? Holidays, travel, petsitters, oh my? - New question!

[Allie & Gen]

I have a significant quandary, and I'm wondering if any of you have thoughts or experience to share. Even commiseration would be welcome, honestly!

This is also just kind of venting ... and long. Thanks for bearing with me.

So I live half a state away from many of my loved ones. I have tons of friends in my area, and my partner (ours is a very non-traditional relationship setup which I'm not going to get into detail right now). But my parents and my two best friends, each of whom has a family of their own (including little ones who are my nieces) all live back in my hometown, a two hour drive away. Normally, I go spend at least a week out there in late December for holiday celebrations and reconnecting. My brother and SIL come up from PA. I've really been looking forward to it, as I miss them all a lot, and I haven't even had a chance to meet my newest niece yet (she was born in June).

But ... it's hard to imagine being away from Eugenides for such a significant chunk of time, especially since everything with his health is kind of up in the air right now (recent FD re-diagnosis, numbers unstable, dental problems significant and in need of treatment as soon as we can sort out a plan). Normally, I'd just have a combination of friends and roommate help out to feed him and look in on him briefly every day, but that's not going to cut it now. I don't think any of them would be up for the injections, or installing a new Libre if needed, or spending a lot of time trying to get food into him if his numbers drop too low, etc etc etc. That's a lot, especially over an extended period.

I hired a vet tech (one I didn't know, from the local emergency vet) to feed and dose him over a few days for Thanksgiving 2021. We weren't doing home blood tests. When I got home, she and my roommates at the time gave me completely different stories about when she'd been there. Gen seemed to come away from it fine, and in fact he was officially in remission not long after, but it shook me. My vet (who I trust) gave me a contact she trusts to set me up with someone, but I just don't know?

On the other hand, I've never brought Gen home with me because a) he hates being in cars and especially the highway (and I haven't managed to successfully get him to take gabapentin), and b) my parents aren't pet people. They love their kids' cats (though it took a few years for my dad to come around, honestly) but their house is not really set up for them, and I'm not sure how they'd cope with furniture potentially getting clawed or tons of hair to clean up after, sufficiently guarding against him getting his paws on human food, or worst of all, potential stress-peeing somewhere he shouldn't (like on a carpet). That's not normal behavior for him when healthy, but he peed in closets a bunch when he was sick last time (mostly before I realized anything was wrong, he was sneaky about it and the cleanup was not fun). He's been peeing in my bathtub recently, which is at least easier to clean, but. Oh, and he's never been around a Christmas tree. God knows what that would be like.

And while he has traditionally been pretty great at adjusting to new locations (he never really hides, he always wants to explore everything), I don't know how much it might stress him out, and that's obviously a significant consideration.

I also don't drive or have a car, which means these trips generally require me to take a coach bus or train (the latter is not very convenient here, so probably the former), which makes things pretty unflexible, especially since I am so broke right now (I don't make enough to do much more than keep my head above water in this very overpriced city in normal times, and the vet/medication/associated costs are taking a huge chunk out of me). Getting back if there was an emergency would be difficult. My brother might be able to drive me ... and if I were to decide to bring Gen home with me, he might be able to come get us and bring us back. Not the easiest thing though, with unpredictable New England early winter weather to boot.

I wasn't that worried about missing Thanksgiving last week, but Christmas is another matter in my family. We tend to have pretty chill holidays with good quality time and it's kind of the anchor of my year, the thing I look forward to when things have been hard. My parents are aging, my brother lives far enough away and works hard enough that I almost never see him, and (honorary) nieces grow up fast. I desperately want to go, but I don't know if I can, and if I do, I don't know if trusting Gen to someone else's care or trying to bring him with me would be the better choice, for either him or me.

Ughhh, it's such a muddle. Sorry for the novel, folks. I don't think anyone can really solve this tangle for me, but if you have thoughts on getting petsitters for a diabetic kitty or traveling with them, I would be grateful for anything you want to share!

