Jake came with me on a car ride

It was so much fun!! He always begs at the door to come out whenever I'm going somewhere, so this time I took him with me to the car (which was in the garage and the garage was closed until I was in the car with the door closed, I wasn't taking any risks of him running) . I sat down in my car with him in my lap and he seemed interested in the surroundings, it looked like he was calm and just curious. So I turned on the engine- when I last took him to the vet he freaked out at the sound of the engine but now he briefly put his ears back for a second then calmed down again immediately. I came out of the garage and drove around the neighborhood for like 5 minutes, Jake loved it!! He sat in my lap the entire time with his head like a telescope, looking out the window to my left. I would have never opened the window but he was looking out just the same way dogs look out, it was hilarious..
He didn't leave my lap to go sit at the passanger seat (Though I know he had plans of going up on the dashboard, but his bum can't fit there ) so it was kinda scary driving with almost 20 pound cat not just sitting on my lap but standing and trying to extend upwards to get a better view, so putting pressure on my thighs and almost blocking my view because he is kinda tall but I only went 15 miles per hour in a suburban neighborhood so it wasn't a big deal..
He enjoyed himself and I had fun because him sitting on my lap for 5 minutes is a miracle, he is so not a lap cat

Awww, glad he had fun! I don't think ANY of my kitties would do too well in that situation.

How cool for both of you!

Banshee just loved going in the car. I would jingle my car keys and say, "Banshee, wanna go byes?" and she'd come running and meowing. She liked sitting on my lap and looking at the side window; she did not like being in the carrier.

She was used to the car as a kitten. When I'd visit my parents, Banshee always came with me. I'd pack up her food, water, toys, and a small litter box and off we'd go (my dad always said that I packed as much stuff for a cat as most people would for a human child). She enjoyed playing with Ebony, my parents' black cocker spaniel. They'd chase each other around the house and then take a nap together back on my parents' bed. And then when I was ready to go home, I'd call her and she'd come running.

Hydrox, on the other hand, did the 3 p's (pooped, peed, and puked) before I drove 1/2 mile in the car. He hated it.

The rest of the gang aren't crazy about car rides because, for them, it usually means a trip to TED (The Evil Doctor). But Banshee went everywhere with me.....DH always said she had a gasoline butt.

Hahhaa....thats great!

Yoshimi is the queen of mean but for some reason unbeknownst to me she loves the car! She will ride on my lap the entire trip and peek out when we are at a stop. Shes sort of clingy....so I think she feels safe so long as she is on my lap. She hates the carrier so the last vet trip, I just strapped a kitty harness on and a leash and carried her. I know I must have looked like a crazy, but its seems to work best for her, and that way theres a lower probability of getting my face clawed off trying to 'convince' her to go in the carrier.

That is so awesome! I would love to do that one day with one of mine! I tried to do that with Lucky once, but she COMPLETELY freaks out at the moment we get into the car... NO WAY!

I have been thinking a lot on how am I going to endure a move to California if I get the job... Oh boy!

I love that story. My angel Tales would always drive up to Kieran's house, 600 metres, with me in the car and then jump on my shoulder while we walked down his drive.

Cool!

My RB Wawa loved cars. He always beat me going inside. He would sit on the front passenger seat and stay there all throughout the trip. I miss him.

Attitude refused to get in her carrier to go to the vet yesterday and I was running late. I had just put on and adjusted her new harness(I hated the old one and it was a PITA to adjust and use) so I decided I'd 'punish' her by making her go without her carrier on her leash. OK seriously I was running late and she refused to get in so I did the easy thing. She sat in the passenger seat(do not let them ride in your lap, if did have an accident and your airbag deploys you'll have some serious injuries from them impacting your chest plus you will no longer have a cat, not to mention it's too easy for them to get down on the floorboard where your pedals are, just a safety thing) and was looking out using the armrest in the door to look out, I did lock the doors since she was getting close to the handle, didn't want her to accidentally open it. Then she discovered the back seat, she tried to get in the rear window but she was too fat to fit. She then discovered my son's car seat(harnessed seat that is buckled in the car, not a booster so it wasn't going to move at all.) She discovered that she could just sit in it and see out the window. She loved it, might be how I take her to the vet now, especially as I have 2 of them and they are getting too big to fit in the carrier together.

