Moving Long Distance-How To Bring Cats

arolson87

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My boyfriend and I are planning a move from Seattle to Phoenix in a couple months, and I'm wondering the best way to transport my cats safely and effectively. We're going to be renting a big uhaul truck and I dont know if I should put them in little kennels, but then there's the problem of how often to bring them out to eat, play, and pee! I can't just let them in the front seat with us and I will not let them roam around with all the stuff in the back! I also was thinking about the pet relocation services but they are SO EXPENSIVE, like as much as it costs to move all of my stuff, and I simply can't afford it. Does anyone know of a good way to bring your cats on a big move?? Help!
 

missy ro-ro

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Well I haven't moved across the country but I have taken my cat on a very long drive across Texas. She was in the back seat, in her crate. After about 45 minutes in the car, she got sick and threw up, and looking back now I wish I had gotten something from the vet to make her sleepy. After she threw up, I cleaned it all up and then we kept driving, and she fell asleep. That was her last long car trip! I think it also helped to cover the crate, that seemed to calm her down.

One thing I wanted to suggest about having a travel litterbox. I bought one of those rubbermaid totes with the lid, the kind that is only about 5 inches deep and will slid under the bed. I filled that with litter, and when we stopped for a break I'd place the cat in the litter, and she'd go. Then you can just put the lid back on and the litter won't stink up the car and spill everywhere.


Hope someone else can give you more info on the cross country moving. Good Luck!
 

goldenkitty45

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If you are driving and not flying, please put the cats in the car you are driving. You don't want them among the household furniture. When you stop for breaks/lunch, then let them out of the carriers in the car (locked up) and put the litter pan out for them to use. You might also offer a LITTLE food/water when stopping to eat. Otherwise don't feed them if not stopping for more then 5/10 mins (re - your meals - feed them too).

Are you planning on overnite stays at a hotel? If so, then I'd just wait till I got to the hotel/motel and let everyone out in the room, etc.

BTW don't sedate the cats when moving.
 

mooficat

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Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

BTW don't sedate the cats when moving.
I agree ! I flew my cats, which I know is different, my vet said sedation is not needed and in some cases harmful - cats will soon settle as they go into a sort of 'shut-down' mode and will just 'ride' it out as it were
 

yosemite

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Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

If you are driving and not flying, please put the cats in the car you are driving. You don't want them among the household furniture. When you stop for breaks/lunch, then let them out of the carriers in the car (locked up) and put the litter pan out for them to use. You might also offer a LITTLE food/water when stopping to eat. Otherwise don't feed them if not stopping for more then 5/10 mins (re - your meals - feed them too).

Are you planning on overnite stays at a hotel? If so, then I'd just wait till I got to the hotel/motel and let everyone out in the room, etc.

BTW don't sedate the cats when moving.
I agree with the above. We've often taken our kitties in the car. I have a dish of water out for them and a litter pan. I have the carrier door open and a comfy towel in the bottom of the carrier with a towel draped over the top for privacy and they both like to curl up in there while we are driving. We have their harnesses on as well and the leashes handy for when we stop. No windows or doors are opened until the leashes are put on the kitties.
 

chai'smomma

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My husband was in the military and we moved from Colorado to Georgia then a few years later from Georgia to New York. I have a 15 pounder and a 7lb. We purchased a dog crate and put both in with a regular litter box the first time and put it in the back of our suv. That was a little tight for both. On the next move, we put the 15lb cat in the dog crate with a small disposable cat box, the cardboard kind. And the smaller cat in a large cat carrier with a small litter box. They would not eat or drink while we drove so we did not put any water or food in since they would end up spilling it. They would use the litter box while driving. When we would stop, we would put some water in and they would drink a bit. My 15lb is scitso (sp?)
so we could not let him out while we were travelling. We were lucky to get him back in the crate at the hotels. But we made it... Hope this helps.
 

sandtigress

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It may not work for everyone, but when I take the boys home, I now harness them and then leash them to the seatbelts in the back. They have a sleeping bag thrown over the leather seats so its comfy for them (and safe for the leather too
), can move around a bit, and sit with each other. They tend to travel pretty quietly like this as well. Ideally, I'd also have their bigger cat carrier strapped in too, so that they can get it in, and also because I feel safer with them being in that in case of an accident. I do think they prefer being "free" so to speak, leashed instead of cooped up in their carriers, though they do usually fall asleep pretty quick, once the obligatory whining is done.


