Riding in back of Uhaul?

Has anyone here ever moved with the kitties riding in the back of a Uhaul? Moving day is Sunday and there's no way to fit them in the cab at all since its me and two friends crammed into a space for only two people already. No one to drive them there either so the back of the Uhaul is my only option. Anything I can do to make the kitties more comfortable in the back? Its only a three hour drive and I don't plan on feeding them beforehand.

Thanks

What are the expected temperatures that day?

How far are you traveling?
If it is more than a couple blocks i would really think hard about other options even kenneling them and coming back to get them later.
Getting a small carrier and holding them in your lap. anything other than put them in the back.

Me, personally I would never do this with a uhaul.

But If you abosultely have to... a good cat carrier is a must. Do not let them roam freely in the back!!

It is so very important that you make sure that the "stuff" packed in the back are secure. Every box, furnature etc must be extra secure to make sure they dont shift and land on your cats.
Fill the cat carrier with plenty of blankets or towels to comfort them.
Put their favorite toys or other items that have their and your scent on them. Make sure that the carriers are not in a location behind any large objects above them.
Take plenty of stops to check on them and offer them confort and water.

The back of a uhaul is dangerous for people and pets.
Keep in mind uhauls are not for live cargo and their are laws in place that prohibit people from riding in the back. their may be laws regarding pets too.
everything in the back of the Uhaul may shift during transportation
which could crush the kitties.
The back of a uhaul may contain exhaust fumes which could sufficate your kitties.
The back of a uhauls temperatures can raise to very high temperatures fast.

Its going to be 41 degrees in my starting destination and 47 in my ending destination. I'm going from PA to MD, so its definetly more than a few blocks. 143 miles is what Mapquest says.

I've been trying to think of other options but I really can't. I don't drive so I can't come back and get them. None of my friends like cats so they refuse to drive them down or let them in their cars. I can't hold them in my lap because Tara is a ex-feral and will NOT tolerate being held at all and Drusilla is a rambunctious 10 month old who will not sit still for longer than three minutes, plus my friend who is driving does not want the cats loose in the cab because he says they will cause an accident. Its a sucky situation all around. :/

Can they be put in a pet carrier and held on your lap in the carrier? It isn't recommended to ever let cats loose in a car since they have a propensity to get into the smallest spaces (i.e. under the brake petal).

Regardless of where you decide to put them a carrier for each cat is a must IMO- it is simply not safe any other way.

I could easily sit with two small cat carriers in my lap for three hours- especially if the alternative is a dark and possibly unsafe cargo area for my treasured companions.

You might be able to get by with it, you might experience exhaust issues or other problems. How big of a risk are you willing to take?

I'd keep 'em in carriers on my lap, human comfort be damned.

Originally Posted by valanhb

Can they be put in a pet carrier and held on your lap in the carrier? It isn't recommended to ever let cats loose in a car since they have a propensity to get into the smallest spaces (i.e. under the brake petal).

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Yes! Not only that, but the cats will be traumatized enough,
and a small space, like that of a carrier, is much preferred!
Definitely, never put cats loose in a car!

PLEASE do not put them in the back. No matter how well you
anchor things, you simply cannot be sure that they wont
come to harm. And they will be so distressed away from
you! Do they get along? Can you put them in a single carrier
that you can put in your lap?

I don't like to drug cats, but talk to your vet about the possilbity
of it for the trip. Cats HATE travel, and if your friend really hates
cats, their complaints will drive everybody crazy! Don't do it without
discussing this carefully with your vet -- but it might be a kindness
in this case to let them sleep through the trip.

The downside of this is that they will be very groggy when they
wake up, disoriented and confused -- and this before they have
to adjust to a new location! Very stressful. It's not like you can
explain to them the whys and wherefores. So I don't normally
recommend this. But because you are in a difficult position with
someone on whom you depend who is already starting out with
an attitude against the cats, I suggest it as an option to discuss
with your vet.

Good luck!

My concerns on riding in the back...

1) Exhaust fumes, very deadly, the backs of those things are not insulated and are therefore open to fumes.

2) As I stated earlier the backs of those things are not insulated and therefore it is LOUD back there. Even a relatively calm cat would stress out, and you say you have a semi-feral? I would worry they'd stress and get sick, have heart failure, or possibly beat themselves to death inside their carrier trying to escape.

