An unusual story was shared by the Lajka Animal Protection Foundation about a cat whose owners were forced to leave her behind during their move.

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According to the animal rescuers, a family with young children was moving from Sweden to Turkey for work. They set off in a minibus, bringing along their pregnant cat. However, due to the stress of traveling, the cat unexpectedly went into labor. The kittens were born while the family was passing through Hungary. Since the newborn kittens didn’t have passports, it was highly likely that they wouldn’t have been allowed to cross the Turkish border. Separated from their mother, the kittens would have had almost no chance of survival. Therefore, the family decided to ask for help. This is how they ended up under the care of the Lajka Animal Protection Foundation. The plan is that once the kittens are old enough, the mother cat will be sent to reunite with her family.

How to Travel and Move With a Cat

This case highlights several important considerations. We won’t speculate on how the family found themselves in this situation — most likely, they didn’t anticipate the possibility of their cat giving birth on the way, and their circumstances didn’t allow them to delay their arrival in the destination country.

What is worth discussing, however, is how to travel with pets. Before any international trip, it is crucial to research the entry requirements of the destination country: what documents your pet will need, whether any special vaccinations are required (and how long before the trip), how border crossing works, and more. Fortunately, in this case, the family was aware that the kittens would most likely not be allowed to enter the country, so they acted in time to protect them.

It is important that the animal is as stress-free as possible during the trip / The pictures are illustrations, not the cat in the story

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As this case demonstrates, unexpected, unusual, and stressful situations can have a significant impact on animals — in this case, even triggering labor due to travel-related stress. As a responsible owner, protecting your pet from stress is crucial. We share some tips on how to do this at the end of the article.

Lastly, let’s briefly touch on the topic of spaying and neutering. We don’t know whether this litter of kittens was accidental or planned, but unless you are a breeder, we urge you to have your pets spayed or neutered. Beyond the numerous health benefits, it is the only reliable way to prevent unwanted litters.