How long did it take your pets to settle in?
 

Hello there,

In a little over a week, we will be flying our cats to the USA and we expect them to be a bit traumatised by it all. I am wondering how long it will take them to a) get over the trauma of the travel and b) settle into their new home.

I would love to read how your pets were after such a long trip and how long it took them to settle in. Thanks :)

Re: How long did it take your pets to settle in?
 

Ours settled in pretty quickly. Steve and our sons had flown out 2 months before I flew out with the cats. The container of furniture and household goods arrived a few weeks after the cats and they were then surrounded with familiar scents and items which also helped with the settling in process.

Re: How long did it take your pets to settle in?
 

@Lizzyq - that's nice to read :) I am hoping my cats are more resilient than I think they are

Re: How long did it take your pets to settle in?
 

What LizzyQ said. No matter that you humanize your pets, they are mostly going to be happy that they are around you. They are completely oblivious to the fact they have moved several time zones and are on a different continent. To them it is little different from having moved within the UK.

"Hmmm, the surroundings are a little unfamilar, but I have my bed and toys, I am still being fed regularly, and my people are here. All is good! :)"

Honestly, that's about the extent of most pets' interest in their "big move".

Re: How long did it take your pets to settle in?
 

I think ours were more interested in "meeting" the local chipmunks than bring unsettled.

Re: How long did it take your pets to settle in?
 

@Pulaski - that's a really good and reassuring explanation :)

Re: How long did it take your pets to settle in?
 

Ha ha - yes I wonder what critters will interest them in South Carolina :lol:

Re: How long did it take your pets to settle in?
 

Snapping turtles, copperheads, hawks, and coyotes, among other things. :eek:

There are good reasons why many American cat owners keep their cats as "indoor cats". :(

Re: How long did it take your pets to settle in?
 

Oh no - they are indoor cats here as we're in a flat and it's not practical. However we're hoping that they can go outside in the US as we will have a house. Maybe a compromise will be to let them on the screened in porch :ohmy:

Re: How long did it take your pets to settle in?
 

That's what we do with our indoor cats.

We also acquired a couple of outdoor cats, that come into the garage at night (with food as the carrot) for safety, as "applied ecology", to reduce the fauna around the house (rodents, frogs, toads, etc.) and thereby reduce the appeal of our yard to snakes.

Re: How long did it take your pets to settle in?
 

The only thing on your list that bothers me are the snakes! :scarper:

Have you seen very many near your house?

Re: How long did it take your pets to settle in?
 

Not many in the early years, mostly just harmless black* and garter/"garden" snakes, and rarely since we got the outdoor cats. Unfortunately one died from heart failure, and the other is elderly and not up to hunting these days, .... but we still see very few snakes around our house despite living on a large, heavily wooded lot in a semi-rural area.

* Do not kill black snakes because they are totally harmless (they're constrictors, not venomous), but more importantly, a healthy population of black snakes reduces the liklihood of you finding copperheads, because (i) black snakes are more effective hunters than copperheads, so black snakes are similar to having outdoor cats, and (ii) black snakes can actually kill copperheads.

Re: How long did it take your pets to settle in?
 

Thanks so much - good to know. I wouldn't be the one killing anything unless there was no other option (and I hope I am not ever in that situation as something would be terribly wrong - i.e. rattlesnake has me cornered or something) :eek:

Re: How long did it take your pets to settle in?
 

Ours were indoor/outdoor cats back in the UK, so it would have been very hard to confine them once they arrived here. There are predators and snakes as well as prey in PA, but we decided to compromise safety with feline instinct by keeping them in at night and when nobody is home.

Re: How long did it take your pets to settle in?
 

I've taken my cats from NY to Mississippi by plane and it has taken all of 24 hours for them to get settled in. As mentioned, their owners are there, as are their food and water bowls and toys and sleeping pillows.

As for having outdoor cats, I have volunteered for a cat organization that rescues cats from kill shelters and rehomes them either in forever homes or at the very least in foster homes. I have seen what can happen to outdoor cats and it isn't pretty.

My suggestion would be that if you are fortunate enough to have a home, either a rental or a purchase, with a yard, that you build an outdoor cat house for them. They are screened in but have the ability to climb and view the wild life without fear of predators. Please be sure that they have their rabies shots and that they are given their tick and flea meds.