Traveling

[doglover]

Can anyone help me out? My husband and I will be moving before to long. I have always had dogs all my life so I know how to travel with them but I am new to cats. I love them but I don't know how they travel and we will be moving about 1400 miles. If you have any ideas on how to travel with a cat that is 6 years old and a kitten that is 10 months. Would be a lot of help.

[bettdev]

The first thing I'd do....is to put collars on both, with ID, or even microchip both.
I usually put a harness on my cats attached to a leash, just in case. The leash is then tied to the carrier, or something inside the vehicle.
I put them into a cat carrier lined with an old blanket or towel, and leave the door open. This seems to give my cats a level of security, knowing that they can hide inside the carrier if need be. They usually ride with their paws hanging out, so they can be near me.
I have an old plastic tote to use as a litter box. The high sides keep them from kicking out the litter. Their water is in a milk container, and a small butter bowl with a lid, is used to give them a drink. I use another bowl with a lid for their dry food.
When I stop for gas or at a rest area, thats when I set my cat into the litter, and give them a moment to see if they need to go. Cats usually won't go to the bathroom, if the car is moving. Use this time to offer them a drink or food, also.
You might want to take the cats on short car rides before the big day. Even around the block will help them get used to the car moving, along with all the sounds...
Hope any of this helps.......I've always had cats, and at one time (when I was an over-the-road truck driver) took my 2 persians with me. They loved it. My female used to nap on the dash of our 1985 Peterbilt. She loved to travel.......

[Beeezy]

A friend of mine moved from Missouri down to Texas with two cats. What they did was put them in carriers but to keep them from getting traumatized from the trip, they went to their vet and got sedatives to give them for the trip......you might check in to that!

[Trixie]

If they're not used to travelling in the car, definitely get sedatives from the vet and maybe try some practice rides. Leave their carriers out in the open so they get used to seeing them and maybe go in and out of them. My cat pitches a fit to drive 2 miles to the vet!!

Once I took him from NJ to VA, a 4.5 hr. trip, and I just made sure I stopped often, took him out of his crate, and gave him water. I did not give him food. I had a small litter box in the back seat, but he didn't use it. I stopped about 4 times for probably 15 min. at a time, because he was soo stressed. I did not have sedatives for him.

Make sure you have extra towels and things for the crate, in case they get sick...a good possibility. Oh, another idea, if you crate is big enough, it may help them to keep them both in the same crate, for security for each other?

[KristinW]

YES to both sedatives and SEPARATE carriers for them.

Make sure the carriers are comfy as stated above with blankets and such. Maybe add their favorite toy in there too for comfort.

About sedatives: I got natural herbs from our holistic vet. It worked great.

Also the harness and leash for them. The chip is also an excellent idea. Our cat had one.

Moo would throw up a pound of food every time we took her anywhere in the car. It never failed. So, do not feed before you first leave!

Yes, even without food and with the sedative she threw up.

Make sure you give them some soothing attention too.

[bettdev]

I would ONLY sedate my animals if ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY........there is always a risk with doing so, and I'd rather have a scared animal, than to administer any drugs to them.


Meeko Merlin Kali

[RicaBFH]

I moved from Jacksonville, Florida to the state of Washington and back to Jacksonville with cats. I put both cats in the same carrier. They wouldn't eat, drink, or potty while on the road. I made sure to stop at a reasonable time and check into a motel where I turned them loose for the night. They would check their surroundings, eat, drink, potty, play, and sleep. The next morning, they would go back into the carrier for another day of travel. I made sure to pet them and play with them every night. While traveling, I kept the cats in the carrier unless they were in a motel room. My son would talk to them often when in the car. They did not like the windows down at all -- I assumed the wind hurt their ears. My cats did not get car sick, but my dog does. My vet told me to give the dog Dramamine (the human motion sickness medicine). I assume this would work for cats also, but I would give them half the dose for a child as they have smaller body weights. If you are going to open the carrier, have a leash handy. I would not leash them in the carrier due to the danger of their getting tangled in the leashes. This might happen while you were driving and unable to stop, and could result in serious danger to your cats. Cats are like humans in that all will travel differently. Pay close attention to your cats, but remember, being uncomfortable for a little bit is much safer than being turned loose. If the cats are loose inside the car, they can distract you possibly causing an accident, or they can bolt when the door opens and be lost forever or killed. I strongly recommend keeping the cats in the carrier except for when you are in a motel room, but be sure to stop in time for them to have at least 8 or more hours out of the carrier each day.

[nagymom]

I'm going to go against the advice of the rest and say NO to sedatives! I did this with our 2 cats once (vet supplied and instructed) and we almost lost them. They were so "out" they were barely breathing. They actually travelled well after it wore off so I felt even worse for doing this to the poor things. Once you're on the road it's difficult to check on them unless you make frequent stops so you won't know if they get into trouble.

A carrier is definitely a very good idea to keep them coralled for stops and carrying into hotel rooms at night.

By all means discuss it with your vet if you're concerned but DO try taking them in the car for short distances before opting for sedation. We moved our cats from Colorado to Alabama over 3 days and they did fine once they realized they were ok. One cat sat behind my shoulders and the other curled up under my daughters shirt.

Good luck with your precious cargo!
Jayne

[ldyroper]

I agree with some of the posts, but I didnt give mine sedatives. First, you must get a vet check up before you leave, if you get pulled over going thru a differant state, they want to know the animal has no diseases. That is a must!
I moved from CA to MT with 4 cats and 3 dogs. My cats each in their own carrier in the back of my SUV. I did give one of my cats a sedative I got from the vet, and after I saw how she looked- I decided against it ever again. (She looked so looped up) No sedatives. No one got sick either.
Wed travel from about 6:30 am to 6pm, and when we stopped at a pet friendly hotel(advance reservtions- ) wed let them out in the room to potty and eat. Then back in the carrier the next am.
They did fine. They will not eat, drink or potty while driving. And being locked in the carrier means no chance of escape during stops for the people. Which was my biggest worry. Once at our new place. I took them and the carriers into the house into the room where their litter box would be, and set up their food, and let them out. I put butter on their paws (old wives tale to make them lick their paws to get to know their new ground) and kept them in there for 24 hrs. Then let them out. No on ran away.
The next time I ddrove from MT to ND ( a 16 hr ride - but stopped over nite) did the same thing. Only this time, they had to be in the bed of the truck. I was a wreck!! But, I had the carriers tied to a thick rope anchored, in case a wind draft tried to take the carriers. They (then 6 cats) all arrived just fine. Here in ND, I just let them out, cause were on a ranch, and they are all still here today with us. Good Luck!!!
Oh, my father in law is a trucker, and he takes one of his cats everywhere he goes. She loves it!! But of course, she has run of the truck, and she goes on a harness when he takes her outside to "play" HeeHEE.

[KristinW]

UGH, Just a note on the sedatives ... for me anyway.

I don't use the prescription ones. There is a definite danger there. Always. And you don't know how your pet will react until it's too late.

I use only herbal calming potions from our holistic vet. They just calm them down, not put them out. And I only use the amount directed by the vet for the animals weight and attitude.

Just a note for you all .... I had forgotten to make sure this was clear above. Sorry.