Calming a cat

My cat does not like driving in a car and meows to show his displeasure. I will be going on a long trip with him and would like to know what I could give him to calm him down. Also, he is up in age (16 yrs.) and he meows constantly in the house and it's driving me wild.

Most cats hate carriers; we all feel your (cat's) pain !
Here is a thread that might help you.
I kind of like the idea (though haven't tried it myself) of accliminating a cat to a car; that is: first get him into a cat carrier and put him in the car. Turn the engine on, play soft music. Do that for a few minutes or so.
Next time, repeat; stay longer in the car.
Next time, repeat, but drive around the block.
Etc. Etc Etc.
Sprinkle with: treats.
Also, you indicate your cat is 16 years old and meows constantly. If the meowing is new, I would take him to the vets. Excessive meowing can be a sign of many things.
There is a calming spray and treats that might help too.
Oh and some people recommend calming prescription drugs. I am not at all opposed to drugs, but some calming/anti-anxiety drugs can have the opposite effect on cats. I would give my cat the drug while she is at home, sort of as a test, to see how she reacts. (I did that once in order to get Ritz into a cat carrier for the first time. Had minimal if any effect.)

All of Ritz's ideas are good ones

To help your old guy get used to being in a carrier, maybe this article will help:  http://www.thecatsite.com/a/beware-the-dreaded-cat-carrier

And for the actual travel, maybe this one will have some helpful tools in it:  http://www.thecatsite.com/a/traveling-with-cats

Or better yet, THIS one:  http://www.thecatsite.com/a/road-tripping-with-cats

I also agree with Ritz that if he is meowing constantly, perhaps a Vet visit is in order.  It could be that he is getting dementia, or it could be he is getting a little deaf.  Constant meowing, especially once the lights go out,  is indicative of either of those two those two things.   Or maybe he just likes talking to you.  (maybe he knows something is up and he's voicing his displeasure )

Good luck with the trip.  I moved with THREE cats!  We put them all three in a large dog crate and off we went.  It went off without a hitch

I ordered the calming treats on Amazon and they do wonders fro calming them down. Please check with your vet first and try the first one at home to make sure everything goes OK. My older cat cries at night too, but watching him he's not scared or anything which makes me feel better, he's just walking around meowing. I wonder if he's lonely, but he doesn't want to come to bed. Good luck and keep us posted!

I have had my cat checked out with the vet and he is in good shape except that he is on the border line of kidney failure. I make sure he eats only healthy foods and because he has lost a lot of teeth, I don't feed him dry foods only wet.
 

Since I have only one cat, I don't usually use a carrier when traveling but keep one in the trunk just in case. Once he settles down, he sleeps. He does not like bumpy roads nor curvy ones. That's when he becomes the most vocal. We usually have music going on to keep us entertained. I have put his blanket in the car and any of his favorite things. Sometimes he likes to just sit in the litter box. He will not drink water and I keep an eye dropper to force water down him since he has begun to drink more.

Demaris said:

 
I have had my cat checked out with the vet and he is in good shape except that he is on the border line of kidney failure. I make sure he eats only healthy foods and because he has lost a lot of teeth, I don't feed him dry foods only wet.
 

Since I have only one cat, I don't usually use a carrier when traveling but keep one in the trunk just in case. Once he settles down, he sleeps. He does not like bumpy roads nor curvy ones. That's when he becomes the most vocal. We usually have music going on to keep us entertained. I have put his blanket in the car and any of his favorite things. Sometimes he likes to just sit in the litter box. He will not drink water and I keep an eye dropper to force water down him since he has begun to drink more.

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It's good that you feed him only wet food, particularly since he's borderline kidney disease.  Great that's he's in such good shape for his age

Did you happen to read the article I attached above about road tripping with cats?  It explains why it's not a good idea not to have a cat in a carrier or cage or confined in some way.  What do you do when you stop for gas and open the car door?  As you know, cats can bolt quickly.  Does he wear a harness?  When my sister and I did a road trip with her dog, we had to keep him on his harness TIED inside the car everytime we stopped for gas or else he bolted and refused to get back in the car.  Since he weighs more than me, it was kind of hard for us to just pick him up and set him back in (this was a 9 day trip moving trip and he wasn't happy - can't blame him)  Anyway, if you haven't read that article above, please do, as it contains some great info....also about many cats not drinking during the drive, which is ok, as long as they drink at the hotel.

I used Bauch's Rescue Remedy when mine didn't respond well when I moved.

My kitty, (in my opinion), is a very smart cat and very close to me. He never bolts out of the car and if we stop to eat, he lays there until we come back and I make sure I have something for him to eat as a treat. He never gets in the way of our driving except that he likes at times to sit on my lap but not while I'm driving. For some reason, he understands my language and I do converse with him in his (not knowing what I'm saying but he does). My husband tells me he can't tell the difference between us. He loves being with us as it makes him feel secure and we give him a lot of attention. He's one of the family. Now if I could only understand his language we would be in good shape.

Thank you so much for the article Mrsgreenjeans as it was very helpful.

Demaris said:

 
My kitty, (in my opinion), is a very smart cat and very close to me. He never bolts out of the car and if we stop to eat, he lays there until we come back and I make sure I have something for him to eat as a treat. He never gets in the way of our driving except that he likes at times to sit on my lap but not while I'm driving. For some reason, he understands my language and I do converse with him in his (not knowing what I'm saying but he does). My husband tells me he can't tell the difference between us. He loves being with us as it makes him feel secure and we give him a lot of attention. He's one of the family. Now if I could only understand his language we would be in good shape.

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  Of course he's smart.  Aren't all cats I'm just concerned that on a LONG trip he may get a little "miffed" and anxious and who knows what and not act like himself. 

Funny, I talk to my cats, sometimes meowing to them too .  (I hope I never insult them in error ).  Mine are definitely my kids, since I never had any of the 2 legged kind .

Try a Thundershirt. It's a drug-free way to calm cats in stressful situations.

Or, a very tight t-shirt, perhaps one that is smelly and has your scent on it. Principle is the same (and cheaper).

Our trip will be 10 hours long. He will be with 7 other cats at the house we are visiting and 3 dogs. These animals are also their children and they act like it also. We are their grandparents and we get such a great reception when we arrive. I just love it. BTW, we will be taking a break by staying overnight before continuing.