Christmas Break at home - kinda long, but ?s and cuteness!

Although my Christmas break hasn't "officially" started (I'm at home but have to go back to school Thursday for ONE exam cuz one of my profs conveniently changed her mind, so now I have a final), I'm already at home with all the pets from school - including Oliver... we did our usual procedure in the car (long story short: he has limited freedom in the car, but isn't restricted to his carrier) - he acted almost the same he always does, but I noticed he was panting a little more than most times he's in the car (usually on longer trips, he pants for a bit in the beginning, but settles down, this trip he panted on and off the whole trip) it worries me cuz I know it means he's stressed... and I dont have the heat blasting in the car - I turn it on to warm up the car while I pack, then I turn it down so it's a tepid air coming out... just curious if there's any way to ease the panting for the trip back in January (I have "Pet-EZE for cats" which my parents used for him once but I didn't get the chance to give him one before we left - are these ok? If they are, my mom said they calmed him down, so I'll make sure to give him one before we head back)... any suggestions are welcomed - btw... he pants more and is more upset if I keep him locked in the carrier for the 3 hours

Now for the situation at home... my mom is somewhat allergic to him and he and the dog dont get along, so all the other times he's stayed here, he's been restricted to my room (It's fairly large) but I would harness him occasionally and bring him downstairs for a change in scenery (while the dog is outside playing with her boyfriend-dog next door all afternoon)... well I brought him down the other day and my mom said I could let him explore as long as he didn't get on the furniture... so I took off his harness and he originally bolted back upstairs to my room... so, I just left my bedroom door open and closed my parents' bedroom door (so he wouldnt get on my parents' bed).. well I thought it was interesting because he's been slowly introducing himself to the house (kinda like you would with a new cat in your house, but he's got the run of the house and is limiting himself!).. he started by just chillin in my room looking into the hall, then he would come down the steps, peek around the corner and run back up... today he explored the living room and dining room in the morning and the rest of the house this afternoon - he's been a great boy and hasnt even tried getting on the furniture! I'm just so glad he doesnt have to stay cooped in my room for a whole month!

Now for the ultimate cuteness: Santa Paws was at PetSmart today, so my mom and I loaded BOTH the cat and dog (in the same car!!) and took them to get pictures with him! Oliver wore his Santa coat and Cuddles wore her Santa hat.. they weren't in the same picture of course, but the pictures turned out GREAT! Once I get them scanned in, I'll put them on my site so you all can see! If y'all are interested, Santa Paws' last appearance at PetSmart will be the 17th and 18th from 11-4 and with the petsmart card it's $8.95 ($9.95 without) for two polaroids of your pet and Santa and two different frames and $5 of it goes to local homeless pets (FYI: if you have two pets like me and dont want them in the same pic you can get one package and get one pic of each pet... that's what we did)...

Ok, I'm done, haha - just figured I'd do one post instead of a million!

Oliver is such a handsome fellow! I can't wait to see him with Santa.

I hope to get the pictures posted today

Any suggestions about the car-ride part of the post? hehe, thanks!

I haven tried the travel thing yet, Smidge barely goes a mile before I'm ready to lose it with her LOL, so I dont have a comment on that - sorry!

I'm a fan of Oliver's so I can't wait for his pic!!

I found out the hard way about Santa pics over the w/e at PetSmart...the crowd was huge and rowdy, not to mention the parking lot, and I just wanted a bag of dry cat food! Smidge is afraid of anything that doesnt involve her three-room kingdom (otherwise known as the apt she lets me live in too) so I'm sorry to say I will never get to experience such a great thing!

She is being dragged out for Bless the Animals day at church though, no matter what she says about it.

Yeah, Oliver did surprisingly well... especially considering my black lab was with us as well... we got there pretty much right for 11am on Sunday and there was only one other dog in front of us - so just a word of advice for those of you going - go early!

Also, today we tried some introducing of the dog and cat because I'd like to be able to let him roam when the dog's home too and not just have to wait til she goes out - I opened my bedroom door but left the baby gate up and instead of running away under the bed, Oliver ran TO the baby gate to see Cuddles and Cuddles ran away! HAHA, I think things would be much easier if the dog wasn't such a loud mouth, haha... any suggestions on this would be greatly appreciated too!

bump! i have the same issue with my babies - they are going to go home with me too. last time we drove back they did okay (meowed for a while but then slept) but i still think they were stressed out, and i want to make the ride as smooth as possible for them ... if anyone knows that would be awesome!!

where's Oliver's Santa pic??

Originally Posted by CDubbie

where's Oliver's Santa pic??

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Sorry! I've been working on it, but something's wrong with our scanner here at home and I've tried everything in my abilities to fix it and haven't been able to, so it's up to dad now... if he can't fix it tonite, I'm taking the pictures with me to school tomorrow (cuz I have to go back for one stupid exam on Thursday! ) and will scan them in on my scanner and post them.... sorry for the delay!!! I will DEFINTIELY post a note on this thread when they are up on the site! Everyone's waiting to see them... you guys, family, friends, the vet, the kitty sitter, haha so I'm under a lot of pressure, but I promise I'll get them up soon! (don't come after me with firey torches just yet!)

Originally Posted by BuzbyJLC10

don't come after me with firey torches just yet!