With this setup, a litter box can go on the floor for a longer trip, though so far I haven't needed one.
 

maxaud

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Not sure if you have made your move yet, but I thought I'd post here anyways.

I'm the owner/operator of Cheaper Moves @ www.cheapermoves.com

I can get you a better price on the UHaul truck for your move, this may offset the cost of a pet relocation service, or may just give you some extra spedning money on your trip. I can also make hotel reservations for you and find hotels along the way that allow pets.

Let me know if you have any questions. Feel free to contact me through my website's contact page or 'moving equipment' page also.

take care.
Dustin
 

jennywren93

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We are planning on moving from TN to FL soon (when? as soon as we can sell the house and find dh a job! lol) and was wondering the best way to transport the cat and kitten. I have driven them around before (I was taking them to the humane society, but they were closed) and didn't have a carrier, but they just curled up on the seats and basically acted like they were sleeping! So, do we NEED to get them a carrier (it would be HUGE in our tiny van) or can they just roam? We will be carrying a cage with 2 parakeets also, so floor space will be at a premium (even with one of the captains chairs out). We figure it will be a 12 hr trip- and we will make it in one shot.
 

littleraven7726

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Originally Posted by Jennywren93

So, do we NEED to get them a carrier (it would be HUGE in our tiny van)
YES. We've moved across country twice. Even if it's a smaller carrier from Wal-Mart, you NEED a carrier. If you get in an accident or someone accidentally opens a car/truck window--you could loose your cat! That's a scary thought for me.

I also had tags made that said "I'm Moving" with our cell numbers. The guys traveled in harnesses and leashes, inside of their carriers. They either travelled with us in the truck cab or in our car. We let them out to use the litter pan every time we stopped at a rest stop.

Something we learned along the way: line the bottom of the carrier with puppy pee pads. Last time we traveled with the cats, 2 had accidents and it was a mess to clean up. Next time we're using puppy pads.
 

goldenkitty45

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For the cat's safety they should be confined in a carrier. Here's a true story about loose cats in the car - make up your mind if its worth allowing them to travel loose in the car:

Friend was taking her cat to the vet's office (one was driving; one holding the cat in their lap (loose).)

Sitting at a red light a fire truck comes thru the light, lights flashing/siren blaring.

The cat heard/saw this - panic set in; cat leaps from the owner's lap and right into the front windshield of the car. Hit the windshield so hard it caused brain damage. They rush into the vet's office but it was too late - nothing they could do and the cat died of head injuries.

Had the cat been in a carrier in the back seat or on the floor in the carrier none of this would have happen.

Now you decide if its worth the risk of letting them roam in the car loose.

Whenever we travel, the cats are in the carrier - crying or no crying - they stay there till we get to the destination!
 

jennywren93

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Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

For the cat's safety they should be confined in a carrier. Here's a true story about loose cats in the car - make up your mind if its worth allowing them to travel loose in the car:

Friend was taking her cat to the vet's office (one was driving; one holding the cat in their lap (loose).)


Had the cat been in a carrier in the back seat or on the floor in the carrier none of this would have happen.

Now you decide if its worth the risk of letting them roam in the car loose.

Whenever we travel, the cats are in the carrier - crying or no crying - they stay there till we get to the destination!
Thank you for the true story. When the kids ask me how the cats are going to come with us, I have always said "I will get them a cat carrier", because I get so angry to see dogs on peoples laps while driving (dangerous because how well could you swerve if need be?) and also get angry when I see little kids bouncing around the back seat. I have actually seen one person with a, eh, 2 yr old in her lap in the front seat (both in the passenger side AND drivers side!) and I get so mad I want to pull them over and yell at them! I have seen harnesses/leashes for you to clip your dogs to the seatbelts and don't know if there is something similar for cats? and if so, do I need to start training them to wear collars/harnesses so they won't fuss so much?

