whats the best way to move across the country when you have 4 cats?

Question

I have a truck and we will be having a u-haul and we are going from CA to NC - any advice would be helpful thanks!

Answer 1

I moved to Alaska from CA, with three cats and a dog. Had a truck with a camper shell and started out with the cats in carriers. Had a litter box and would let them out to use it. But by the second day traveling the cats were used to the driving and I was able to let them roam the back of the truck where they had their food and water. I think they enjoyed the whole thing and only one of them ever touched ground (in canada) for the whole trip. And one of these cats was highly neurotic but she managed quite well, I think because she had the other cats in the vicinity.
The main thing to watch for is overheating. If you use a tranquilizer on them they have a harder time with heat and cold.

Answer 2

if you have the cats pull the u-haul you will never get anywhere. Turn part of the u-haul into a cat condo. They will be riding in style!

Answer 3

How dare you think of making your cats pull you across the country!

Anything to save gas, right?

Believe me, if I even saw you go by like that, you would never see your cats again. They'd be mine, and you don't know where I live. I'd also call the SPCA and you might find yourself in a bit of a pinch.

Answer 4

I don't think 4 cats can pull a U-Haul.

Answer 5

If your cats really hate the car you can ask the vet for meds to calm them down... kitty valium : ) I wouldn't bother putting food or water with them while moving. It will just take up cage space and spill. Just offer it to them when u stop the car for breaks. They probably wont want it anyway.

Answer 6

Have the cats pull the u-haul.

Answer 7

You put them in different cages, like a pet taxi and put them in the car and feed them at certain organized times, where you can just stop somewhere and put the food and water in their cages, and wait to make sure that they are eating right. If they get carsick, put a towel over their cages so they can't look out the windows.

Answer 8

The first step is to be sure their vet records are totally up to date and you have copies of health certificates on hand. Also, invest in larger cat carriers than you use for a typical vet visit because they'll be in them for awhile, and line them with unwashed (lightly used) bedding/towels from home for familiarity.

When we moved cross-country the first time with three cats we used a service that picks them up in a big converted RV, they drive them for you. I'm sorry I don't remember the company name that we used, but I was very happy with them and the kennel they were delivered to was very impressed with them too (they got cross country faster than us b/c we drove at a touristy pace).

Google pet moving services to research your options.

If that isn't in your budget and you really need to have them in the car, we've also done that. Talk to your vet about having children's Benedryll on hand in case they freak out (it makes them sleepy, we didn't end up using it), bring an AAA travel guide for every state you'll drive through to help find pet friendly hotels, plan only to drive through or have a cooler for food during travel because you can't leave them in the car. Make stops to offer water (bottled water or water you brought from the home you left) during the day but only feed when you stop at a hotel for the night. Bring disposable litter boxes with you (any big pet store will have them) for easier set up in your hotel rooms. They might meow a lot when you set out each day (sounds like a meow mix commercial), but they'll likely settle down soon enough.

Answer 9

We are moving in the near future, and my daughter took our cat (11 years old) to the vet for a check up. They gave us some anti anxiety pills to give him for the trip. Good luck!

Answer 10

Probably using a large pet carrier would be the best bet.