We Are Moving

purplexxpassion · Feb 18, 2008

2,000 miles away from our current home! It's about a 2 day trip, that is with driving about 12-14 hours a day(rest stops included of course). We have more then a fair amount of kitties to move with us, since it's such a long drive I was wondering about a lot of things..and what better place to ask than here? you are all absolute LIFESAVERS!

here's a list of questions I have..;

How do I know when to let the cats go potty?

How often do I need to stop to give them the option of going to the bathroom?

It's going to be pretty hot thru the areas we are driving, how do I keep water in the carrier with them without it spilling everywhere?

I was planning on keeping the A/C on the whole way so it stays nice and cool in the car..should I face the cats TOWARDS the A/C vents or AWAY from it?

If it's possible, how do I stop the nerve-killing sound of constant meowing?

Should I leave a little bowl of food in the carrier with them, or offer them food at rest stops?

Most importantly, how do I stop CAR SICKNESS!?! lol

Is there any natural herbal pill/food/whatever I can give them to ease the stress on their minds when travelling?

Would it ease stress and/or stop meowing if I covered the front part of the carrier with a sheet?

I have 7 kittens to transport as well(5 are almost 4mo old, 2 are about 7 weeks old), is there anything important/different I should know about travelling with them?

Opposite of the previous question, I also have a 14yr old cat to move, anything different I should know transporting her?

Would it be easier on their stomachs to feed wet food during the trips?

Any other tips I should know before travelling with them?? never travelled this far with cats so I'd love the extra help!

OH and oneee last question

Anywhere you know about that I can get cat carriers CHEAPLY? hehe

thanks!

AbbysMom · Feb 21, 2008

Here are a few threads from other members that have moved.

http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/sho...ghlight=moving
http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/sho...ghlight=moving
http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/sho...ghlight=moving

jennyr · Feb 21, 2008

I did a 2 day, 12 hour each day trip, with 5 cats when I moved here. here are some tips:

How do I know when to let the cats go potty? How often do I need to stop to give them the option of going to the bathroom?

I tried having trays in the cages but they wouldn't use them. So I stopped every two hours and gave them the opportunity to then. With very young kittens you might try a small tray in the cage, but I think they don't like doing it when the car is in motion.

It's going to be pretty hot thru the areas we are driving, how do I keep water in the carrier with them without it spilling everywhere?

You can get clip-on water bowls but again I found that stopping regularly was better and I coukd make sure they drank.

I was planning on keeping the A/C on the whole way so it stays nice and cool in the car..should I face the cats TOWARDS the A/C vents or AWAY from it?

Can you travel them in cages instead of carriers' They can stand up, move around, cuddle each other and be far more comfortable. Have towels/sheets to put over hte cages to protect them from too much air/sun. But keep the AC on low all the time. It helps to have some towels and a bottle water sot that you can partly cover the cages with a damp towel if they seem to be too hot - one of mine started open-mouth panting at one stage, which was scary, but soon stopped when she was dampened down.

If it's possible, how do I stop the nerve-killing sound of constant meowing?

Mine settled down quite fast after an hour or two. The exception was Dushka, who was travelling in a carrier instead of a cage because I thought she might fight. But she was really unhappy and when I moved her into one of the two cages I had, all was peaceful. Give them some toys to play with.

Should I leave a little bowl of food in the carrier with them, or offer them food at rest stops?

Again, I fed them at two-hourly intervals, though they did not eat much ont he journey.

Most importantly, how do I stop CAR SICKNESS!?! lol Is there any natural herbal pill/food/whatever I can give them to ease the stress on their minds when travelling?

Try a Feliway spray in the car, or rescus Remedy. I sprayed Feliway whenver I sensed a fight or a bout of miouwing and it kept them calm. Don't overfeed them the night before.

Would it ease stress and/or stop meowing if I covered the front part of the carrier with a sheet?

They liked seeing me in front and I was able to see and check on them. After a bit they really enjoyed looking round.

I have 7 kittens to transport as well(5 are almost 4mo old, 2 are about 7 weeks old), is there anything important/different I should know about travelling with them? Opposite of the previous question, I also have a 14yr old cat to move, anything different I should know transporting her?

With those that are big enough, travel with a harness and lead on the cats at all times. It makes it much easier at rest stops.

Would it be easier on their stomachs to feed wet food during the trips?

I only fed dry, a little often.

Any other tips I should know before travelling with them?? never travelled this far with cats so I'd love the extra help!

Line the cages/carriers with absorbent puppy pads in case of accident. They work wonders and are so easy to dispose of at rest stops.

OH and oneee last question

Anywhere you know about that I can get cat carriers CHEAPLY? hehe thanks!

I would use large dog crates/cages - I think Walmart sell them. It is really easier on the cats. And two cages would cost the same as several carriers. They will keep the cats much cooler, with the air being able to circulate round as well.

Here are pix of mine during the journey!

ashley45 · Feb 21, 2008

Well, it wasn't a move, but I did take a 12 hr drive with Moses last summer.

We had a really different set-up. He's our baby, and we didn't want him fussing in a carrier the whole time, so we put a harness and leash on him and tied the leash to a seatbelt in the back seat so he had enough length to reach my lap, but not enough to reach the driver's feet. This worked out splendidly for us. But, as you have a lot more cats, that would be rather impractical.

