Will a cat cope with visiting another house?

[JustHereForThePooStories]

I grew up in a home that always had cats. I miss having one around, and would love to have a cat again. I have a small breed dog, who likes cats, and I’ve been researching breeds that do well with other pets. I’m thinking of a Ragdoll, but not completely decided yet.

My dog is 9 and very well looked after, and we have a great vet so well accustomed to neutering, vaccinations, insurance, check-ups, grooming etc.

The plan is for the cat to be 100% indoors.

My dog groomer also runs a small kennels and cattery so we would have somewhere for the cat to stay if we were on holiday etc.

However, there are times of the year where we visit family for the weekend (and a week over Christmas) where we could bring the cat, but I’m not sure how a cat would cope with being in a strange house?

Does anyone have any experience of visiting with a cat? How do they cope?

I think it depends on the cat. Harry used to go on holiday with us and stay at MILs holiday cottage and he's also been to visit her now she's in a care home. I know we wouldn't have been able to do that with any of my Mums cats though.

Sorry, I know that doesn't help!

My only frame of reference for this is my DM's two cats, and even the most confident of them would be initially terrified to be taken into a new strange environment I think. I think a weekend as well is too short a period of time for them to adjust, maybe if you were staying a few weeks at a time or something like that. But I don't know, I don't know much about cats really.

Ooh I’ve got a ragdoll and he is delicious!
I think it all depends on the cats personality but generally ragdolls are pretty laid back. You could maybe test it but tbh I think you would be better off sticking to a cattery and keeping it simple. Other people can be a bit of a nightmare around indoor pets if they are not used to them, leaving doors and windows etc open.

I think it depends on the cat but I probably wouldn't move a cat for just a weekend - it'd be better to get someone to pop in to feed him/her, clean litter box etc. once a day if you're away for a weekend.

A sociable cat could be ok coming with you for Christmas, however you would have to be very careful about avoiding escapes in an unfamiliar house/area where people might not be as careful about opening doors and windows as you are at home.

If it helps, we used to look after a neighbour`s cat in our house while he was on holiday and she was fine. I always thought she enjoyed her holiday with us.

Hi Op, I am not a cat owner but we regularly cat sit for a house cat. It took him a little while to settle, he explored all over and established his territory but he was fine. His owners brought his bed and a throw from home, his litter tray and some of his toys. He seems quite content with us while they go on holiday.

Dcat isn’t an indoor cat but copes very well with visiting my mom, who only lives five minutes drive away, and with going to self catering holiday cottages three hours or so away.
He is very attached to the family though, and I think so long as we’re there, he’s happy.
He is not allowed out as such when we’re away but will sit on the balcony with us and once we had a little enclosed garden we took him in for a few minutes every day but he wasn’t very bothered and after a bit of sniffing round, would head back indoors.
Best thing is to get them used to going in the car and visiting a strange house as soon as you have them from a kitten. But I guess it depends what sort of kitten they are - ours was a very confident one who explored everywhere and settled in right away. More highly strung cats might not take to it as well.

Thanks all! Very much appreciate all of the responses.

We have no family at all nearby and don’t know the neighbours (we’re city cente and most of the houses and apartments around us are corporate lets) so don’t have anyone who can pet sit.

The dog comes everywhere with us. She’s very well travelled

I’m thinking if I get a kitten, it’ll get used to
a) living with a dog
b) going on car trips to stay in different houses

Agree with others, it depends on the cat. For mine, that would a complete stress. When I’m away, he tolerates one of the visiting staff coming in. My cousin takes her cat on caravan holidays with her. He is completely chilled. Sits on the caravan steps, has a wander around the site of an evening, where he usually does well for the odd bit of sausage. Hope you find the right cat for you.

Hi OP. Our cat comes on holiday with us and we also take a crate, which may all be relevant to your question. Rather than repeat here, I've posted on the current threads 'Can't sleep, cat rules the house' and ' Holidays dilemma' both in the Litter Tray, if you're interested.

I’d take my Maine Coon away with me, I reckon she’d be fine. She’s not 100% indoor but only goes in the garden. Not sure I’d let her out in a strange house but kept indoor I’m sure she’d be fine. Will probably test it out when we go to a friends wedding in July and get an air b&b

Also MCs are quite doglike and tend to get on well with dogs, maybe consider getting one of them? They are awesome

Morning!! We have taken our cat on many a trip. He gets nervy getting in the car (because he thinks it's going to the vets I think? ) but he LOVES new places. He likes to sniff all the corners and becomes so much more playful with us. He's quite lazy at home but in holiday let's he plays games, chases things and has a ball!! He always seems relaxed with in about 10 mins. Here he is on our most recent trip..

It definitely depends on the cat but probably no way to predict

We used to yake our cat to my mums and mil for holidays. She took it in her stride and was well behaved in car ( journeys were 2 hours) and even went on the train once.

Depends on the cat, I had one that was happy to stay with my parents. She liked to sit on the parcel shelf. I was young and she got out of her carrier.

My current cat would probably be at home anywhere.

Of the cats I've fostered some come out of the carrier look around and say to themselves, "This is adequate for me needs", some have hidden in the smallest places available.

Sam found himself a spot on top of my wardrobe and I never saw him move from there in the weeks he stayed, he must have eaten in the night and used the litter tray, the cat that came with him was more friendly.

I'd invest in a feliway diffuser and take the cat away after a couple of weeks so she is settled but not set in her ways, I have no idea why I have assumed the cat will be female, probably because my travelling cats have been.

We used to take our old boy with usfur week-long trips to my parents’ at Christmas. He made himself mightily at home, enjoyed all the fuss and despite being a total outdoorsy cat at home adapted to forced confinement for a week (with the off escape down the garden did the thrills!)

The car journey however was a different matter. He had a LOUD miaow and it’s a LONG journey ...

Thanks everyone! I’ll check out the other threads mentioned.

Looks like we’ll bw welcomig a kitten in July! Still to be confirmed but I’ve found a good breeder and she has a new litter.

Best case scenario, we can get the cat used to the car from an early age and she’s happy to travel.

If that doesn’t happen, we can rely on a home stay type cattery.

As per other replies it does depend on the cat but I think you've got a better chance with a pedigree being up for it as many are more dog like in temperament. Ragdolls are notoriously laid back so may quite enjoy it! My pedigree cat used to come with me and the dog when I stayed at my boyfriends house, was never bothered by the moving about but I wouldn't have done it with my previous moggy who would have freaked out