 

[squeem3]

You can try the member's map to see who is in your area. Not all members who show up on the map are active, though. Still, send them a PM and ask about possible pet sitting while you look at other options. https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/members/membersmap

Medical boarding is an option if expensive. You can ask your vet's office if any of the techs will pet sit. Many do since a vet tech salary is basically peanuts.

Some people do travel with their cat. I think @Laurie&Petey does occasionally.

 

[Allie & Gen]

I didn't realize we had a map! (Wow, this really is a pretty global community. That's very cool.)

 

[Laurie&Petey]

You can try the member's map to see who is in your area. Not all members who show up on the map are active, though. Still, send them a PM and ask about possible pet sitting while you look at other options. https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/members/membersmap

Medical boarding is an option if expensive. You can ask your vet's office if any of the techs will pet sit. Many do since a vet tech salary is basically peanuts.

Some people do travel with their cat. I think @Laurie&Petey does occasionally.

I do travel with Petey about an hour away. Have you tried liquid gabapentin? Most vets will make it and you just mix with food.

I found out accidentally that catnip works for Pete! I get the good strong stuff, put a lot in a long organza bag and put it in his crate just before we leave. Kicks in in about 20min. Has to be fresh for each ride. Timing makes a difference for him too. I also have a cool crate with a bed that he loves sleeping in, so it's out all the time so it's his safe space and not just a dreaded trip.

Where are you located?

 

[Allie & Gen]

I do travel with Petey about an hour away. Have you tried liquid gabapentin? Most vets will make it and you just mix with food.

I found out accidentally that catnip works for Pete! I get the good strong stuff, put a lot in a long organza bag and put it in his crate just before we leave. Kicks in in about 20min. Has to be fresh for each ride. Timing makes a difference for him too. I also have a cool crate with a bed that he loves sleeping in, so it's out all the time so it's his safe space and not just a dreaded trip.

Where are you located?

I have not tried liquid gabapentin, but I have mixed the powder from the capsule into his food, and he wouldn't touch it. (Granted, he was supposed to have surgery that day, so I only gave him a teaspoon of food, and that may have made him suspicious.) He also just doesn't ever eat his whole dish of food in one "sitting," which makes this a little tricky.

I had heard that subcutaneous injectable gabapentin might be an option, but I don't know much about that (been meaning to ask my vet).

Sadly, Gen doesn't respond to catnip at all.

Hmm. Gen used to have a dog crate (from the shelter where I adopted him, because the carrier I'd bought turned out to be too small) and he did like that better. It was roomier. I wonder if I could put a travel bed together for him that he'd like better than his carrier. That's a thought. It wouldn't help with how much he seems to hate the highway in particular, though (my theory is that it's a noise problem).

We're in the Boston area (Brookline), and my families live in Western Massachusetts (Northampton).

 

[Laurie&Petey]

I have not tried liquid gabapentin, but I have mixed the powder from the capsule into his food, and he wouldn't touch it. (Granted, he was supposed to have surgery that day, so I only gave him a teaspoon of food, and that may have made him suspicious.) He also just doesn't ever eat his whole dish of food in one "sitting," which makes this a little tricky.

I had heard that subcutaneous injectable gabapentin might be an option, but I don't know much about that (been meaning to ask my vet).

Sadly, Gen doesn't respond to catnip at all.

Hmm. Gen used to have a dog crate (from the shelter where I adopted him, because the carrier I'd bought turned out to be too small) and he did like that better. It was roomier. I wonder if I could put a travel bed together for him that he'd like better than his carrier. That's a thought. It wouldn't help with how much he seems to hate the highway in particular, though (my theory is that it's a noise problem).

We're in the Boston area (Brookline), and my families live in Western Massachusetts (Northampton).

As you likely know, gabapentin is veerrry bitter, so the liquid form offsets that and works like a charm! Mine smelled so sweet I was worried about his diabetes, but no affect at all, actually helped his numbers when he needed to take it.

I am in northern NH, so can't be much help -It would be great to have a diabetes care friend to swap time off with! The crate might be worth a try.