Nuts also likes it but I can't take 2 on leashes so I might alternate who gets stuck in the carrier when they have to go in together.

Taryn

I love the stories of a cat going for a ride in a car, Jake sounded safe enough, 15 mph around the block, harmless entertainment.....


..... but I would not go any distance or speed with a loose cat in the car, regardless of the circumstances, or especially with a cat in harness and leash, and I would never take my cats into a veterinary clinic uncrated. Way too many recipes for disaster from exposure to illness, attacked by dogs, to running away.

Don't mean to sound judgmental or holier than thou, just want to point out the dangers involved.

Originally Posted by Winchester

Banshee just loved going in the car. I would jingle my car keys and say, "Banshee, wanna go byes?" and she'd come running and meowing. She liked sitting on my lap and looking at the side window; she did not like being in the carrier.

She was used to the car as a kitten. When I'd visit my parents, Banshee always came with me. I'd pack up her food, water, toys, and a small litter box and off we'd go (my dad always said that I packed as much stuff for a cat as most people would for a human child). .

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I've always wished I could do that with my cats, start them early (when they come, I mean, I don't usually have kittens) being accustomed to going to a different place in the car, but I have no where to take them to visit!

I have a friend who takes her cats to "grandma's" regularly, so when she has to go away on business, they are comfortable being watched by grandma.

Originally Posted by THF

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LOVE her!

Attitude has always been a good rider in a car and I had already tested her and Nuts so I knew either would be fine uncrated in the car and in the waiting room. It isn't hard to keep a cat in your lap at the vet's office(Attitude rarely stays in her carrier once in the waiting room anyways so I have to harness and leash her in the vet's waiting room) when there are dogs there, most want nothing to do with a dog. A properly harnessed and leashed cat who is willing to be carried is not going to run away or get loose and even if they jump down you have a leash in your hand so they aren't getting far. We're not talking about escape artist cats, you should already know if your cat can escape it's harness and if it can then it's a no-go. Honestly, they aren't going to be exposed to many feline diseases as much as canine ones and a lot are species specific. I have no problem taking a dog into a vet leashed therefore I have no worries about taking my cat in the same way. If someone can't control their dog to the point of my cat getting injured then they can pay my bill for getting my cat patched back together(I have seen a lot more dog on dog aggression than dog on cat.) Also, I'm not going to sit anywhere near a dog and I'll stand if I have to so if someone can't control their dog on a leash then they need to train their dog. I have controlled 100+ lb dogs when I was 13 and less than 80 lbs in an animal shelter, and not all were trained, it is not that hard to control a leashed dog especially a pet who should have been through obedience school or trained to at least somewhat obey. The same holds true for the cat, if you can't control it on a leash it needs to be crated. Spaz never went to the vet in a carrier and honestly if it wasn't for Maude I wouldn't have one now. I'd rather 'take my chances' than fight with a cat who doesn't want to get in their carrier when I know she'll be fine without it.

Like everything else, it depends on the cat. Only you know your pet's personality and if this would suit them. I knew it would work with Attitude as she had no problem in the car and no problems in the waiting room.

Taryn

I just don't see any point in taking such risks, when it's easy enough to keep them safe, but you're right whatever works for each individual. What works for me is: my cats will always be contained in carriers in the car and at the vet, because that's the safest I can keep them, and I need that peace of mind, being a worrier by nature.

Originally Posted by otto

I love the stories of a cat going for a ride in a car, Jake sounded safe enough, 15 mph around the block, harmless entertainment.....


..... but I would not go any distance or speed with a loose cat in the car, regardless of the circumstances, or especially with a cat in harness and leash, and I would never take my cats into a veterinary clinic uncrated. Way too many recipes for disaster from exposure to illness, attacked by dogs, to running away.

Don't mean to sound judgmental or holier than thou, just want to point out the dangers involved.