Originally Posted by valanhb

Can they be put in a pet carrier and held on your lap in the carrier? It isn't recommended to ever let cats loose in a car since they have a propensity to get into the smallest spaces (i.e. under the brake petal).

Click to expand...

Excellent idea.

I moved via Uhaul a little over a year ago, and I can not imagine putting the cats in the back. My biggest concern, other than the emotional trauma is them getting hurt by falling items. There is no way to secure things very well in the back of those.

If its an all in one type and not a pull behind (like a trailer), then its ok to put them there. If its the small kind its best NOT to put them in the UHaul because if the UHaul comes off the truck/car, then you have a problem.

I'd find another way to get the cats there - can one of your friends drive a car and follow?

As long as the cats are in carriers it won't be a problem. If your friends don't like cats, why not find one extra friend that WILL drive the cats.

Originally Posted by td128

Has anyone here ever moved with the kitties riding in the back of a Uhaul? Moving day is Sunday and there's no way to fit them in the cab at all since its me and two friends crammed into a space for only two people already. No one to drive them there either so the back of the Uhaul is my only option.

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i would definitely not recommend transporting animals in the back of a u-haul. there are no other options? do your friends have cars? i would recommend someone following in a car with the cats travelling in carriers in one of the vehicles passenger compartment. that is how we moved the last time, one of us drove the u-haul and one of us followed with the kitties in the car. and that's also a good way to make sure nothing goes wrong with the back end of the uhaul (as in it opening or something) while you are driving.

Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

I'd find another way to get the cats there - can one of your friends drive a car and follow?

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Even if you don't have any cars you can get a rental car.

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll ask around again, but I asked everyone before and everyone said no way, they dont even want the cats in carriers in their car and that it is a waste of gas and time to drive seperately. And the ones who would do it don't have cars and most of us are too young for rental cars.

I can put one of them in a pet carrier in my lap, but the other carrier is too big to fit in my lap or at my feet and again, no one wants anything to do with the cats so the people I'm going with won't hold the other.

Well..... then you just can't move.

<jk>

Originally Posted by td128

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll ask around again, but I asked everyone before and everyone said no way, they dont even want the cats in carriers in their car and that it is a waste of gas and time to drive seperately. And the ones who would do it don't have cars and most of us are too young for rental cars.

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what's the problem if they are in carriers? it's not like anything will happen to their cars.

and in response to the gas issue: are they paying for gas in the u-haul they'll be riding in? because u-hauls are not fuel efficient. i moved across country from wisconsin to california, and then california to wisconsin again in a u-haul. and that gas tab just about made me cry. and the u-haul cab is not big enough for that many people anyway.

i hope you can convince one of them to drive. they can all carpool behind you, and you have the cats in the cab with you if the cats are such a big deal to them.

I hope that you find someone to help you out with your cats!

I know that Harley would freak out if he was put in the back of a big, scary, dark U-Haul all alone

I know you wouldn't want your kitties to be stressed out or sick because of the ordeal.

Good luck with this, hopefully you'll come around to a safe solution to your problem!

Have you checked out pet transport services? Or Amtrak, which I know runs from Philly to Baltimore? Or called various taxi services, to see what it would cost to transport the cats door to door?

UPDATE

Well I managed to work it out that we're taking a friends pickup truck and a pull along trailor. So the kitties will only have to be in the back of a covered pickup and not a Uhaul. Not the best still, but better I think.

Still not the greatest of options, but at least they aren't in the dark where they cannot be monitored. You'll need to find a way to keep the carriers secured, though, or else they'll just keep sliding around in the back. And make sure that the bed door is secure. If they slide around and the gate opens, the carriers could slide right out of the truck.

Why is everyone so dead against having the carriers in their vehicles? It's not like the cats can get out of the carriers, and if you sedated them, they wouldn't even cry.

Yes. It was completely by mistake though. I cat got into the back of our Uhaul before it was shut. We didn't know until about halfway through our trip. My mom kept hearing *noises*. We opened it back up and there was a kitty. Poor thing, we never knew. She was fine but heat would be an issue.