creative minds-custom built dog crate? any ideas how to put this together? see below?

Question

k. heres the scoop. im moving by car & moving truck from florida to new york 1,200 miles, 24 hours if i could actually drive straight thru, but i cant. lets say 30 then?
but....
i have 3 cats. i cant stick them into 3 cat carriers for 30 hours, they will need a litter box, and food, and to move (have you seen the size of those cat carriers)
ok, so, dog crate sounds good right? i could put them all in a crate, with a litter box, food, maybe a blanket and what ever.
but here lies the major problem.
pet crates are not made to fit in the back of a car. even if they are long enough, they are too high to fit in my little sedan, on the pulled down seats.
wighth doesnt matter though. so, i think im going to have to custom build them a cage for the back of the car.
but out of what?.even if i could weld (cant) i wouldnt know where to get those bars. and ive seen some in mesh, but they would rip that fast. ideas?? get creative. im no fool, i can build something. but out of what?

Answer 1

Maybe look into the soft dog house made from nylon fabric. You can squeeze it into the back of the car and the it will reshape and it is large enough for all three.

I would also line them with DryFur absorbent cushions they will absorb and dry instantly and they will not get bunched up they lay flat and under the cats. This way it will not get in your car if accident does occur, and it probably will. Plain old Puppy or pet Pads will not work they will be all scrunched up and in a corner in a matter of minutes if cats get uneasy and begin to move about. Here is a picture of the house but you can buy cheaper at Target http://www.mightypets.com/Herzher/CUVDimensionLarge.jpg

You can get the DryFur pads at http://www.dryfur.com or PetTravel.com

Answer 2

We moved our cat in a cat carrier. The trip was from Michigan to North Carolina so it was about 12-14 hours.

You can get a small litter box for a couple bucks (mine was $2.99) at a pet store. We got one that is about 8" X 16". It takes up about 1/3 of her cat carrier. She had a decent amount of room.

Answer 3

Steal six milk crates, cut the bottoms out of three of them. Use zip ties to put two crates together (open ends facing each other). Replace cut off bottom with some type of grille, wire mesh, wire shelving pieces, whatever. Use zip ties to make the hinges and make some type of latch. You'll want individual grates in front of each cage or they will all bolt at once when you try to get one out.

I've always used two milk crates to move my cats, but the longest trip was only six hours, so I didn't need a door. Just stuffed them in and zip tied it shut.

Answer 4

I find it hard to believe that a 1200 mile drive in the fantastic states would take 24 hours That is absurd, only 50mph average

I would suggest you drive for four hours at atime and have a break. Tend to the cats, put them back into a carriers after cleanining them out.

Tend to your own needs and in the bathroom after washing your hands, cold water to the face helps. It will refresh you and keep you going.

Make sure you feed your self

The main thing is to let them sleep, keep them fed and drive carefully

Answer 5

actually, i would recommend putting them seperately in small crates.. too us it would be uncomfortable, but to them it is comforting

when i moved my cat, i put her in a crate not much larger than she was.. it had enough room for her to turn around, but not much else. i then covered her carrier with a warm blanket, and she had no problems traveling the 12 hours.. heard her for about the first hour, but then she calmed down and slept most of the way

* and dont feed them 24 hours prior to moving.. they will be fine.. maybe for a trip your length give them a small snack during the trip, but nothing more.. it will only stress them out even more