Travelling with cats

georgethecat

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Two of us will be travelling with my cat for a road trip. George is 5 years old and very calm. I think it is a good idea to have a carrier and wonder if anyone can recommend a good one. Not too expensive. Any hints to help George have a good and comfortable trip?
He wears a harness and has a leash whenever we're out so he's used to that.

Thanks for your advice.

Georgie's Mom
 

hissy

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Hi GM and welcome to the Community!


We have a really good article that covers this subject here on the website. I find the soft sided carriers work really well for car trips. They cushion the cat against the constant vibrations of the road and the tires.

You can go to our sister site www.meowhoo.com look up Basic Pet Care and then Carriers and find all sorts!

Here is the link to the article:

Traveling with Cats
 
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georgethecat

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Hi Hissy,

I read your posting regarding your cat. I'm so sorry for your loss. I think you're handling it really well and your cat would be proud of you.

Thanks for the referral to the web site. I thought soft sided carriers wouldn't work as they could collapse and cats don't like that. I'll rethink that idea. I'll be shopping this week as we go in two weeks. Part of the trip we will be on a large boat for 2 hours. All pets are relegated to one deck. The deck apparently is very large so animals and owners can keep their distance but George will need something so that he will feel safe.

Thanks again Hissy,
 

mzjazz2u

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Yes, cats should be in a carrier. I recently went on a 700 mile trip with 2 cats. A bigger carrier that you can fit a small travel litter box in is best. A towel for kitty to lay on, and attachable food/water dishes are purrfect! They attach to the wire door of the carrier. Also, I found my kitties were calm and quiet as long as I had the Jim Brickman CD in!
Probably any classical type music will do!
 

clarabelle

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Make sure you bring a litter box. We had a bad experience with my step son's cat. She got out of the harness at a rest stop. I think the sound of the cars on the hwy scared her and over the fence and in the woods she went. We searched for an hour and left notices with our phone number. It was so sad for him to lose his cat.
Clara
 

sicycat

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If you can avoid it, dont do it. Cats are much better off at home with someone taking care of them. My bf lost a cat too when he was younger. Parents insisted on taking the cat in the car for a trip. Cat got out at a rest stop and they never saw him again.
 

russian blue

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When we went to pick up Nakita as a kitten for the first time, we bought a hardsided carrier from Petsmart. We travelled 8 hours round trip, and Nakita was comfortable. Here's a pic from that trip.



Now that she's bigger, we still bring the carrier with us but we attach her harness to the seatbelt. So she can still move in and out of the carrier, but is secured by the harness and won't run around the car. I notice many cat's don't like being confined and that will stress them, so we keep the carrier door open. Nakita will meow while the door is closed, but if we open it and attach her harness, she will usually stay in the carrier and sleep. I guess she knows she has an option to get out if she wants to.

We also bring a normal size litter box that we put on the floor in the backseat. If the trip is long, we'll take rest breaks and Nakita can use her normal litterbox at that time. There is no fear of her running out, and at the same time she feels safe.

Hope this helps!

 
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georgethecat

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Thanks for all the ideas and experience you've shared. I too am nervous about losing George should we stop at a rest stop. That would be the worst! I'm acclimatizing George to the travelling cage which has more room than he needs so he'll be comfy and let him free in the car. There will be two adults and George loves to look out the window so the passenger can hold him. If that becomes a problem I'll put him in the carrier. I did get a litter pan that fits on the floor behind the seat and read that they can hold their bladder for 7 hours if necessary. Our trip is in 3 stages. Three hours to a ship, two hours on the ship and then another two hours to the hotel. He's a very calm cat so hopefully it will go well.

We did discuss leaving him at home but want to give this a try and see how it goes. It may mean more trips if it works out well. I don't like leaving him at home. He gets so lonely even when someone comes in twice a day. Maybe if we had two cats it might be different but right now he's an only cat.

I'll have to let you know how it went,

Georgie's Mom
 
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georgethecat

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Hi all,

Thanks so much for your input. George is back from his trip. He was awesome. I took your advice and did not take him for a walk during a car break. Better not to lose him should he get away.

He loved the hotel, his appetite was great, his poops remained normal. He was great in the car either sitting on my mother's lap while I drove or sat in his carrier strapped in the back seat.

Now we feel free to go anywhere. He's such good company. Thanks for your help, Georgie's mom
 
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georgethecat

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Hi echelle,

Cats can be unpredictable. I'm glad your Patches had a good move. I'm sorry for your loss of Patches, I'm sure she was a wonderful companion for you.

Georgie's Mom
 
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