Even though we had a litter box set up on the backseat floor so that Moses could go whenever he wanted to, he only used it when we stopped for gas/food.

At every stop, I would pour a bit of water from a water bottle into a shallow bowl. I also offered dry food but he didn't eat anything the whole trip. I think this was better, as he wasn't car sick at all.

Our AC DIED half-way through the trip, so we improvised and filled a gallon-sized ziplock bag with ice from gas stations, put it under a blanket, and that was Moses' AC. Make sure you use freezer bags though - or they'll leak!

Moses didn't squeak once on the trip, as long as he was on the passenger's lap, he was fine. We also had the carrier on the backseat floor, and he spent a few hours in there once he got used to being in the car.

If the kittens will be getting out of carriers at any point during the trip, make sure they all have harnesses that you can grab quickly. The last thing you want is to be chasing kittens at a gas station!

No idea where to get cheap carriers. Ebay maybe?

ashley45 · Feb 21, 2008

Line the cages/carriers with absorbent puppy pads in case of accident. They work wonders and are so easy to dispose of at rest stops.

oh yeah - i used these too. Moses never had an accident, but I was glad i had them just in case. A small package isn't too expensive.

You'll be staying in a pet-friendly hotel, I'm assuming?

monaxlisa · Feb 22, 2008

Originally Posted by purplexxpassion

2,000 miles away from our current home! It's about a 2 day trip, that is with driving about 12-14 hours a day(rest stops included of course). We have more then a fair amount of kitties to move with us, since it's such a long drive I was wondering about a lot of things..and what better place to ask than here? you are all absolute LIFESAVERS!

here's a list of questions I have..;

How do I know when to let the cats go potty?
I just moved from Washington to Maine so hopefully Ill be able to help ya out a little bit. You might want to stretch out your trip to three days. We did our trip in 6 days. The cats were out at night with their litter boxes and everything and in their carriers all day for 9-12 hours, yes I felt awful about it and one kitty did have an accident but with six cats I didnt have time to let them all out and then try to get them back in. The first day it took them a while to get to the litter boxes and they didnt eat or drink much but they got used to it.

How often do I need to stop to give them the option of going to the bathroom?

It's going to be pretty hot thru the areas we are driving, how do I keep water in the carrier with them without it spilling everywhere?
I didnt put water in their carriers, you might get some of the bigger crate cups and fill them 1/4 to 1/2 full and make sure you have extra bedding.

I was planning on keeping the A/C on the whole way so it stays nice and cool in the car..should I face the cats TOWARDS the A/C vents or AWAY from it?
I would face it towards them so long as it is not blowing directly on them.
If it's possible, how do I stop the nerve-killing sound of constant meowing?
Mine didnt meow once we started moving (woohoo!) but Ive heard a lot of people recommend Rescue Remedy. Ive never tried it so Im not sure how it works.
Should I leave a little bowl of food in the carrier with them, or offer them food at rest stops?
I put a handfull of food in the bottom of the carrier, some of them ate a little bit.

Most importantly, how do I stop CAR SICKNESS!?! lol
I didnt have this problem either!

Is there any natural herbal pill/food/whatever I can give them to ease the stress on their minds when travelling?
Again, check the rescue remedy. You could try calling around to some health food stores and/or pet stores and asking them what they have in stock for pets.

Would it ease stress and/or stop meowing if I covered the front part of the carrier with a sheet? Mine couldnt see out and I do think they do better when they cant see everything whizzing by.

I have 7 kittens to transport as well(5 are almost 4mo old, 2 are about 7 weeks old), is there anything important/different I should know about travelling with them? Wow! I cant offer too much advice there, they'll probably need a litter box stop much more often, I dont know how long kittens can hold it for but someone has probably responded to that already, if not google it and see what you can find.

Opposite of the previous question, I also have a 14yr old cat to move, anything different I should know transporting her?
Sorry, I really thought I would have more advice!

Would it be easier on their stomachs to feed wet food during the trips?
I wouldnt change their diet. The stress might cause upset tummies and different food wouldnt help that.

Any other tips I should know before travelling with them?? never travelled this far with cats so I'd love the extra help!
Just make sure to cuddle them a lot so they know everything is ok!

OH and oneee last question

Anywhere you know about that I can get cat carriers CHEAPLY? hehe

thanks!
I bought the Kennel Cab in intermediate size, I think it was like $150 for five of them, they worked great but not exactly cheap. Try checking shopzilla.com for price comparrison.

Good luck with your trip!!!

purplexxpassion · Mar 1, 2008

Wow thanks for all the advice you guys, that was a ton of help!!!!

I have a crate I use for my dog, which I was planning on putting 5 of the kittens(all siblings, so no fights) in, and then I have a cat playpen cage/crate thing and was going to chop that in half and put 1 cat on the bottom and a few on top. It makes sense that it'd be almost the same amount to get other crates instead of carriers but what about room in the car? You can only put so many crates in a car!

thank you all again!

We Are Moving

purplexxpassion

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AbbysMom

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jennyr

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ashley45

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ashley45

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monaxlisa

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purplexxpassion

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