Have you ever driven 18+ hours with a cat?

[TheLittleRoo]

I am contemplating driving to the midwest to see my parents for three weeks. Airfare for 3 of us, plus carrying on the cat > $1100, and then I'd still need a rental car once we get there. I don't feel like the cat is safe with my (STBX)husband, so I must take him with us. The cat doesn't kennel well at all; I think he'd truly get so sick he'd die after about 10 days.

So, it's either flying for a fortune, or driving 2 long days (each way) with the cat. If you've traveled a long distance by car with a cat, do they ever calm down and stop that bellowing meow of utter terror? Does valium really help? Any suggestions that I'm overlooking?

Thanks!

 

[GOOFY4DONALD]

I am contemplating driving to the midwest to see my parents for three weeks. Airfare for 3 of us, plus carrying on the cat > $1100, and then I'd still need a rental car once we get there. I don't feel like the cat is safe with my (STBX)husband, so I must take him with us. The cat doesn't kennel well at all; I think he'd truly get so sick he'd die after about 10 days.

So, it's either flying for a fortune, or driving 2 long days (each way) with the cat. If you've traveled a long distance by car with a cat, do they ever calm down and stop that bellowing meow of utter terror? Does valium really help? Any suggestions that I'm overlooking?

Thanks!

I traveled 36+ hours with my cats when I moved from California to Montana (20 hour trip turned into 30 hours on the road plus 2 overnights). The sleeping meds that the vet gave was a life saver for both my 2 cats and me. They slept most of the way. I only gave them 1 dose even though vet stated they could have 3. Since cats sleep so much anyway it really wasn't that big of a change. I think the pills just calmed them down enough to sleep like they normally do. I was lucky enough to find pet friendly motels so the cats could sleep with me at night. I think you can google pet friendly motels if you need one along the way. Anyway when we got to our destination the cats were a little more sleepy that usual for a day or 2 then they werejust fine.

 

[pl71]

Have you considered a pet sitter? Then your cat could stay in your own house. Cats tend to be very attached to their possessions more than their people. They like to have things that smell familiar to them. When I've moved, they are unhappy until we get our furniture in the new house. Once it smells like home they calm down.

Dogs are attached to their pack. They are happy if they are with you. Cats are not like that. Your cat may be unhappy in a kennel because it doesn't smell like home, but he/she would probably be just as unhappy in your car and your parent's house.

I have traveled from CA to PA with my cats for a move. It wasn't the worst thing and they did calm down after the first hour each day without any drugs, but I would never do it just for a vacation.

 

[MineMail]

I did a 12 hour run with my cat when we moved. No drugs, but he's a really good, calm cat. He stopped mewing after the first hour, but he never went to sleep for the entire trip.

I put his harness and tags on him before putting him into the kennel and made sure he had fresh water along the way. Kept his leash handy for when I let him out of the kennel.

I made an hour-long stop about midway at a friend's house, but the little stinker refused to use the litter box I brought. Instead, he waited until we were back on the road then did his business in his carrier. Had to pull over in a rest stop to clean him and the kennel.

I didn't feed him for about 3 hours before we left. I did give him fresh water and food when we stopped, but he didn't touch the food. He was ticked off when we got to the new house, but we put him in a closed room with food water and litter for about an hour while we unpacked the car. He got back on schedule (eat, poop, sleep) soon afterward.

 

[TheLittleRoo]

I can't really let him stay home with a sitter b/c my husband will be home. Even still, I've asked the neighbors to watch him on our previous vacations, and although they checked on him 2x/day for upwards of 30 mins, he still got sick on the floor almost daily. And this was only for 8 days, much less 3 weeks!

I don't know why he's so nervous. He is otherwise the most calm, chill cat ever (he's an orange tabby, if you know how they are ) He did come from a shelter, so maybe he's thinking abandonment. But I don't give him THAT much credit for being a deep thinker, LOL!

I've only taken him for one car ride to the vet, an hour away. He did that crazy "WTH did I ever do to YOU??" meowing for about 20 mins, then he vomited in his carrier. Within another 45 seconds, before I could even pull off the road, he let loose on the other end. If it weren't so disgusting, it would have been laughable... I had a very dirty cat to clean with only baby wipes at the ready.

Needless to say, I'd like to avoid a repeat performance, and especially if he's flying coach under my seat on Southwest! Plus, he's 23 lbs, so I'm not even sure he'd fit in a soft-sided cat carrier that's 19"x14"x9"! I was thinking of renting a minivan for the month, and then he could sleep where he chose and maybe even put a small box in the back for him to go potty. (Stopping immediately to dump it, of course!)

 

[englishteacha]

My mother's cat gets carsick. Not something you'd expect! Mom takes her from her home to her camp each summer, then from camp home each year. The kitty gets sick to her stomach. It's an hour and a half trip.

How does your cat do on short trips? Maybe try going for a drive for an hour or two to see how the kitty does? Maybe she'll calm down after an hour and be fine. Maybe she'll get carsick. You won't know till you try.

I second the idea of a cat sitter. Someone to come to the house and check on the kitty, play with her, etc. It must be cheaper than a kennel, too. My husband is very anti-cat, but he tolerates mine. I'm going to be away for 2 weeks at a class. My husband will make sure the kitty doesn't starve, but he won't give her much attention. I may ask my sister-in-law to come check on her just to make sure.

