And it begins...

Less than four weeks 'til Operation Drive Westward commences. I found an apartment, have an appointment with the moving company on Monday, and am working on finalizing all the other details involved with moving across the country. Most important of these details is figuring out the logistics of getting Sophie (a small, slightly pudgy calico) and Tomo (a giant, orange, very nervous tabby) safely to our new home.

My original plan for getting them through the drive was pretty simple... drugs. Lots of drugs. Unfortunately, my vet does not agree with this plan and has suggested a strategic series of "practice drives" to acclimate the cats to being in the car.

I still like my idea better... seeing as the last time I moved (just down the street), Tomo had a massive panic attack that nearly resulted in a trip to the pet emergency room. However, because the vet went to school for a very long time to know things about feline health, I have decided to keep the kittens drug-free. For now.

So far this week has included a couple of steps to prepare for these drives.

Step One: Acclimate kittens to cage/carrier.

The fleece bed I placed in the cage has partially tricked Tomo into thinking it's a cozy napping area. Unless I try to shut the door. This results in meows of panic and several hours hiding under the bed. I've added a favorite puff toy to the mix, and hopefully cage comfort levels will improve over the next day or so.


Step Two: Collars

Today, I introduced the cats to collars. Kind of a baby step towards the harnesses I plan on making them wear for the drive west.

Overall, they seem to be tolerating the new development fairly well, so I'm calling it a tentative victory. Good thing Tomo can't tell that his collar has little orange daisies on it.



Next up is practice drive number one. Tomorrow. The plan is to start out with short trips around town and build up to some interstate driving in a couple of weeks. It's going to be interesting...