Evacuation with cats

[jerrymrc]

And all that said I own cat's that are like dogs. Old style Balinese. Like many most cats do not impress me. I am on version 4.0. They all come when called and make great watch cats as well. Just ask the guy when he tried to come through the kitchen window....

[TheGrey]

Unless you have an older house or your cats are very smart they will be under the bed or furniture. Welders gloves are ideal but they are going to want to stay when you grab them. That means you have 2-3 seconds between the time you grab them, rip them from whatever they are holding on to and throw them in the cage.

Always grab the back of the neck and just pull. I know that if your wife is reading this she may freak out but unless you are just pulling on the tail or hind feet it is kind of hard to hurt them compared to what they will go through if they stay.

Having dealt with my cats and feral ones over the years yours will be a piece of cake.Of course smart cats do not go under the furniture or bed. They learn to open cabinets and stuff all over the house and hide there. Collar with a bell if they are indoor.

Thanks, jerrymrc. I'm the wife and beastiewrangler.

The cats are VERY smart- when we had a fire last fall, one cat pried open the basement bathroom cabinet and crawled inside, while the other one scaled the bookshelves and slid into the dropped ceiling so he could make his way to the top of some boxes in a storage area.

You're right. I'll get a few pair of welder's gloves and keep them in handy areas. I've already got their crates set up (open) in strategic places in the house; they use them as kitty caves.

ChunkyMonkey, I can't starve them like a dog for a couple of days to train them- their metabolisms are different. But I will work on training them to come to the sound of a Greenies bag being shaken.

Besides, I can't bear thinking of anything going hungry in my house. I have that feed-people/critters gene.

[TheGrey]

And all that said I own cat's that are like dogs. Old style Balinese. Like many most cats do not impress me. I am on version 4.0. They all come when called and make great watch cats as well. Just ask the guy when he tried to come through the kitchen window....

LMAO! I have a Mau that is our puppycat. He growls and snorts when strangers approach the house.
I also have a slightly-neurotic Bengal mix. He is the one that runs for help when faced with a distressing situation. The Mau often comes when I call him, but the Bengal won't.

[ChunkyMonkey]

One of ours got stuck in a vehicle which I only drive in the summer for 3 weeks. She survived, but is always few pounds lighter than her sister. She is always in survival mode now.. always starving.. and runs to us whenever she hear 'canned food' noises. So we trained the other 2 cats that way. If you are afraid to starve them, simply give them least favorite dry food... and in few days, open their favorite.. Works the same, but more repetitious before they get it!

[jerrymrc]

Thanks, jerrymrc. I'm the wife and beastiewrangler.

The cats are VERY smart- when we had a fire last fall, one cat pried open the basement bathroom cabinet and crawled inside, while the other one scaled the bookshelves and slid into the dropped ceiling so he could make his way to the top of some boxes in a storage area.

You're right. I'll get a few pair of welder's gloves and keep them in handy areas. I've already got their crates set up (open) in strategic places in the house; they use them as kitty caves.

ChunkyMonkey, I can't starve them like a dog for a couple of days to train them- their metabolisms are different. But I will work on training them to come to the sound of a Greenies bag being shaken.

Besides, I can't bear thinking of anything going hungry in my house. I have that feed-people/critters gene.

Ok, make me feel like a heel. My wife was a dog person and had never dealt with cats. Many always want to try and pussy-foot around the issue.The good thing is you now know that they are not like 95% of the cats and know where to look.

The comment I made about cabinets is because when I was stationed in KS I got an up close and personal look at a tornado. Balinese # 3 was with the pots and pans in the kitchen. He also loved to sleep in the bathroom cabinet.

I looked for him but he came out when I called.

[jerrymrc]

LMAO! I have a Mau that is our puppycat. He growls and snorts when strangers approach the house.
I also have a slightly-neurotic Bengal mix. He is the one that runs for help when faced with a distressing situation. The Mau often comes when I call him, but the Bengal won't.

The man got about 1/4 way through the window before his face was tore up. I still remember the police asking after he was in the back of the car how he got tore up. The cat was still licking the blood from the paws when I showed them.

[TheGrey]

Ok, make me feel like a heel. My wife was a dog person and had never dealt with cats. Many always want to try and pussy-foot around the issue.The good thing is you now know that they are not like 95% of the cats and know where to look.

The comment I made about cabinets is because when I was stationed in KS I got an up close and personal look at a tornado. Balinese # 3 was with the pots and pans in the kitchen. He also loved to sleep in the bathroom cabinet.

I looked for him but he came out when I called.

Aw, no. I didn't mean to make you feel like a heel! My husband never had pets growing up, wheras I've had the privilege of being bitten, scratched, and/or peed on by just about every pet available. It's not a matter of gender, but of experience.

Kitchen cabinets are not a place they've been found yet, but they have indicated interest in them. Hmm. Time to nip that in the bud and put those baby-stoppers on the cabinet doors.
Preventative maintenance!

[TheGrey]

The man got about 1/4 way through the window before his face was tore up. I still remember the police asking after he was in the back of the car how he got tore up. The cat was still licking the blood from the paws when I showed them.

Oh, that's wonderful. We had a huge British cobby/american shorthair that topped 20 lbs and would go on a slashing, shredding frenzy when confronted with a vet, or when protecting his little buddy. I bet the cop loves to share the story of the burglar-who-wasn't story at barbecues. I know I would.

[Great-Kazoo]

Here's another side of saving the "kids"
As an avid pet lover, it comes down to 1 of 2 things. When seconds count grab and go. Playing nice with your family member can get both you and the cats, or dogs, killed. The harsh reality is either you're alive or them, in some cases you may not have that option.
Happened here with the tornado, the couple next door grabbed their kids and sought shelter, while it was hard to not grab the dogs, it saved their lives.
My response may rub some of you the wrong way, however what's more important, you or your pet? Unfortunately we cannot always have both.

Make sure to get a few of these, if you haven't already.

[TheGrey]

Good points, jim! I'll be looking for some of those stickers at the pet supply store this weekend.