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Farthest you've travelled with your cat?

post #1 of 13
6/26/09 at 5:26am
Thread Starter 
So what is the farthest distance you've travelled with your cat(s)? My husband and I are goingto Ontario for dog shows in two weeks. I PROBABLY should have waited until after that to get a kitten...but you know how that sometimes goes...we found her and it had to be her SO, I am inclined to try to take her with us. We'll be gone about four days and it is a nine hour drive. We will also have all the dogs with us. We thought about trying to rent an RV but it is just going to be too cost-prohibitive, so we'll probably rent a large cargo-type van such as a sprinter (I usually go alone or take another friend with me and he stays home and takes care of some of the pets)...I am LOATHE to consider boarding and have just made up my mind for sure I WON'T do it. I could get my neighbor to come and take care of her....but I'd really like to consider taking her along first. I'm not sure what's the most stressful. Socialization is high on the list for her anyway...I'm going to be showing her, at least that's the plan..so maybe it would be a good thing for her to travel? What do you all think and what experiences have you had?
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post #2 of 13
6/26/09 at 5:46am
My cats regularly travel with us from northern Michigan to North Carolina, which is a 7-800 mile drive. We keep a litter box secured tightly on the floor in the backseat (yes they do use it while in the car), and offer some canned food about halfway, and other than that they just sleep on the seat. I choose not to keep them crated, but I always have a passenger to make sure they stay in the back.

Being that she's a kitten, I'd say bring her along if you are up to it. Just make sure that you bring all of the potentially necessary supplies -litter box, litter, scoop, zip lock baggies, diaper wipes (accidents happen, and the smelliest ones seem to happen when there's no rest stop in sight), toys, food, dishes, blanket, leash/harness or crate, toys, etc.
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post #3 of 13
6/26/09 at 8:56am
Lessee, on one occasion we were bottle feeding kittens and took them with us when we drove to Missouri for a funeral and that was about 500 miles round trip.
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post #4 of 13
6/26/09 at 9:19am
The furtherst was from Maryland to Minnesota (flying to a show). In the future we plan to get a RV and do traveling aorund the US and put the dog and cats in there to go with us.
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post #5 of 13
6/26/09 at 9:25am
My answer's not fair because we're in an RV.

FYI, they won't necessarily be happier in the RV at first - it's just easier because of all the space. In fact, our kitties were rescued while we lived here, but we weren't traveling for a few years. The first time we hit the road with them they were terrified and all hid under the bed (we cut out holes so they could get under there). After the first few stops for gas, they figured it out - though for driving time, they always retreated under the bed. But on the return trip, two of them were comfortable enough to come out and hang out up front with us.

The only positive difference between traveling in the RV and the car was that Shelly, who always evacuates everything in his system from all exists within 15 minutes of any car ride, wasn't THAT scared and didn't vomit, pee or poop.

Laurie
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post #6 of 13
6/26/09 at 9:36am
We drive with Sev or Mario to NY which is a 12 hour drive, and to FL which is 10 hours, but they are very calm cats
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post #7 of 13
6/26/09 at 12:05pm
I had to drive a few times with two cats back and forth to Las Vegas (moving). It's about a 6-8 hour drive and I did it in an Accord. They were not happy and one cried the entire drive. We put up a barricade from the front seat to the back. Spread out some trash bags and covered those with old towels and blankets, added their litter box but placed their cover to it at another end so they had something to climb into.

It was fine - but I bet an RV would be nicer. I say that because I really, really want an RV.
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post #8 of 13
6/26/09 at 12:28pm
Spaz has made the trip from Seattle, WA to Provo, UT, back to Seattle, back to Provo and from Provo to here in Needles, CA.

Spaz travels well though, she knows where to find her litterbox in the truck cab and take advantage of it when let out of her crate at rest stops.

Something larger though and you can set up a large dog kennel with all supplies (except water) and water her at rest stops.
My boyfriend has my large dog crate (think Lab sized), it's colapsable and can set up in the back seat of his Sentra for his two girls.
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post #9 of 13
6/26/09 at 2:05pm
Thread Starter 
Thank you all for the replies!! Makes me feel a lot better I really do HATE the idea of leaving her at home!! Even though I have a neighbor/friend that I trust. I'd just rather have the baby along Have been traveling with the dogs for almost 11 years for dog shows, so am used to packing everything but the kitchen sink It'll be a little more complicated with all the DOG CRATES and the kitty crate and litterbox..etc..etc...guess I'll take her playpen along for in the hotel and for outside. I don't think we can do the RV thing...just TOO expensive but we can rent a vehicle large enough (we just have a stow n go minivan that holds four dog crates) and do the motel thing. And they call this a vacation? OH LORD I just set myself up for more and more WORK!!! Sigh. Sometimes I ask myself why I do this???!!! Cuz it's supposed to be fun!
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post #10 of 13
6/26/09 at 2:42pm
When I first moved to Virginia with my ex husband, we had a Persian and Himalayan. We drove cross country from San Diego To Virginia in a Honda Civic. Took three days. They were each in a crate and we would stop often for pee breaks and water. The hotels we stayed did not allow cats, so we sneaked them in. The himalayan meowd the whole way.
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post #11 of 13
6/26/09 at 4:48pm
We brought Chaos with us from Pennsylvania to New Hampshire, about an eight hour drive. Not including the detours from getting lost/almost running out of gas. He caused a huge ruckus in my mom's car so she pulled over and handed him off to my uncle and myself as we were in the moving truck. Uncle driving, me not old enough to yet. He was fine with us. Seemed fascinated by the back window of the cab with its great view of...the container part of the truck lol. It wasn't too bad overall, he settled down pretty quick.

I suppose it helps that I seem to be a human version of Feliway. :P
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post #12 of 13
6/26/09 at 4:49pm
Punkin used to ride in our truck with us, from Dallas to Phoenix and back twice each week. He has 400,000 miles on him.
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post #13 of 13
6/26/09 at 4:55pm
Thread Starter 
I'll have to check out Feliway before we leave!! (Is it easy to find?) I am taking Gigi somewhere at LEAST once a week...just got back from my local petsmart (about six minutes away) a little while ago to get her out...she meows whenever the car is moving..doesn't mind when it stops...she is still under 4 months, just a baby; am hoping that if I keep it up she will eventually get used to it; thankfully she doesn't get sick...and when we get there she is GREAT!!! She wanted to play with the feather toys I dangled for her, she let me carry her around (harness on with flexilead attached which I stuck in my purse, LOL!), lets people visit with her, hold and pet her...doesn't flinch when dogs bark...she's just awesome Anyhow....am hoping to get her good and conditioned to the travelling; will probably use a medium dog crate on the trip and put her small playpen litterbox in it; and will also let her freeride some. Just want her to be happy and feel safe!
I had forgotten..........I moved 800 miles north after graduate school and took my big Georgy kitty with me...in a U-Haul in his crate between me and my (then boyfriend, now husband) and he did fine...but stuck his paws out a lot to scratch and hissed at my boyfriend (haha...he was a big bad..in fact one of his nicknames was "The Big Bad" and "George-monster" LOLOL!!!!!)... but really he did fine. So I imagine with all the experience I'm giving The Gig...she'll do even better
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