moving across country (driving) and have 2 cats and a dog. need tips.?

Question

we're moving from california back home to virginia. we have 2 cats and a pug dog. the cats will be in one car and the dog in another. the cats absolutely HATE HATE HATE the car, screaming and howling the whole time. doggie loves the car, but drools a LOT and sometimes gets car sick. has anyone had experience driving their animals a VERY long distance before? does anyone have tips on how to accomplish this without getting the car trashed w/ animal stuff and keeping our sanity? does anyone have any suggestions on another way (not too expensive, the move itself costs a ton already!) to get our pets across 3,000 miles? i've heard of shipping them i guess its in a plane, but wouldn't that be traumatizing? do they make car sick stuff for animals? small portable litter boxes for kitties? is sedating them something that people do in this case? is that humane/safe? any information is greatly appreciated, thanks!

Answer 1

DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT SHIP YOUR PETS ON A PLANE!! I can't stress that enough! Pets have died and gone missing and airlines typically just don't give a sh*t. They are not in a temperature controlled environment. They don't have any light. They get tossed under the plane like luggage. Unless they are riding under your seat, a plane ride will be their worst nightmare.

What you can and should do is call ahead to your hotels/motels and make sure you can get a room that you can have pets in (or sneak them in when no one is looking). Go to your vet and get a pill called "ACE". It's really cheap and it tranquilizes them for 8 hours at a stretch. And as you're driving, make sure that you prop their cages up so they can see out the windows. The majority of their freaking out and carsickness can be made much better just by being able to see the road.

Answer 2

Greetings-

The Dog should be safe to drive with.
Motel 6 allow pets too and for cheap.

Cats generally aren't inclined to cross-country drives. And as you describe, yours aren't either. If one possibly escapes in Omaha, you've lost it forever. (The cat will try to escape too. It's scared.) If you do drive the cats, they should be in a Cat carrier at all times. Never let them out of the cage, even in the Motel room. Although, if they're "crying" that may not make fellow motel guests happy.

Actually, the least traumatizing for the animal would be the airline.

Delta Airlines specializes in delivering live animals with a progrem called "Delta Dash" This typically costs $70-125 per animal. The airline does need a health certificate from the Vet. Those are not expensive either.
Delta Dash is how many animal breeders transport a wide range of animals from Cats to Birds and other animals. Many "High end" breeders only use Delta Dash. Many Zoos also use Delta Dash to transport their Small Animals. Delta has staff who are there to handle the care over the animals.

Continental is the only other Animal shipping airline, but their rating doesn't seem to be as reliable. I would not use Continental.
The thing with flying the cats, the flight will only take a few hours. The trauma will be very minimum, compared to days of being couped in a cage on the road.

Your Vet could also probably give you a sedative for the cats to fly. This'll help with the trauma. The sedative will be very mild too.

However, this sedative is something that should only be "VERY" temporary. The sedative is not something that can be given to the cat over a number of days. This will harm the cat if used long term. The sedative is meant as a temporary effect. Your Vet will advise better too.

Lastly with the cats too, if they do fly.... You should make sure someone is in Virginia to get them when they land. The flight won't take long, and the Airlines won't hold the cats for a long time.

Answer 3

Cats could be tricky if you don't keep them in a kitty crate.
Yes they sell disposable kitty litter pans at the pet store. Also your vet can prescribe a sedative if you want; this isn't unusual.
You might want to keep the dog in a crate too, at least some of the time. It will be secure and comfortable for sleeping. The dog probably won't need a sedative.
I took 2 dogs, 2 water dragons, and a cockatiel on a 5-day trip in a rented truck. It worked fine that way. We took the dogs out periodically for drinks and walks, and we slept in the truck too.

Answer 4

OMG this brings back memories, I drove from Colorado to Rhode Island with 2 cats, I took them to the vet before leaving they gave me tranquilizers for them. and i did that day 1.. after that i just let them be. If your stopping at hotels, My advise is take the pets inside even if you have to sneak them it, They will love you for it.