 

[Mickey1Fan]

My son was going to take the cat to visit a friend for four months and the vet recommended that he not take her. As previously posted, we were told cats are attached to their home, not their human.

The vet said if it were a permanent move then OK but just for a short visit the move is not a good idea.

The cat is also not a big fan of the car.

 

[secretpantssam]

Yeah, maybe ask the vet for a sedative. If he can just sleep most of the ride, he won't even notice whats going on.

I certainly wouldn't want to leave my kitty home alone or even in a kennel for three weeks. He gives me the cold shoulder if I leave him at home with my sister for more than a day.

 

[secretpantssam]

Oh and I found this website:
http://www.ehow.com/how_2145069_cat-road-trip.html

These seem like some good tips!

 

[surfergirl602]

I am contemplating driving to the midwest to see my parents for three weeks. Airfare for 3 of us, plus carrying on the cat > $1100, and then I'd still need a rental car once we get there. I don't feel like the cat is safe with my (STBX)husband, so I must take him with us. The cat doesn't kennel well at all; I think he'd truly get so sick he'd die after about 10 days.

So, it's either flying for a fortune, or driving 2 long days (each way) with the cat. If you've traveled a long distance by car with a cat, do they ever calm down and stop that bellowing meow of utter terror? Does valium really help? Any suggestions that I'm overlooking?

Thanks!

Yes, actually, I have traveled that much with a cat. Two, in fact. And with three dogs and six turtles, from Maine to Oklahoma when we moved. We have a truck, so we put the cats in a hard top plastic kennel that is meant for a large sized dog, put in a small litter box and a comfy cozy bed that they could snuggle in, and fed them in the hotel morning and night so that they didn't get sick during the drive. They did fine, and don't kennel well at all either. They had room to move about and I also put in some toys. As long as they could run around in the hotel at night, they got out their energy. After the first hour, they calmed down and didn't yowl at all.

 

[surfergirl602]

Also, quality Inns are pet friendly and we've had good luck with them along our various travels with our pets.

 

[jmunutt]

I'm a Navy wife and have had cats since I got married. I would take my two cats home with me every time I visited, usually for two weeks at a time. One was a great traveller, the other (a calico), not so much. The vet gave me a sedative for the calico. It didn't make her sleep, but made the meowing more quiet. She hated rock music, but loved Disney soundtracks. I made that trip about 6 times a year for several years.

I currently have a Maine coon mix who goes camping with us in our motorhome. He freaks out in his kennel at first, but by the end of the ride he's loving life!

Good luck with whatever you decide.
Debby

 

[Illuminations_Rocks]

I drive with my cat a lot! We took him with us on our 5 day long journey from California to Ohio, and many, many trips to eastern PA from Ohio (about 8 hours each way).

He is a good car rider, but I have a few things that have made it wayyy easier for us.

1. I bought a soft-sided, collapsible dog carrier. It is about 2/3 the size of my backseat. He can stand up, walk a couple of steps, and stretch a little bit, just so he isn't soooo cooped up.

2. I have one of those little litter boxes, and I keep it inside the carrier. He has used it a few times. I feel better knowing it's there for him.

3. I sometimes leave food in there, not water - just when we get to rest stops - because he won't eat or drink usually. The water has spilled a little before and that freaks him out.

4. I have one of "his" blankets in there for him to lay on.

5. I put his FAVORITE toy in there with him - he drags it with him practically everywhere in my house so I think it's a comfort thing.

He meows for the first 15 minutes or so, until we get on the freeway. Once we're on the freeway, the drive is pretty smooth and monotonous so he lays down and looks around, or he goes to sleep.

He HATES his little tiny carrier with a passion, but doesn't mind so much the huge one.

this is the carrier we have: http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752023 I like it because the flaps on the long ends fold up or down, so if it's real sunny, I just pull them down so the sun doesn't hit him. I don't remember if we have the 30" or the 36" - we just picked the one we thought looked good in the store.

 

[flying_babyb]

Pretraining is key. Take the kitty for short rides. It does help. Also the bigger the carrier the better. I learned early on that my cats do better together. Does you cat have a blanket or favorite sleeping spot that has somthing to take with? I travel at least once a month with BOTH my cats. They spend about two and a half hours in the car each way. They whine a bit but then POOF there asleep or quiet.

 

[Kycha]

My son was going to take the cat to visit a friend for four months and the vet recommended that he not take her. As previously posted, we were told cats are attached to their home, not their human.

The vet said if it were a permanent move then OK but just for a short visit the move is not a good idea.

The cat is also not a big fan of the car.

That doesn't seem to be the case in my situation. We are having work done on our house and have moved into a hotel for the month. The cats(3) were a little jumpy the first couple days and they seemed to eat a lot more in the first week. But since then, they have been fine. We were pleasantly surprised with how well they have adjusted. And two of my cats have never lived anywhere else...well, except the pound...where we got them from. So, this is a real adventure for them.

Now, a long car ride would probably totally freak them out. Fortunately, we are only a couple miles from home. So, that wasn't bad at all.

 

[kwitcherkicken99]

I moved from Central CA to Phoenix and then from Phoenix to Indiana. I didn't medicate my cat at all. She was pretty chilled out once we got going. We would stop every so often and let her run around in the car. Most of the time she stayed in her cage. She did ride up front in between the seats of the moving van, so at least we could keep her company.