Traveling 10 hours with cats?

[slashgash]

In two weeks I will be moving from New Jersey to North Carolina with my two cats. It is a 10 hour drive and my mother is going to be helping me move down there. We are going to be splitting the driving and dont expect to be stopping for more than 10-20 minutes here and there for food and bathroom breaks. My question is, how can I make this easier on my cats? My mom suggested taking them to the vet to get some tranquilizers and fasting them before and during the trip, because they won't have access to a litter box.

 

[di and bob]

I think somehow you should figure in a litter box at the end of a large carrier, There is nothing worse then smelling cat poop for hours in a car and no easy way to clean it up because it's not in litter. (believe me, I know!) I think you should ask about a 'calming aide' (I buy mine as treats on Amazon) or from your vet, the constant yowling of two cats is not fun either. Either way, if at all possible, you should try them at home first, to make sure there are no adverse reactions. Start with the smallest dose possible at first. All the luck!

 

[bengalcatman]

i always try to assume the cats point of view with things like this. First, everything that is familiar gets boxed up and taken away. Next they don't get as much attention because you are busy getting ready to move. Then, to top it all off, they are stuck in the car. They don't really understand any of this so it could be really scary. A little extra love, attention and understanding ahead of time might help reassure them. Cats would prefer everything stay the same all the time, unfortunately life is just not like that!

Some cats do very well with car rides, some do very poorly. You might try an hour ride with them to see how they do. Give treats and lots of praise along the way so they get the idea that car rides are a good thing. Consider having along their favorite toys and bedding so they feel a bit more at home. One thing to look for is if one of them gets car sick, a long ride with a vomiting cat may lead to a very dehydrated and sick cat by the time you get where you are going. A vet may be able to offer some meds for this. If the cat or cats are really upset by the ride, some anti anxiety meds or something to calm (as has already been suggested) might be the kindest thing to do.

I have often found that cats take cues from their owners. If the owner is nervous about the trip, or how the cats will do, etc., the cats can pick up on that and worry too. On the other hand, if the owner acts as if the whole thing is no big deal, the cats may figure that everything is okay. This varies quite a bit from cat to cat, but is worth keeping in mind

. 

I hope your cats do well on the ride and you let us know how it works out and tell us about any good methods you discover.  You are heading south, be sure you mention to them beforehand that you are going somewhere warmer, they might really like that idea!

Eric

 

[csts]

You should definitely line the carriers with super-absorbent doggie pee pads. That will make clean-up much easier during the stops. I had to do a cross-country move from Virginia to California about 14 months ago, and asked the vet for advice during the pre-move check-up. The vet did not recommend tranquilizers due to the length of our trip, but she did recommend a pheromone collar and a Thundershirt for cats. You can also get one of those Feliway car diffusers or sprays instead of the pheromone collar, too. I only had Charvone at the time and since we were staying at my in-laws in KY for Christmas one the way and had two cars, so my Dad flew out to drive Charvone to their house (they babysat him until we moved in to our new house) in my car.

My Dad took out the litter box and food and water bowl and let him out of the carrier inside the car whenever he stopped for a break or for gas. I have a deep food/water dish that attaches to the carrier door and I put water in there. I also had the carrier bedding under the pee pad and left his favorite mousie and a catnip puff in there. Charvone wasn't interested in eating much or drinking the water during the trip, though. He would yowl for a bit every time the car started moving and fall asleep when he got tired from all the meowing. Nothing seems to work to calm Charvone down, but YMMV. I think it depends on your cats' personalities. My other cat Sakura does not seem to mind car rides nearly as much as Char-Char.

 

[slashgash]

Thanks guys. I'm trying to figure out a way to fit a medium sized dog carrier into the back seat of my moms car so I can put both of them plus a disposable litter tray in there. I have a slight idea how they'll react because this is my third time moving with Atticus and second time moving with Lincoln.  Of course, those moves were only 20-30 minutes. I hope they do well.

I keep telling them its going to be warmer, and they won;t have to stay locked in a room all the time (My mother adopted a dog from the shelter in July that wants to eat them, and since it's my mothers house im living in her dog gets run of the house all the time and I can only let my cats out of the bedroom after she's taken the dog to bed) That's one of the biggest reasons im moving.

 

[posiepurrs]

Once a year I take a couple of cats to a specialty show in North
Carolina. It is a 13+ hour drive for us. The car I have is large enough I can fit 2 dog crates and all the show stuff needed. My cats complain the first few miles then settle down and sleep mostly. If your budget allows there is a soft crate made by Sturdi that is especially for the backseat of a car called the Cargo. It even has straps to buckle it in for safety. I used that before I got my present car. There is room for a litter box in it too.

 

[jamiek53]

How big is your car? I took my cats on a trip from North Jersey to North Carolina and at first it wasnt good. He got sick and threw up once while he was in his carrier. As soon as i took him out he was great. We had a litter box on the floor in the back and he used it. I kept dry food in a bowl and water in a deep plastic tupperware bowl. When we stopped we put the litter box in the trunk and let him have some more space. Other than that he just layed on my lap or the seat and was much more relaxed then when he was inside his house.

 

[jamiek53]

How big is your car? I took my cats on a trip from North Jersey to North Carolina and at first it wasnt good. He got sick and threw up once while he was in his carrier. As soon as i took him out he was great. We had a litter box on the floor in the back and he used it. I kept dry food in a bowl and water in a deep plastic tupperware bowl. When we stopped we put the litter box in the trunk and let him have some more space. Other than that he just layed on my lap or the seat and was much more relaxed then when he was inside his house.

Sorry when he wasn't* in his house

 

[slashgash]

The car we're gonna be using is a Nissan Altima. I went and got a medium sized metal dog crate, it has plenty of room for  a small litter pan, a dog bed, and both cats. I don't really trust them out of the crate during the ride, they would be trying to find anywhere to hide and it just sounds too dangerous to let them out.

 

[jamiek53]

Oh okay. I have the same car. Yeah, it's how ever you feel comfortable. Good luck woth your move!