Ragdoll Cat Forums

Hi everybody
Sorry for my long disappearance
the 18th of december Alice arrived in my home, I went to get her and I drove for 2 hours with Alice asleep on my legs..... she was clear with me: she hates travelling in the cage and this is a big big problem!!
Anyway she got on well with Charlie (the male cat) immediately, Charlie was bewitched he followed her all around the house, trying to touch and sniff her, uttering low sounds while she looked like to be born in my house, toddling anywhere.
After 5 hours thanks to a mouse toy they played together, and the first night they slept with me on the bed without problems. Lucy realized there was another cat only few days later but she was excused (she is an old blind cat)
Alice is growing up, her weight is about 2,5-3 kg and she is 5 months old, do you think her weigh is right for her age? When I sent a pic of Alice to the breeder she is surprised for her size, because Alice was the smallest of the litter, but now she is increasing in size.
I have some questions about some problems....
Alice doesn't like travelling in the cage, she is quiet in the cage in the car until the car is stopped, otherwise she starts to cry and try to escape, she calms herself only if she free in the car and this is not possible, because I drive alone. I have tried to get her used to the car in dribs and drabs also with the help of the "feliway spray" (I dont' know how this article is called in other countries) but the only goal achieved was (for me) to be snuff out! Do you have some advises??
Alice is a lovable kitten, she purrs as often as I touch o pet her, she becames a boneless cat once I hold her, but she doesn't like to be brushed at the end of the bottom and on the tail I have a comb with fine-tooth and wide-tooth and I have also the "furminator", but she doesn't co-operate with me, so everytime I have to brush her we start a vocal duel.... at the beginning she purrs while I congratulate with her........ but we finish with a cacophony: she declaims and I grumble.
I didn't belive that a cat so adorable and soft could be transfomed in a irritated ruffled coat!!

Hey Ary...welcome back! and congratulations on Alice

You are right to adjust her to travel slowly. Consider starting by just making the time in the carrier more tolerable. Put it out and let it be more common and familiar to her. Perhaps create games which involve getting in and out. Like tossing a toy (or a treat) into it that she can go get. At some point, confine her for a short period and then extend that. Move her around inside the house in the carrier and then let her out to be fed or for interactive play she enjoys. You can then start the short trips with fun afterwards. You want to get her to associate the confinement and travel with pleasant experiences. (Do not be tempted to let her be loose in the car. It is too dangerous.)

Hi and welcome back to the forum. I too had a cat that hated to be groomed - Simone. But I discovered her absolute most favorite treat which is tuna flakes (a dried fish flake) and she would only get these treats after she let me groom her so she began to associate getting a treat with being groomed. I also was given a really good grooming brush that seemed to make things go even better. Now when I pick up the brush, she will jump up onto my desk where I groom her at so she can get brushed and get her treats. Here's the brush I use now, it's a Karlie Perfect Care Glossy Coat Cat Brush - it gets deep down in their fur, and is kind of like a Zoom Groom too.

Hi JanH,
The problem isn't the cage, the problem is travelling by car in the cage. In the house I have always one cage open and infact the cats aren't afraid of it, when I bring the cage in the kitchen, Alice goes into the cage without problem, she also sleeps inside, the problem is when the car is moving....

Hi TeresaK
thank you for your suggestion, I will try with food, and I look for the brush you have mentioned.

Do you think the Alice's weigth is ok? It's about 2,5-3 kg and she is 5 months old

You are lucky her protests are while stopped rather than moving. The idea of short trips or trips with frequent stops to try to accustom her to it is the right approach.

Her weight is unremarkable for her age.