If you will be leaving town for more than a couple of days, it can be necessary for you to board your cat so that it can be kept safe and healthy while you are away. While the use of these services is fairly common, many pet owners will poorly neglect to prepare their cat for a lengthy stay at a boarding facility.

Have Your Cat Examined By A Veterinarian Before Your Trip

A key step that you should be taking to prepare your cat for being boarded is to have it thoroughly examined by a veterinarian. This can help to ensure that your cat is healthy enough to be boarded. By diagnosing potential problems, it will be possible to minimize the risk of your cat encountering any unexpected health problems while you are away. Additionally, your veterinarian will be able to prepare care instructions for the boarding staff so that any medical needs are met.

Renew Your Cat's Flea Medication

While your cat is boarded, it will be in an environment where it can be exposed to many other cats. Boarding facilities will take great efforts to eliminate fleas and other pests from the grounds, but it can still be possible for some of these pests to make it into the boarding facility. Renewing your cat's flea medication a few days before boarding it will ensure that it is as protective as possible against these pests.

Minimize Digestive Stress Your Cat May Experience

If your cat will be boarded for a prolonged period of time, it will eventually need to switch to eating food provided by the boarding center. Unfortunately, a sudden change in diet can lead to the cat suffering a variety of digestive issues. You can easily minimize this is by providing the boarding facility with a small bag or several cans of food. When it comes time for your cat to return home, you should request a small sample of the food the cat received so that you can ease it back to its normal diet.

Be Prepared To Help Your Cat Adjust After Returning Home

For the first day after bringing your cat home with you, it can be beneficial to plan on spending ample time with the animal. You may also want to ensure that the cat's favorite toys and bed are ready for it. These simple steps can help your cat to return to a sense of normal after the stress of being away from home.