An Airport Pick Up

​We can offer airport pick ups, and in this case we were in a position to offer a place to stay, to this very sweet natured personality.  Frank our Vietnamese cat!  Found tied up to a pole, Frank was rescued by his humans.  They say he is the luckiest cat in Vietnam as treatment of animals there is very poor.  Frank had all his vet checks and travelled in a carrier bag underneath the seat of the passenger in front of his owners seat.  He changed flights at Helsinki onward to Barcelona and was picked up by Linda.
Frank was understandably nervous on arriving at my flat on the edge of Raval.  He left his carrier and headed for the highest spot, where he hid for 24 hrs.  After 24 hrs, i had to have a chat with Frank.  I wanted him to understand that he did not need to be afraid.  After our silent dialogue he moved his position to another high spot but one where we could both see eachother and start communicating.
Frank has been here for 1 week now.  He has blossomed in confidence, but for the first few days he had a very strong homing instinct and was insistent or trying every exit he could find in my flat.

Some tips

• Dont crowd your cat when you arrive at a new place.  Let them explore in their own time without interference.
• Have available a high spot where they can view their surroundings without feeling threatened.
• Slow blink at your cat.  'Slow blinking' in cat language tells them that you are relaxed and calm and hence there is nothing to be afraid of.
• Greet them with the friendly cat trill every now and then.
• Allow easy access to water, food and litter tray.
• KEEP YOUR EXITS FIRMLY CLOSED UNTIL THE CAT SHOWS POSITIVE SIGNS OF RELAXING.  THIS MAY TAKE WEEKS.
• Register your cats microchip details with a vet so that if they do go missing the shelters or persons finding the cat can find out where they belong.
• Grooming is an excellent way to create calmness and reassurance.