make the car ride better for cats?

i was just wondering..if anyone who ever has to take their cats in their car.. makes the car ride a bit better for them? when i had my one cat i could have him out of crate and he would be fine, either sleep in my lap or just be in the car. but i have two now and i dont know how the younger one will act..so today i drove home with both of them in cages and i heard a fine tune of meowing all the way home, lol. does anyone have any tricks or ways they help their cat be more comfortable on the ride?? or does no one ever have to take their cat for a car ride unless it is to the vet..lol..? just thought i'd put that out on the table to see what anyone had to say!

You can try a product called Feliway... It is a stress reducer. It can be found at most pet stores.

oo really?? thanks!! i'll def. look into that. i have to take my cats home again during thanksgiving...so yea im hoping this next car ride will go smoother haha

I've had some results with putting the radio on low or singing to the kitty! I think they are better off in a carrier. They can't see out the window and get spooked, they can't escape and they can't distract your eyes from the road quite as much. Also if they are sick at least it stays in one place.

i believe putting 2 cats in the same carrier helps because before we got peaches, sam would meow all the way to the vet and all the way back, now that we have peaches, he's nice and quiet.

I'm a bad kitty mom. We take Bijou and Mika in the car but don't use a carrier. If it's a longer trip we put a pan of litter on the floor in the back and a towel with some food and water. They usually curl up on the seat or the back window or on my lap or in my arms and sleep. If one has to go to the vet we take both so they keep each other company and one doesn't come home smelling differently. In fact when Bijou just had his annual checkup, Mika went with us and was in with us as Bijou got his shots and all.

We have been taking them in the car since they were babies though. We take Bijou out with us shopping and have no problem taking them in stores with us.

yea! river is totally good outside the carrier, lol. but seattle is still young/new and hasnt been in the car that much, so right now im having both in the carrier. i might work with her, sit in the car with her while its not running, see what she does...but it might be a while before i can put them both in a carrier together since she is new and hasnt quite warmed up to river yet..but getting close! lol little angels right now are sleeping. i have some waaay cute pics of my new bengal kit im hoping to get up on a fur pic thread sometime in the next few days!

i noticed having the radio lower/off did stop some meowing.but at times they sounded so angry!! :S lol

does Feliway also work if the cat gets carsick?

I have never been able to get my cat to relax in the car. Luckily the vet's office is about 5 minute aways from our house. He cries the whole way. He hates the carrier and he hates the car.

We used to have to take Albert in the car once a month when we were living in Colorado for a trip home to Oklahoma. Luckily he's always been great in the car, except once. He's had a bright orange stuffed jelly bean since he was a kitten. I gave it to him to sleep with after I found him, and he's extremely attached to it. When we were about to leave one time I couldn't find it, so I just put an alternate toy in the carrier instead (he always had the jelly and a toy mouse, so I put the mouse and a THE CAT toy that looks like him from McD's). We got about 60 miles from home and he had enough. He started pooping the mad poops (I'm sure you all know the mad poops and how horrible they are). After that, we made very sure that we NEVER left the house without that jelly bean, and there's not been a problem since.
Cleo, on the other hand, has never been a good traveller. It helps with her though, to put her carrier facing Albert so that she can see him and we're sure to talk to her any time she cries out. After a bit she falls asleep. The first time she rode in a car though was AWFUL. She cried for 5 STRAIGHT HOUSE. I thought I was going to go insane. We tried to put them together in Albert's carrier, but that was absolutely not a good idea.

Originally Posted by mrspotts66

does Feliway also work if the cat gets carsick?

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Tibby gets really car sick and I found that the Feliway Travel Spray didn't really have an effect

I use herbal Travel Ease tablets for him and also prevent feeding him for a couple of hours before the journey! This seems to work very well for him! I also keep to a constant medium speed (avoiding overtaking and much movement to the car) We've done really well this way!

There are also other products on the market (herbal also) that help to ease the anxiety of car journeys and other factors!

It is important to keep them in the carriers no matter how much they try to convince you otherwise! For some reason an unrestrained cat in a car is 100% guaranteed to make a beeline for the driver's ankles. You haven't experienced adrenaline until you've tried to brake at a red light only to find your cat is UNDER the brake! (not that I would ever have done anything like that...um, right.)

I have also found that they make less noise if they are together in a carrier. Another thing is to cover the carrier with a towel or opaque blanket. For some reason they feel calmer that way.

The way to ensure travel anxiety is to only put them in the carrier when it is time to go to the vet. They will associate the carrier with being poked and prodded and whatnot and of course they will hate it! Take them with you on some routine trips and they will be much calmer about the whole affair.

Sugartoes is a foster cat, so I have to take her to adoption shows. They are about an hour from my house, and no matter which way I go, it includes a lot of stops at traffic lights, and a lot of curves.

Even if she hasn't eaten, she always pukes. Maybe I will try the Travel Ease, although she may just go to another foster home that is closer to the shows.

I just feel so bad for her when she gets sick! She is such a wonderful kitty, and doesn't deserve to be tortured so!