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I don't think I would take the risk of taking Jake out on a major road either, he will still be a in a carrier when he's in the car on vet trips, because he doesn't understand that I'm driving and sitting on my lap and walking all over me is a major distraction and it's totally unsafe for both of us.
Besides, I don't want to take any risks of him being even more stressed out when I arrive at the vet, I have no idea how he would react if we were driving at 50 mph and a vet trip is scary enough as it is.
My boyfriend's mom's cat came all the way from Tennessee to GA in a car without a carrier, I was told she stayed under the seat the entire time and didn't like it. But she is a very timid and quiet kitty, Jake can get really wild if there is something he doesn't like..
So even though he did well this one time, he will still be in a carrier when we go to the vet. I mean, I am sure that once he's bored he will change completely, it's the same way when I brush him, he likes it at first and purrs then quickly starts biting the brush and bunny kicking me once he realizes "hey nothing new is happening this is boring and no fun at all"..I foresee this happening in the car too, he'd probably start to bother me once he's bored with just looking out the window.

I laughed at the image of you driving around your neighbourhood taking the cat for a drive!
I think it's a great idea if you can get a cat used to riding in the car without freaking out.

I have two that are tractor ride crazy and neither will decline a truck ride either. I have had as many as 4 cats ride from the house to the barn in the truck, and just sit quietly, and accept the ride and the warmth from the heater. The two ride crazy guys don't care, winter or summer and take full advantage of climate control
BTW, it is NOT a good idea to try snow removal with 20 pounds of ecstatic cat clinging to your neck and trying to crawl inside your parka

The first time I did it was a trip to PetSmart so I could go back if I had to with them if they flipped. I would never do it first time to the vet's when I can't just go back home.

I also wasn't planning on doing it but I was running really late and Attitude refused to get in the carrier so I had to wing it. I knew the worst thing that would happen was she'd hide under the passenger side seat and she didn't even do that, she wanted to look out the window. This was the second time Attitude had ever been in the car outside of her carrier. I will have to do it again if one refuses to get in the carrier and do it with one if they have an appointment together, both can't fit in the carrier anymore. If I can get them in the carrier then I'm going to do that but if it's going to be a huge drawn out fight it just isn't worth it.

I knew she wouldn't want to be in my lap so it wasn't an issue.

Attitude has loved going for rides in the car(in a carrier) since her first car ride. I thought it was just because she was loving the air conditioning since it was really hot out and she was an outside cat. She is a perfect little passenger. She is honestly a better passenger than my 7 year old. Like I said she usually doesn't stay in the carrier once we're in the waiting room anyways and she is more than happy to sit in my lap in the waiting room.

Like I said I knew my cat could handle it, but only you know what your cat can and can't handle. I already knew she wouldn't be a safety hazard so I did what I had to do. I sure wouldn't have done it if I didn't already know Attitude could handle longer car rides without issue.

Like I said it was almost like a 'punishment' for refusing to get in her carrier. It wasn't really because I knew she wouldn't get it, but I was frustrated and just grabbed her and went. Once I knew she was not going to freak and hide under the seat I removed the leash(I made sure to have the leash back on before thinking about opening the door but she won't jump out of the car, she's afraid to but I'm not taking any chances. Heck I had to lift her to make her go in the house,l she refused to pass the threshold, where the outside cats and inside cats meet and they never cross it, well Blue decided to come inside last week but that wasn't a big deal, he was someone's house cat because he's calm inside, unlike the others. He also doesn't mind being held so I could put him back outside(and him and Nuts like each other so there was no hissing or 'territory invasion' feelings.) He still wasn't inside long before I put him back out. He used to try and hop in your car and go for a ride when he first showed up(he never did get a ride from anyone), he since quit it but it was funny.

I knew I could do it in a safe manner, if I had any doubts it wouldn't have happened.

Taryn

Glad he enjoyed it! Our old cat Alizea used to LOVE car rides, she'd sit on the neck rest part and just purr away. Rosalie and Zoey on the other hand HATE being in the car =0(