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*waves lighter in front of torch* Ok, where is it? I have a Bik and I know how to use it *flicks at the lighter futally* dang childproofing!!!! OK! I have a Bik and I'll find someone who knows how to use it!!!! *waves flameless torch*

When I visit my parents upstate the drive is about 5 hours from Queens and I take my kitties with me. They are pretty good but shamus cries off and on for the first couple of hours. I take away the food before I go to bed and the water when I get up to get ready to go. I always leave around 4 or 5 in the morning so they dont get too hungary and I get in around 10 or 11. You should try putting him in the carrier, it may calm him more to be in small space while traveling. I usaully dont listen to music or smoke (which is hard for me) because I dont want to have to open the window and give them a chill and I also dont want them breathing it in. I also only stop once to get gas and try to make it less then a 5 minute stop. You want to make sure that it is warm enough for him to. I think the best thing you can do is leave early so he is tired and is more likly to sleep. Knock on wood I have never had a problem with them having to go to the bathroom and having an accident. I dont like to let them out of the carrier in the car because I am afraid it will be hard to get them back in. I am also afraid to let them roam in the car because if i get i a wreck they are safer in the carrier.

Originally Posted by touro1979

When I visit my parents upstate the drive is about 5 hours from Queens and I take my kitties with me. They are pretty good but shamus cries off and on for the first couple of hours. I take away the food before I go to bed and the water when I get up to get ready to go. I always leave around 4 or 5 in the morning so they dont get too hungary and I get in around 10 or 11. You should try putting him in the carrier, it may calm him more to be in small space while traveling. I usaully dont listen to music or smoke (which is hard for me) because I dont want to have to open the window and give them a chill and I also dont want them breathing it in. I also only stop once to get gas and try to make it less then a 5 minute stop. You want to make sure that it is warm enough for him to. I think the best thing you can do is leave early so he is tired and is more likly to sleep. Knock on wood I have never had a problem with them having to go to the bathroom and having an accident. I dont like to let them out of the carrier in the car because I am afraid it will be hard to get them back in. I am also afraid to let them roam in the car because if i get i a wreck they are safer in the carrier.

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My trip is between 3 and 4 hours from State College to south jersey.... I've tried keeping him in the carrier but he tears at it furiously and screams at the top of his little lungs if it's more than like a half hour (ie: he's ok to go to the vet's, to see santa and the kitty sitter's, but more than that and it's like I've got a devil spawn in that carrier!) So the carrier is secured to the passenger's seat and his leash to the leash clip in the carrier (and then to his harness).. so once I'm on the highway, I let him out so he has a bit of freedom, but cant get like under my feet or anything.... and no matter what time I try leaving, the car simply riles him up... as for the food and water, I dont take it away as I put his litter box in the car, accessable to him, and he readily uses it if he has to go during the trip (that can be occasionally stinky, but it doesnt last long, haha)... I dont usually have to stop during the trip (unless I'm the one who has to pee! haha) and I do play music, but not loudly - he is used to music and me singing so I don't think that bothers him (I tend not to play anything hard or like rap when he's in the car but stick to pop or country)... as far as the temp in the car, I dont have the heat up high, nor do I have the AC on, but I notice his pads get kinda warm and he pants (due to stress and raised body temp) so I keep it tepid and never open my window, as that would scare the begeezus outa him at 75 mph! He's immediately calm again when we get to wherever we're going... thanks for your experiences! Any more are definitely welcome!!

The Santa Paws pictures should be up tomorrow once I get home again! I really need to get off this site like now and get studying for tomorrow!!!! Dad told me he got the scanner fixed this morning, but I had to head back up here... and btw, its REALLY weird not having Oliver in the apartment with me!

Originally Posted by BuzbyJLC10

Yeah, Oliver did surprisingly well... especially considering my black lab was with us as well... we got there pretty much right for 11am on Sunday and there was only one other dog in front of us - so just a word of advice for those of you going - go early!

Also, today we tried some introducing of the dog and cat because I'd like to be able to let him roam when the dog's home too and not just have to wait til she goes out - I opened my bedroom door but left the baby gate up and instead of running away under the bed, Oliver ran TO the baby gate to see Cuddles and Cuddles ran away! HAHA, I think things would be much easier if the dog wasn't such a loud mouth, haha... any suggestions on this would be greatly appreciated too!

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My parents have a dog as well as two cats. With the cats I didnt do the slow introduction thing I have to admit but it all worked out. When I first brought max and shamus to my parents house I just let them out of the carrier and Sasha and toby, my parents two siamese were a little nervous at first but they warmed up quickly to my boys. My guys were not the least bit intimidated, they went right up and started to lick toby (much to tobies initial disgust) As far as the dog this was a little more complicated. My parents dog sleeps in the basement so at night the cats have the run of the house (it is fully furnished basement with carpeting as well as my younger brother living down there to keep the dog company) but during the day when someone is home the dog has the run of the house except upstairs which is off limits and cat only territory. I first started introducing the dog to my cats with the dog on a leash so I can control her (she is a large almost 70 pound sherperd mix). Max is afraid of the dog and runs upstairs and watches the dog from the top of the stairs but Shamus has NO fear, he started to attack the dog and now the dog has a healthy respect for cats and avoids them. Now i can leave them alone as long as I am nearby to break up any fights but things go pretty smooth since shamus asserted dominance over the dog Needless to say when I go home to visit, its like a zoo By the way oliver is really cute. he looks just like my first cat rusty who died a couple of years ago.
steve

Ok, so I finally got the pictures in the computer! They're not the greatest quality, as they were taken with a polaroid but here they are!

Cuddles with Santa Paws

Oliver with Santa Paws