Cat Homesickness Remedies

It is a fallacy that only people can feel homesick, says Jenny Davis, who works with Home For Life, a pet rescue organization in Minneapolis, MN. Animals, like cats, can feel home sick when they are being boarded away from home, or when they move from one place to another. Cats adjust better if they are happier, so it is important to look at several cat home sickness remedies if you are getting a new cat, placing your cat with someone, or leaving your cat to be boarded for a length of time.

  1. Familiar Scents

    • Cats, like dogs, base what they know on what they can smell. If you are putting your cat into a boarding cage for the weekend, or selling a kitten to someone else, send something that smells like their known home with them. Ask that a blanket, pillow or scrap of clothing from your home or you be placed in the boarding kennel with your cat, or send a towel or small blanket that has familiar smells with kittens to their new homes. Davis says that this helps cats come to terms with being somewhere else, because they have a familiar smell near them that they can recognize. For cats that are being boarded temporarily, the item will help them know that they do have a home with you, and will hold them over until they see you again. For cats and kittens that are going to a new home, the scents on the objects you send with them will last long enough for them to get used to their new surroundings and find new scents that are comfortable and familiar.

    Lots of Love

    • If you are taking care of a cat that is being boarded, of if you have a new cat that has come from another home, the best cat home sickness remedy is lots and lots of love. Cats will adjust quickly if they have lots of attention and are able to be petted, talked to and played with. Give the cat extra attention, be sure to pet him often, and give him treats and lots of tummy scratches during his adjustment period, and soon he'll perk up and be happy, just like before.