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I hope you will make some arrangements for your cats, no matter your age, no matter their age, so they don't end up alone, shuddering in a scary shelter, if something unexpected should happen to you.
Likewise, if you know you will be gone for a very long period of time - for reasons ranging from jail to business to extensive traveling - that you will make sure your pets will be provided for with a new home and some money for their ongoing care.
There is the mistaken notion about cats being able to easily cope with being left alone because they are normally not high maintenance animals. But as you know, they become very attached to their caretakers and revel in the affection they come to rely upon for their security and happiness.
Believe me, if you saw these shelter refugees, you would make sure your cat has a good home waiting for him or her in the unlikely event you were unexpectedly taken out of the picture.
Put Together a "Care Kit"
In addition to making sure your cat is provided for in your will, specifically stating who should care for him or her, you might want to prepare a complete "How to care for my cat" kit. This would include things like:
- Inoculation records
- Recurring medical conditions
- Medications to be taken regularly
- Spay/neuter certificate
- Favorite food, amounts
- Whether or not the pet can eat table scraps
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Favorite type of petting, hugging or cuddling
- Fears that spark aggressive behavior
- How to calm your cat if s/he becomes frightened or aggressive
- A day schedule - what time s/he gets up, all activities during the day, and bed time.
- Where they sleep - in a crate, on the bed, on the floor, on a pillow
- Do they travel well in cars
- Do they walk well on a leash
- Special activities - like Cagney and I love to play "fish" with a stick, shoe lace and cork at the end. Even at 13, she loves to chase the cork.
- A scarf or handkerchief with your smell on it that the cat can sleep with after you are gone.
- Photographs from the cat's past. I think this helps a bonding process with the new caretaker.
Of course, the hope is that you never have to use this. But in the event you do, you know your cats will be properly cared for, and that can give you peace of mind whether you're among the living or if you unexpectedly become their guardian angel.
Colleen
Peaceable Pets
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