 

[Allie & Gen]

As you likely know, gabapentin is veerrry bitter, so the liquid form offsets that and works like a charm! Mine smelled so sweet I was worried about his diabetes, but no affect at all, actually helped his numbers when he needed to take it.

I am in northern NH, so can't be much help -It would be great to have a diabetes care friend to swap time off with! The crate might be worth a try.

If the liquid's less bitter, that's definitely worth asking about. Thanks!

There appear to be a few people quite close, but nobody I've gotten to know as of yet. I'm a bit shy, but I'll try reaching out sometime after work.

 

[Wendy&Neko]

I'm currently giving gabapentin to a kitty post surgery. I give a pill, in a pill pocket, then rolled in Fortiflora - great at disguising smells. The surgeon vet told me gaba liquid is quite bitter so recommended the pills. I can also pill, but hubby not so I wanted a way he could also medicate if needed.

Neko went twice to Colorado State University with me for treatment of her acromegaly. The first trip was a 3 day drive of nine hours each. She hated travel up until this time. Once she figured out we were gone too long to be going to the vet (little did she know!) she was fine. Second trip to CSU was a flight to Denver, then a drive to Fort Collins. My magic sauce was Feliway wipes in the carrier, and some Rescue Remedy before we left. For the flight, I also used a harness (Kitty Holster) which acted a bit like a Thundershirt to calm her down. I made the rookie mistake of travelling the second time the weekend before US Thanksgiving. Oops!

One of our members who had to drive her diabetic cat 4 hours to another city for work and back each week asked those of us who had travelled for some tips, and wrote up this document. Travelling with Diabetic Kitties

 

[squeem3]

Wedgwood Pharmacy can make gabapentin into a flavored chewable treat. https://www.wedgewood.com Your vet sends the prescription in and they contact you for your information and billing.

 

[Lauren & Esse]

I had this thread saved for reference with some good tips if you do decide to leave him at home. Our first trip post-diagnosis didn't go GREAT, so I will definitely be revising our plan before our next trip in late Jan.

Weirdly I have had several friends (and even Sam's mom) offer to learn to give Esse his shots. So it might be worth asking around just to see! If someone did want to do it, maybe you could have them come over and watch, then try with you in the room, then do it with you not there.

Sorry to be a creep and comment on multiple threads of yours this morning. Just trying to be helpful where I can.

 

[Allie & Gen]

I had this thread saved for reference with some good tips if you do decide to leave him at home. Our first trip post-diagnosis didn't go GREAT, so I will definitely be revising our plan before our next trip in late Jan.

Weirdly I have had several friends (and even Sam's mom) offer to learn to give Esse his shots. So it might be worth asking around just to see! If someone did want to do it, maybe you could have them come over and watch, then try with you in the room, then do it with you not there.

Sorry to be a creep and comment on multiple threads of yours this morning. Just trying to be helpful where I can.

Good grief, please don't apologize! Wanting to be helpful is not being a creep, especially when I've been asking for a lot of help because I'm clearly kind of a mess right now. I appreciate it very much, truly.

You know, you have a point. Giving Gen his shots is not actually all that difficult most of the time (he was a little fussy about it this morning because he's still upset with me, but that's unusual). People are just kind of freaked out about needles, which goodness knows, I can relate to - I have a medical needle phobia and this is a weird and inexplicable exception to it. But it's worth putting out there at least. My roommates are non-starters for various reasons which boil down to not being able to trust them to be reliable about it, but I might know someone who would be up for it. (Whether that's someone who will also be in town for the holidays is another matter, but.)

Rambling, but thank you! It's honestly especially great to get friendly advice this morning, when Gen is Libre-less and I'm in the office fretting.

 

[Allie & Gen]

Bit of an update: it's been decided that Gen will come with me to my parents' house for my Christmas visit. I'm rather nervous about it, but we're not going to find good local help at this late date and I'd just worry the whole time anyway.

