Hi, I’m Christopher! Read my introduction to learn more about me and my silly Russian Blue cat, Olga.
When I traveled to Thailand last year, I left Olga at my parents’ house. It was the first time he was away from home for more than a few hours, and unfortunately for my parents, he wasn’t the best house guest for the first few days. He remained hidden during the day, and when they slept, he cried all night. After the third day, they said he was more friendly and happy to curl up in their laps.
Accompanying him is not possible because one of my flights is over 14 hours, and my hotel does not allow pets. Still, enduring a long flight with a cabin full of coughing passengers and inedible food is bad enough, and I’m glad I don’t have an angry cat in a carrier that keeps whining the entire trip.
Unless I’m moving abroad, I doubt I’ll take Olga on an international flight. It will be painful for both of us. He doesn’t like to leave the area around my house, and when I’m on shorter trips, my cat sitter takes care of him. While he can stay home when I’m gone, he’s incredibly friendly when I come back and won’t leave me alone.
A Rude Reception
After my Thailand trip, he was no longer happy to see me. As I approached him, he moaned and I backed away. He seems to think I’m dead because I’ve been gone for so long, and he’s not happy to see my ghost. He ran, and when I found him hiding under the bed, he hissed and tried to scratch me. I had to cover him with a towel before I attached him to the carrier.
When I let him out of the carrier at my house, he ran and hid under my bed. He stayed away from me the whole day and didn’t approach me until that night. I was surprised by Olga’s hatred, but it only took her a day to realize I was back from the dead, and she was excited to get back to her old routine.
Fragrant Environment
Cats have long-term memories and can recognize their owners from strangers, but why was he scared of me in the first place? A vet I work with suggested that the strange scent on my clothes from the trip scared him off. Considering the length of the trip and the mix of unpleasant smells that surrounded me on the plane, I think he was right.
During the 30-hour drive, my olfactory system was filled with the scents of pungent body odor, bad breath, strong cologne, and vomit from the baby who threw up in her seat nearby. I don’t blame Olga for hissing at me or trying on me after the trip. If he comes home after a long ride and his fur is embedded with the same smell, I also hiss and run for cover.