When I was a kid and we moved from IL to MI, then MI to TN we had Golden Retreivers and a car, so they always laid in the floorboards when we were riding. It wasn't a big deal. I guess I just worry about them being penned up for 12 hrs, kwim?
 

ethiope

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I moved from Houston to Virginia with my three cats and it was an ordeal, but we all made it. I did the trip in 3 days and stopped at hotels that allowed cats (found them through AAA). I had them in their carriers at first, but after I couldn't stand the meowing anymore, I opened the doors. After some initial investigating, one of them stayed under my seat and the other two stayed in their boxes with the doors closed. I had a little box on the floor behind the passenger seat although none of them used it while I was driving. Whenever I would get out of the car I'd make sure they were in their carriers with the doors closed first. It would probably be better to have them in their carriers with the doors closed but the constant meowing was driving me crazy. Fortunately, they basically didn't mind being in the carriers, they just didn't want the doors closed. Now that one of my cats is harness trained, I think I would have her harness on her and keep the other one in the carrier.
 

libby'smom

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Ugh I'm kind of dreading our move. We're moving in 5 months from Connecticut to Georgia. We just have Libby, but that drive is going to be a long one. I think I might do the dog crate idea. I can clear out the back of our SUV so that we can have the dog crate there.
 

nicolegray

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I hope you don't mind me doing some thread hijacking, but I'm going to be moving from Toronto the New York City in about a month, and have been wondering about this as well. We'll have a U-Haul (with a combined cab and packing area), so the cats will be in the same vehicle as us the entire time.

We've got a hard case carrier for each cat, but my concern is that this isn't enough room. The carriers are big enough for them to turn around in, but they can't stand up or even stretch out.

The drive will take 9 to 10 hours total, with stops along the way for stretching, litter use, etc.

Should we invest in a dog crate or something so that they can be together and have a little more room?
 

littleraven7726

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Originally Posted by NicoleGray

Should we invest in a dog crate or something so that they can be together and have a little more room?
I wouldn't put them together. My bonded littermates had quite the fight when we moved to California, and we put them in the same carrier. We didn't do that again. But you could look at the dog crate idea for each of them. I like this type of carrier in "intermediate size" for big moves. Although I would love to get one of these, if it weren't so expensive.
 

jennyr

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When I brought mine from Bosnia I started Dushka in her own carrier as I thought she would fight with the others, but she was so miserable I moved her. And they were fine, though I chose carefully how I would divide them. The thing about a crate is it gives them room to see things and sit up, but one each takes up an awful lot of room!
 

margot23

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hey-
So I havent gone for really long car rides with my boys, but I've had them in the car for a couple hours before.
I let one of my cats loose in the car because he stays in the back and just curls up next to my other one. My other boy stays in his carrier because he gets nervous and just howls the whole time. For a long distance move, I wouldnt feel uncomfortable letting them loose in the backseat. They have fences for dogs to keep them in the back. My dad moved 5 hours away and his cat just wandered around in the back and slept. Definitely dont give him much to eat or drink. Get a tight fitting harness to let the cat out and walk (make sure he cant back his way out of it, its very difficult to regain control of a weasel-y cat. Anti nausea meds are also available for cats that get a little woozy. Good Luck! You know your cat best.
 

binkyhoo

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I recently moved from Wisconsin to Boston. About 1200 miles with the cat in a carrier in the back seat. My advice get as big of a carrier as you can and must have air conditioning in summer. Lots of ventilation is a good thing. It took 4 days and 3 hotel stays. Try not to have more than 6 or 8 hrs a day on the road. It was very hard on my cat. She was so miserable and car sick the first day. By the fouth day she got into the routine and was a seasoned traveler.

She never did eat or drink much for the whole trip. that was my biggest worrie. But she survived. PHEW!!

The funny story is that at one hotel, there was a hole in the bottom of the box spring and Binks got INTO the mattress. I Had to get a knife and crawel under there and cut her out. I never expected that occurence,
 
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