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- Jan 29, 2019
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Hi all,
Just posting a quick question in hopes of getting some advice. The tl;dr is - which would be more stressful for my nervous cat, extreme heat or a temporary move?
Maggie is a semi-feral who's been with me for a year and a half. She's a real snuggle bug now and very attached to me, but it took several months to reach this point (as in, she wouldn't let me touch her for 3+ months) and she's still very cautious around other people. She gets spooked easily, especially around men. Under normal circumstances I wouldn't consider taking her anywhere new.
However. I live (alone) in a third-floor apartment with no central air that retains heat like an oven. I've got a bunch of fans and a crappy portable A/C unit, but even so last summer was stupid hot and there were a few days I seriously worried about Maggie's health. There's currently a heat warning in effect in my area for the next three days for temperatures in the mid-30s (celsius) and nearing 40 with humidity. I've ordered another window AC unit, but it won't arrive for a few weeks.
I have the option to take Maggie to my parents for the week. They live 20 minutes away in a house with central air. Maggie likes my sister and my mom ok, but is still nervous around my dad. They also have an energetic lab (who has lived with a cat before, but not in recent years). I could keep Maggie confined to the office where I sleep.
Obviously every cat is different, but does anyone have any advice or experience with this? I should note that the foster home Maggie originally lived in had several other cats and dogs, so even though she's alone here with me I don't think it would be totally new to her. She's just very skittish and I don't want to traumatize her or damage our relationship. I know cats might tolerate the heat a bit better than humans, but I think this is pushing it. Other friends with cats seem to have no qualms about bringing their pets on trips with them, but other friends don't have cowards like I do. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.
Just posting a quick question in hopes of getting some advice. The tl;dr is - which would be more stressful for my nervous cat, extreme heat or a temporary move?
Maggie is a semi-feral who's been with me for a year and a half. She's a real snuggle bug now and very attached to me, but it took several months to reach this point (as in, she wouldn't let me touch her for 3+ months) and she's still very cautious around other people. She gets spooked easily, especially around men. Under normal circumstances I wouldn't consider taking her anywhere new.
However. I live (alone) in a third-floor apartment with no central air that retains heat like an oven. I've got a bunch of fans and a crappy portable A/C unit, but even so last summer was stupid hot and there were a few days I seriously worried about Maggie's health. There's currently a heat warning in effect in my area for the next three days for temperatures in the mid-30s (celsius) and nearing 40 with humidity. I've ordered another window AC unit, but it won't arrive for a few weeks.
I have the option to take Maggie to my parents for the week. They live 20 minutes away in a house with central air. Maggie likes my sister and my mom ok, but is still nervous around my dad. They also have an energetic lab (who has lived with a cat before, but not in recent years). I could keep Maggie confined to the office where I sleep.
Obviously every cat is different, but does anyone have any advice or experience with this? I should note that the foster home Maggie originally lived in had several other cats and dogs, so even though she's alone here with me I don't think it would be totally new to her. She's just very skittish and I don't want to traumatize her or damage our relationship. I know cats might tolerate the heat a bit better than humans, but I think this is pushing it. Other friends with cats seem to have no qualms about bringing their pets on trips with them, but other friends don't have cowards like I do. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.