes to their behavior.

Stress may also be added to your cat’s life by an outsider, such as a pet sitter, who does not follow the established schedule. Your cat will have adjusted to the new pattern while you are away on vacation, and then the pet sitter will modify their daily routine once again when you return. Because they haven’t had a chance to reapply their cheek-rub marks while you’ve been gone, your cat will no longer recognize you when you return. A number of cats hide, become protective, or engage in undesirable behavior as a consequence of this.

Using the Restroom Outside the Box

Whenever there is a change in the family, cats are more prone to improper elimination, particularly urinating outside the litter box, which is one of the most prevalent behavioral issues seen. It is possible for cats to respond aggressively or fearfully toward pet sitters that they do not know or when they are in unfamiliar places such as boarding facilities. These feelings may induce them to pee outside of their litter box as a means of communicating with us that they are worried or stressed out.

Because cats like the fragrance of their own bodies, the urine marking process may also assist to relax them by spreading their scent onto things that smell like their owner’s body odor. Urine is difficult to remove from goods such as furniture, carpets, and mattresses, making it a terrible experience for individuals to deal with and clean up after it has accumulated.

Excessive Scratching in Cats

In addition to unwanted urination, cats may also start scratching things more if they are upset or stressed. Scratching is a natural behavior and is used to maintain the health of their claws and to mark their territory. But this behavior may increase and become an issue during stressful times for your cat.

Cats Engage in Hiding Behavior

Cats are naturally fearful of new things, and if your cat is afraid, he or she will flee. Your cat’s attempts to hide from the pet sitter, at a boarding facility, and even when you come home are all related to the fact that he is afraid of the environment.

Cats Engage in Aggressive Behavior

When a cat is terrified or agitated, he or she may react violently or defensively.

1 This is often seen in cats that are experiencing high stress due to being in a new scenario or setting. Fear and worry in cats may manifest itself in a variety of ways, including swatting, hissing, lunging, and biting.

Vacation and Decreasing Stress in Cats

There are various things cat owners may do to help their cats prepare for a vacation:

Ask the pet sitter to meet your cat as many times as possible before you leave. The pet sitter should give your cat their favorite goodies and play with them. This will help your cat connect the pet sitter with good feelings. Let your pet run away. Don’t force a meet and greet.
Bring out your bag a week before to get your cat acquainted to it. Treats or toys will help the cat associate your baggage with a good thing. Dies gilt auch für Ihren Katzentransporter.

You should inform the pet caretaker of your daily routine. It is crucial to keep your cat’s routine consistent for meals, playing, grooming, and lap-sitting activities. If you know the routine will alter while you are gone, make the modifications a few days ahead of time so the cat is not stressed by your absence.

Leave a fragrant object, like an unwashed t-shirt, for your cat. Leaving this in your cat’s bed might help them relax. Some cats like having your voice or message played while you’re gone, while others become unhappy, so try it out before you depart.

Before you go, let your cat choose from a pair of socks from each member of the family. Rub the socks all over the cat and bag them separately. When you return from vacation, put on the cat-scented socks to remind you that “you are family.”

If you are boarding your cat, pack their favorite toys, snacks, and stuff that smell like you. Try to get the facility to follow your typical feeding and play hours. Inform the staff about your cat’s preferences, and if you must transport your cat, make sure it is in a container covered with a towel. Play quiet music and secure the carrier with a seat belt or on the car’s floor to keep them calm. You may also include some sweets or favorite foods.

Stressed cats may benefit from medications, dietary supplements, and pheromones.

1 Many of these tasks may be started before departing on vacation.