My brother will come pick us up and bring us home in his car, so that part's easy enough. I think I'm going to get a harness and leash so I can let Gen out of his carrier on the drive (which is usually 1.5-2 hours, so not terrible). Maybe I should set up a litterbox? (He peed in his carrier on the way home from the vet yesterday, so this is on my mind. I always bring pee pads when we have to take even a short car ride, but it's clearly unpleasant for him to have to be in the carrier afterwards.)

I was wondering ... a friend of mine sent me a link to this playpen thing, which he used when one of his cats needed to stay at a family member's home (I'm not sure if the home in question wasn't totally pet-friendly or if there was some other reason, but).

Part of what concerns me is that my parents are not really pet people, my dad especially. They care about Gen and want to help me, and he's usually a pretty well-behaved cat! But he's been known to occasionally pee in other places than his litterbox when he's not feeling well, he's never been around a Christmas tree, and he does occasionally put his claws into furniture just a little. (I'm planning to bring his scratching post, hopefully.) It seems like a good idea to give him his own space, with the option of closing him up in there when he can't be supervised. But I'm also not sure? He doesn't love being confined, and I'll certainly miss him if he can't curl up with me at night. Maybe I'm going a little overboard?

Has anyone used anything like this before? Any thoughts?

 

[Lauren & Esse]

How many days will you be there and what's the room situation like? (Sorry if I missed this earlier in the thread!) If it were me I would be wondering about a guest bedroom or bathroom that I could 'baby-proof' (blocking under the bed, maybe covering soft surfaces that would be particularly bad if they were peed on, etc.) to keep him when he can't be monitored. In unfamiliar places a smaller space can sometimes be more comforting for them because there's less 'unknown' for them to inspect. This is why shelters often recommend starting a newly adopted cat with just one room when you bring them home.

Definitely recommend saving some of the litter from his current litter box to put in the fresh one, wherever you are, so it smells like his usual potty spot. And bringing some blankets or cat beds that smell like home for comfort.

Now that you have a plan decided I bet that link Wendy shared earlier in the thread will be very handy. What a nice resource, I'm saving that for myself too.

 

[Allie & Gen]

We're going to be there for 4-6 days (still working this out with my brother). Unfortunately there is no suitable room I can use for Gen. With five people in the house (my elderly parents, my brother and SIL, and myself), all three bedrooms will be occupied, and both bathrooms will be needed.

I'm going to be sleeping in the tiny bedroom that used to belong to my (younger) brother, where the room itself is more like a u-shaped hall around a twin bed. It has wall-to-wall carpet (as does the rest of the upstairs; my parents would like to change that but have not been able to afford to do so). Between the lack of space and the carpet, I don't see it being a feasible place for a litterbox, which would be an issue for closing him up in there. And the carpet generally concerns me when it comes to potential out-of-box peeing!

The house also has a really open floorplan. The bedrooms and bathrooms all have doors of course, but the downstairs is mostly one open area, and there's no way to close off the stairs, either.

This is actually why I'm seriously considering buying that playpen thing; to give him his own smaller space. If I set it up with the configuration of two enclosures connected by a tunnel, I could put the litterbox in the smaller enclosure, and one of his beds in the larger one. It's not ideal, and we'll have to move some furniture around to get it to fit, but I want him to have the option for both his sake and my parents'.

Fortunately, my brother and SIL have two cats of their own (not attending this gathering, obviously), so they'll be helpful for general cat-awareness and wrangling.

For the actual travel part, I am super grateful to everyone who has shared tips, and yes, definitely making use of the resource Wendy shared!

 

[Allie & Gen]

I found out accidentally that catnip works for Pete! I get the good strong stuff, put a lot in a long organza bag and put it in his crate just before we leave. Kicks in in about 20min. Has to be fresh for each ride. Timing makes a difference for him too. I also have a cool crate with a bed that he loves sleeping in, so it's out all the time so it's his safe space and not just a dreaded trip.

I keep meaning to ask - what brand of catnip do you get?

I've had no luck with Gen and catnip in the past, but I've been thinking it might be worth trying again, and strong stuff seems like the way to go.