# Settling our pet cat in Cyprus



## liverbird59 (Jun 21, 2011)

Hi there, Getting very jittery now as it is less than 2 weeks before D day when our daughter takes Suki, our pet cat out to Cyprus and we follow another couple of weeks later once everything is finalised here. Jet set pets, who she is flying with, have been brilliant and reassured us about the protocol etc. so no worries there, but I am wondering if anyone out there can share their experiences with us as to how they coped with a cat who will be very disorientated, bewildered and wondering where her home, garden and field have gone. (If only animals were like us and you could explain and reason with them)! 

She is not a young cat and will celebrate her 15th birthday during her 1st week in Cyprus, but she does enjoy her garden and the field behind where we live now. I wonder what she will make of a concrete garden with swimmimg pool without any grass or plants. She is not an indoor cat in the summer and hates using a litter tray. She will be kept in for a couple of weeks if possible, (she's not known as Houdini for nothing!) but then we will have to get her used to her surroundings. I am so frightened she will try and find her garden and field and wander off to look for them. Sound silly I know but I can't help worrying. We are moving to Geroskipou which is pretty quiet. Hope someone out there can reassure me. 

Many thanks. Tricia


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## footpad2010 (Apr 3, 2011)

*expat cat*

Came over 10 weeks ago with 1 dog and 2 cats - one 15 year old also (from Hertfordshire) used to wandering around etc. Kept the cats inside for 2 weeks, they soon got used to litter tray. Now we have moved to a village into a house with a pool, small garden, no grass! They are all settled and wander about the fields behind.
Cats dont generally roam far from home, unlike dogs.
We now leave back door open and they come and go as they please. The older one only pees in the tray now and finds somewhere outside to poo. They are very adaptable so don't worry. Just check with your neighbours as in some areas locals put down poison for cats.

Go to your vet and get some zylkene, which is a natural product you give every day for about 1 week before traveling and continue for a week after to help calm the cat down. It's very good.

Good luck.
Charles


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## kimonas (Jul 19, 2008)

I would reiterate what footpad mentioned concerning poison. Although few people target cats with poison many do get caught out in the cross fire as poison is put down for stray dogs, rats etc. There are also a few irresponsible hunters that will shoot at almost anything that moves (new season starts August 20th) and I would advise keeping your cat indoors in the early hours and at dusk when most hunters are about. I suspect, however that most unexplained deaths and disappearances are down to various snakes in some remoter areas. The most dangerous is the blunt nosed viper which is an ambush predator and very difficult to spot - if a cat (or dog) steps too close it will strike (a good reason for wearing stout boots when out and about). 

We moved our aged cat from Nicosia to Lefkara last year to enjoy the garden, unfortunately it ended with her disappearance (most probably to a snake) - our neighbour spotted a huge viper shortly after she disappeared.


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## Geraldine (Jan 3, 2009)

kimonas said:


> I would reiterate what footpad mentioned concerning poison. Although few people target cats with poison many do get caught out in the cross fire as poison is put down for stray dogs, rats etc. There are also a few irresponsible hunters that will shoot at almost anything that moves (new season starts August 20th) and I would advise keeping your cat indoors in the early hours and at dusk when most hunters are about. I suspect, however that most unexplained deaths and disappearances are down to various snakes in some remoter areas. The most dangerous is the blunt nosed viper which is an ambush predator and very difficult to spot - if a cat (or dog) steps too close it will strike (a good reason for wearing stout boots when out and about).
> 
> We moved our aged cat from Nicosia to Lefkara last year to enjoy the garden, unfortunately it ended with her disappearance (most probably to a snake) - our neighbour spotted a huge viper shortly after she disappeared.


I agree about the snakes, my neighbours cat got seriously bitten, luckily her owners took her immediatley to the vet and she was saved. She is now left with a huge lump under her neck.

At the dog shelter where I volunteer, a man showed me a photo of his dog that had been recently been killed by a snake.

Please take care.


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## liverbird59 (Jun 21, 2011)

*Moving pet cat to Cyprus*



footpad2010 said:


> Came over 10 weeks ago with 1 dog and 2 cats - one 15 year old also (from Hertfordshire) used to wandering around etc. Kept the cats inside for 2 weeks, they soon got used to litter tray. Now we have moved to a village into a house with a pool, small garden, no grass! They are all settled and wander about the fields behind.
> Cats dont generally roam far from home, unlike dogs.
> We now leave back door open and they come and go as they please. The older one only pees in the tray now and finds somewhere outside to poo. They are very adaptable so don't worry. Just check with your neighbours as in some areas locals put down poison for cats.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the advice. It has settled things more in my mind now and we had decided to keep Suki in for a couple of weeks if we can. I will seek out the zylkene from our vet tomorrow and see what she says.

Tricia


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