Zoobie and I are moving to the desert for Y2k. We're camping out in a national forest. We have in our entourage a large, longhaired, declawed and neutered cat. I have wrestled with leaving him behind versus taking him with us. I just cannot leave him in the cold to die. However, the desert is really hot, as anyone who has been there can tell you.

I thought about buying a large dog cage so he could be enclosed (no claws to defend himself) and protected...and the sand is one great big litter box...but Zoobie suggested tying him up on a lead. What should we do to protect him from the elements and scary wilderness creatures?

Also...Does anyone know what kind of preventative/curative cat medicine would be good to bring into the wilderness? We have a vet supply catalog but I don't know what to order.

Thank you for your answers.

-- zoobiette (zoobiette@yahoo.com), July 27, 1999

Answers

1) You might want to check about whether the National Forest allows cats.

2) I don't recommend just tying up the cat...coyotes love cats.

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), July 27, 1999.

That's true about coyotes so get a cage. Get a piece of cloth to put over it for shade, tied on so the wind can't blow it off. Also put some cloth on the floor of the cage, so it won't be quite as hot as the sand. Use light colored cloth, it will absorb less heat from the sun. Get the kind of water bowl that fastens to the side of the cage so he can't possibly tip it over.

Did you know that if you put a cloth cover on a canteen, wet the cover, and put it where theres a breeze, it will cool the water a bit? This works best with a metal canteen.

-- biker (y2kbiker@worldnet.att.net), July 27, 1999.

Tying a cat on a lead rarely works, and then only if he is used to it.With no claws he will have to be very protected. A cage (ideally a large dog cage that folds flat for traveling) will be essential in the surroundings you describe, with wet towels or wet tarp over the top, against heat later in the year. Cats can get heatstroke very quickly - I've seen it.

The best preventative "medicine" for any cat (after his updated rabies shot of course) is a good diet. That might be less tricky for him than for yourselves - it means taking the more expensive premium cat food with you - far better nutrition and less waste. Good supplements are Nutracal (or pet catalog's "generic" form of it) or Nutramalt, and don't forget his hairball remedy, since he's longhaired. If he's still pretty young (under 5), he should do just fine. If he's older, you might want to see if your vet will let you have a couple bottles of Amoxycillin in case he develops urinary tract infection (premium diet is also a deterrant for this) and a bottle of liquid anti-vomiting medication - I wish I could remember the name of it - because older cats (in fact at any age) can become dangerously dehydrated from an upset stomach very fast. One of my own little furry goddesses is under the weather from that very thing right now.

Did you see the Bugging Out with Cats thread I started here a few days ago? Some ideas there might help - other people's as well as mine - it got some good responses.

Best of luck to all of you.

-- Scat (sgcatique@webtv.net), July 27, 1999.

I have 3 cats and travel with them at times. Don't forget flea/tick spray or powder, worming meds, treats to entice a better appetite. Good Luck!

-- Sammie (sammie0X@hotmail.com), July 27, 1999.

I recommend

a)leaving him to a shelter (you can't afford the resources) b)tying him to the tree and killing the coyotes for food c)having your sanity checked for moving to the desert (there's less than no godamn water there, are you nutz?)

-- Gordon (g_gecko_69@hotmail.com), July 27, 1999.

The title of the thread is soooo provocative.

I have promised to be good. I will refrain.

-Greybear

-- Got Spi.....no, no, no. good bear.

-- Greybear (greybear@home.com), July 28, 1999.

I live in the desert, and we have lost three cats to coyotes in three years. Not a good move to take a cat to the desert, otherwise said cat will become dessert in the desert...

sniffin'...

the Dog

-- Dog (Desert Dog@-sand.com), July 28, 1999.

For a cat that is not used to a leash, I would recommend a harness instead. It is too easy for a cat to slip a collar.

-- Brooks (brooksbie@hotmail.com), July 28, 1999.

I say Kill the cat if TSHTF. Hey, I LOVE animals. However, I DO think people are more important. Don't need a discussion on this point -- it's just an opinion sort of thing.

