Pay close attention to your cat’s “meows.” Changes in tone can indicate distress. This was the case last night with our cat Molly. We were about to leave for our four hour trip down to Delaware as we’ve done for the past 13 years. Neither Molly or Millie are thrilled about the fact that they have to get into their carriers and make the trek down the most miserable NJ Turnpike! Molly did not want to get into her carrier last night. I eventually got her in but she started “meowing” and clawing to get out. She does “meow” a little but as we pulled out of our complex, I noticed a change in her “meows.” They seemed deeper and more desperate. As I we made our way into Fort Lee and eventually on to the “dreaded” NJ Turnpike, I noticed that she sounded like she was throwing up. The sound got worse and I immediately pulled over. I opened her carrier and found that her right paw was stuck in between her collar restricting her breathing. I  had to force her paw through her collar to relieve her misery and distress.

I felt terrible that I didn’t recognize her distress call. She could have choked. Thank goodness after I removed the paw, pet her and calmed her down, the rest of the trip was uneventful. She began purring and eventually fell asleep.

Message: don’t take your cat’s cries for granted!

Remember, your pets count!

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