Has anyone taken their cat on a road trip or brought your cat to visit friends?

[wafflesnomnom]

I know cats are territorial, cats hate change, cats don't like new places, and cats don't like cars. 

However, we have to go to another city 4-5hrs away next weekend, and leaving him alone at home is not an option right now. We also live in a very rural area so none of my friends can cat sit. He's been on one 3hr car trip when we first got him, but short trips to the vet he always meows, but on the highway he was quiet. 

We are going to bring his litter box, his scratching post, litter, toys, and anything that smells like him with us, and we plan on keeping him in one room when we get to my mom's house, and she is cat proofing the house. I'm hoping that this will help Waffles get introduced to that house because we need to leave him there when we go on our honeymoon. 

This other part is selfish of me, but none of my friends in the other city have seen him, and I want to bring him around and introduce him/show him off because he's too cute >..< This would be for friends who can't come over. 

All in all, this sounds like a very stressful weekend for him, and I feel bad and I was wondering if anyone else had to take their cat on a road trip or expose them to new areas a lot? Therapy cats visit homes and hospitals and they're fine right? 

Also if you have any suggestions for how to make the trip easier for him, that would be great. I am thinking of buying a feliway diffuser, has anyone bought a car plug adapter and had it on in the car? Is that a bad idea?

Thanks!

 

[Anne]

How old is he? It really depends. Some cats travel a lot and are fine with it. Especially if they're used to it. For example, people who show cats travel with them all the time. That said, an older cat who's set in his ways and has never traveled could be in for a bit of a shock.

If he's older, I would consider leaving him at home with a cat sitter rather than put him through the ordeal. You know your cat best though. If he's very relaxed, enjoys adventure and is not skittish, maybe it would work for you guys. Cat proofing your Mom's house is important. Also, make sure visiting friends don't bring their own cats along. Most cats do well with new humans and not as well with strange cats.

For the road trip, this article has tons of advice from our members - 

 [article="30165"]36 Awesome Tips For Road Tripping With Your Cat​[/article]  

Let us know what you decide and how it went!

 

[Ms. Freya]

As Anne mentions, it really depends on the cat.

Our Freya used to travel really well and would come with us quite a bit when she was an only cat (she had separation anxiety, so it was honestly less stressful to bring her) She was also about 8 months old when we started travelling with her to visit friends and family. Once we go her older brother, she stopped coming with us but seemed fine being at home with him for company.

If you're planning on seeing a few people on your trip, you may want to set him up a quiet spot in one house and let him stay there. I suspect going around visiting will b much harder on him than staying in one place for a few days and it will give you a chance to see how he settles in. If he travels well, you can extend your visits with him in the future, but if you find he doesn't at least the amount of travelling will be limited.

Good luck!

 

[wafflesnomnom]

Thanks for the replies! Our cat is almost 1 year old, and he's very laid back and relaxed. However, I have no idea how much he likes extended car rides, just that he hates the short ones with a lot of stop and go. He is VERY clingy so leaving him at home for that long is not an option. I bought the feliway spray, diffuser, and car adapter, and will be bringing back basically everything he owns so that he has as much familiar stuff as possible, and I have told my friends to come over instead. Hope it goes well! 

 

[lilin]

I would skip bringing him around to other people's houses, but as far as going to your mom's house, some cats travel well. It just depends.

Pia hates it. Constant terror from the moment I bring out the carrier to the moment she's back home (thus I try to move her as little as humanly possible -- I even feel bad taking her to the vet!).

Pearl didn't care at all, as long as I was there basically. She was perfectly happy to drive all the way from Minnesota to Arizona with me when I moved there (I converted the entire back row of seats into Kitty Land).

So, take the cue from your cat.

But I think going from house-to-house would be stressful for just about any cat, especially since I'm assuming he'd have very limited amenities for such a brief visit.

 

[Cataria]

I have, many times! Some have been my own cats, others have been cats that I've driven halfway across the country to their new homes. Age, personality, and experience all seem to be the biggest factors to successful cat traveling and visitation.

1. Age - young cats and kittens tend to be more open to the experience, with the caveat that kittens don't seem to be very good at holding it when they need to use the litterbox! However, even older cats can adjust -- I had two cats that had never traveled until they were seven years old, and then had to start going on regular trips and visits because 1) I moved 14 hours away from home, and 2) the kitties both developed mammary cancer, and the oncologist was close to where I worked but not where I lived. I had to drop them off at a friend's house on vet days once a month so I wouldn't have to call off work all the time, and they quickly adjusted to the situation.

2. Personality -- some cats are especially people-friendly and aren't phased by being in new situations; those are great travel cats! One of my cats, Shade, loves any and all people, and any time she goes to a new house, she has no fear about the situation and quickly starts exploring. Alys, a stray I have temporarily taken in, also has the same type of personality, and is very, VERY confident in new houses and areas.

Another of my cats, Kismet, also travels fairly well; she is shyer than Shade (and Alys) and less confident in new areas, but she does a lot better with repeated exposure to the same places and gains a lot of confidence when she goes with another cats she knows, like Shade.

My other cats are less okay with it, but they do well enough to the point that I don't feel bad leaving them at my mom's house if I have to. They tend to be people-shy, but I'm surprised at how quickly those guys seem to adjust being in a new house. They tend to hide all day (from the people), but at night they are perfectly content to roam. Since I'm the only one in my family who tends to be nocturnal, I'm the only one who ever notices this, haha.

3. Experience -- the more they travel, the more comfortable they will be. The more they travel to the same place, the more comfortable they will be with that place. Even cats not used to traveling at a young age (like my Ember and Sweetie), could still adjust to travel, with more experience doing so!