But really, if TSHTF, I would kill the cat and feed some hungry person...desperate times call for desperate measures. My brother spent a year and a half in "Asia". They sell cats in little cages from street booths like they sell hot dogs at the ballpark in the states. The people take such caged cats and kittens home to EAT. Hey, don't shoot the messenger...shoot food for people!

Sorry, don't mean to upset anybody. I would HATE to kill and eat a pet. But hey, I would feed a human first. Humans first and always here -- with no appologies. This makes me sad to say, but if TSHTF, all the "nicey nice" stuff has to give way to realistic behavior or you AND the cat/dog/bird/whatever will be dead.

Bon appitEEEte!

-- AnonAnimalLover (Anon@ThisPost.com), July 28, 1999.

Gee, I only sort-of hinted at it on the other cat thread and they all made ugly faces, pooched out thier lips, and pointed at me.

-Greybear

-- Got Reality?...appearing at a grocery store in your neighborhood real soon.

-- Greybear (greybear@home.com), July 29, 1999.

I think it is very rude to give what is obviously tasteless and inappropriate advice to someone who is asking a sincere question. If you can't contribute useful suggestions then keep your mouth shut.

A cage shielded by canvas sounds workable to me.

-- Cat Lover (catgoddess@yahoo.com), July 30, 1999.

's ok Bear, I laughed more at your first post than I would have if you'd actually suggested something...

good bear

-- biker (y2kbiker@worldnet.att.net), July 30, 1999.

Don't you think it might be more cruel to bring the cat with you, under the circumstances, than to find a good home for it with someone in a cooler, more cat-friendly environment? I know that might be tough, but it may be one of the (many) tough Y2K decisions you have to make.

-- Sara Nealy (keithn@aloha.net), July 30, 1999.

considering that we're bugging out believing that everyone in the city will die of diareah.zoobiette won't consider leaving the cat behind for what she considers to be certian death.I'm for bringing along the fat(we're fattening him up for next year,all the kitten food the fat thing can eat!)cat so that she'll have something pleasant while adapting to a hardcore survivalist mentality(which will certianly be underscored if the cat gets eaten).Ha ha,my zoobiette,this last year has transformed her from a gun hating liberal who wasn't comfortable discussing anything "icky" to a glock packin' "intruders will be shot" big bad mama(pe`tit bad mama doesn't have the same ring)ordering snake bite kits and field surgical equipment(shudder).She can deal with the end of the world as we know it,just not the end of her kitty(all 35 pounds of him).

-- zoobie (zoobiezoob@yahoo.com), July 31, 1999.

You know, zoobie, I really DO understand. Not sure I could leave behind a beloved pet, either. We're all going through transitions and transformations with Y2K. I hope we get to preserve the best parts of being human along with the toughening up, survival skills. Best of luck to you and zoobiette in the sunny lands.

-- Sara Nealy (keithn@aloha.net), July 31, 1999.

Zoobiette,

If the cat wasn't declawed, ( how could you be so cruel? Just to save your funishings? My cats know and understand the meaning of NO!!!, and no, I don't strike them, I'm the alpha male in the pride to them ) I would say to shave it and hope for the best. If you're going to keep it in a cage ( shudder ) shave it anyway, be sure to give it alot of attention, cats are like little kids, you can hurt their feelings without meaning to and they sulk and cry inside. Think about getting some nonmodified cats for pest control, I haven't seen a mouse or rat around here since two weeks after I moved here, lots before, it's their hobby.

-- CT (ct@no.yr), July 31, 1999.

But really, if TSHTF, I would kill the cat and feed some hungry person..

You will know Y2k is bad when your nieghbor sudjests makeing tacos out of your cat, but you say no, because you remember all the birds and mice it brings home to share with you.

-- CT (ct@no.yr), July 31, 1999.

ct, we had our cat declawed because he was beating up on the the declawed cats we adopted from a shelter.I don't really approve of declawing,but he was picking on the other cats and something needed to be done.You'd laugh if you saw my furniture,I ain't no fortunate one....

-- zoobie (zoobiezoob@yahoo.com), August 01, 1999.