Traveling Questions

algebrapro18

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Me and Tom are going on vacation today after I get back from class and I have a small concern about it.

I've had him with me on probably a dozen trips and the first 4-5 I had him in a carrier because I was worried about him getting stuck under a seat or squished by luggage. He was fine, never meowed or hissed or anything and the first 2 times he even got into the carrier by himself (I just set it on my bed and he walked right in).

Now that he's gotten bigger and a little older(He's going to be 2 in 2 months) I have stopped using the carrier but now he sleeps in the litter box...of all the strange places. I have an SUV with seats that fold down and I always have them down when were on trips together and then I bungie cord my luggage to the back door(that way it doesn't shift if I have to break suddenly) and lay one of his favorate blankets down on the floor but he never lays down outside of the litter box.

Any idea's on why he does this? He will come out maybe 2 times a trip and look out the windows but he will never come up front with me or lay down anywhere but his litter box. I think it might be because he's so used to being boxed in in the car from being in the carrier when he was younger that he's treating his litterbox as his carrier now.

When I take him with me we are ususally on the road for about 3-4 hours before we get where were going and he is a really good rider, doesn't meow or anything, all he does is sleep in the litter box. And I guess its not that strange(I clean it out don't worry) but still I would like to know why.
 

catnurse22

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I think it's simply a "safe zone". Maybe because it's familiar, maybe because it's a small space. He's in a different place with lots of different sounds, and his litterbox is like a little piece of home. It's just like you'll see cats in their litter boxes at the vet's. They may have plenty of comfy towels and beds, but they'll be curled up in a tiny ball in their litterbox. *shrugs* Who knows, though? If only they could tell us...
 

GoldyCat

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I agree it probably feels like a safe place for your kitty. Not only is it familiar, but it's also more contained and keeps him from sliding or bouncing around in the back of the vehicle. Why would you stop using a carrier when it worked well before? You tie your luggage down so it doesn't shift, but the poor kitty doesn't have that security. If you hit the brakes hard he becomes a furry projectile. My suggestion is, get a larger carrier and keep your baby safe.
 

mrblanche

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I would get him a larger carrier. I think he just wants to be in an enclosed, familiar place.
 

goldenkitty45

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He still sounds like he likes the comfort and safety of the carrier by staying in the litter box. I would get the next size carrier if you want and let him stay in that.

Smart cat IMO. Ours always rides in the carrier for shows, vet trips, etc. They are only allowed out if we stop for lunch/supper so they can stretch and eat or drink in the car. When the car is moving, they are in carriers with doors closed. I don't believe in allowing them to be riding loose in a moving car.
 

mrblanche

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I would not only recommend the carrier, I would recommend closing the door whenever you make a stop and get out. Having been scared to death by a cat that took off across a truck stop parking lot when I opened the door of my car to get gas, I can say the extra inconvenience is worth it!
 

goldenkitty45

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Scary! I was a little afraid of letting Charlie loose in the car and then opening doors to get out to eat. But we figured out that if you tapped on the back glass, the cats usually will get in the back seat window....then one jumps in the door and gets ahold of the cat while the other one of us gets in and shuts the door
 

GoldyCat

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I always leave the kitties in the carrier while I get out for my break. Then when I get back in the car I'll let them out for a few minutes. Of course, I usually end up crawling over the seats trying to herd them back in to the carriers, but that's better than chasing them across a parking lot.
 

anjhest

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I'm with most of the folks who posted that you should go back to using a carrier. I use one primarily because I can strap it into a seat with a seat belt, making my kitty safer in the event of an accident. You could move to a slightly larger carrier and velcro some blankets/cushions to the bottom to keep him comfy!
 
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