Moving with my cat?

Question

I live in Pennsylvania. I am moving to Colorado in a couple of months and my cat is coming with me. What is the best way to travel with him in the car? I think his carrier that I use for the vet is too small to be stuck in for a two day road trip. And what about a litter box in the car??

Answer 1

We (wife and I) have travelled with our cats on many occasions -- for long distances, too. Here are some tips from our experiences:

1. Don't tranquilize him (with sedatives from the vet). We did that once and it really wasn't necessary. We thought one of our cats had died because he became unresponsive (but he was OK). Every other time after that we just let them roam the car. They will find a spot and settle in for the ride. If your cat is not used to travelling he may cry for a while but eventually settle in -- maybe under the seat.

2. Most motel/hotels on the road take pets. Some hotels charge and extra fee, some don't, so shop around for the ones that don't charge.

3. I have never, ever seen any of the several cats we have taken on long trips use a litter box in the car. We always put a small cardboard box lined with plastic down on the back-seat footwell and put cat litter in it, but I have never seen any cat use it. Take this advice for what it is worth.

4. I have also never seen any of our cats eat or drink in the road (our dog, yes, but not any cats). When we get to a hotel room, they usually eat and drink after sniffing out the whole room. This is not to say don't put some food out for him and offer to let him drink water out of a small cup -- you can try but don't "hold your breath".

5. Airline travel -- that's a whole other answer box worth of text, and I don't want to get into it, here.

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Answer 2

Depends how much room you will have. I put a leash on the cat when traveling which I wrap around my arm so he doesn't get on the freeway if I wreck. You can put a litter box on the floor behind the seat if he is good at the litter thing. Put blankets on your car seats just in case. If she gets too rowdy I usually keep her on the leash but put her in the box (its a cardboard cat carrier) with the top open so she can see out. If you are not sure about all this the carrier is fine as safety is more important than her comfort. You could also just get a slightly larger carrier and put her in that as they are not expensive. Good luck with your move....I am sure your cat will really like Colorado. Be sure to keep her inside for the first few days until she knows her new home is home and of course its better to keep cats inside period. Motel 6 takes animals. Best Wishes

Answer 3

My grandma travels all the time with her cats. She has a harness and a leash she puts on them. The first time the new kitty went, she rode in the carrier, and grandma let her out every time they stopped. Now that she knows her cat won't get sick in the car, she is free in the car and moves from the front to back seat as she wills. But sometimes her cat wants to get down by the pedals, which is not safe. If you leave the cat free, make sure you have a leash on the cat before you open the door, or your cat might bolt, and you will never see her again!

Answer 4

If possible I would try to find a carrier that a little bigger so your cat can move around and one that you maybe put a small litter box in. Also add some toys that your cat likes to play with. This should make you and your cat more comfortable during the ride.

Answer 5

I moved from toronto to northern Manitoba in august of this year with my cat. we took 4 days to do the drive, stopping in hotels for the night along the way. Our cat stayed in his carrier for 8 hours of driving each day with no accidents. I held the carrier on my lap the whole way and petted him through the bars when he got nervous. We had him on a medication from the vet that calmed his tummy and made him just a bit groggy. He slept most of the way. For our overnights we chose hotels that allowed pets and set up the litter box at each location. He always gets fed in the evening so food wanst a problem and I kept a small bowl and a bottle of water with me on each trip so he could drink during reststops. He was MUCH better about it then I thought he would be. If you think your carrier is too small, get a larger one and use that, but you do need a carrier, it is much safer for him than not using one. So yes, I recommend that if your drive is 2 days, split it up with overnights in a hotel. not only will it be nicer for your pet but for you as well. the extra money we spent on comfortable beds and a break from the road was WELL worth it. Plus those complimentary breakfasts, yum yum!

Answer 6

Yes, the carrier is a bit small. So you'll want to stop and let your kitty stretch his legs a bit.

Now, when Hurricane Isabelle was roaring through where I live, we ran into a challenge with the litter box too: There was no way we were going to leave our cats behind! What we ended up doing was putting the box in a plastic garbage bag and tying the bag shut until we got to where we were going.

Good luck with your move!

Answer 7

I moved with my cats recently - they should be kept in carriers.. it is NOT safe for them loose in your car (and may even be illegal in some states to have them loose)...

you must take their food away about 8 hours prior to the car ride.. remove water about 1 hour before the trip...
then kennel (up to 8 hours is ok.. they wont like it but they will be ok) Then make sure you have a PET FRIENDLY HOTEL - put the cat in the bath room with its food, water and litter box. Again remove the food and water before the trip... (it might even be best to bring water from home in a container so the cat is drinking the same water its tummy is used to for the trip)

a cat loose in a car is a disaster waiting to happen - what if it gets out when you stop for gas?? or what if it runs under your feet when you are driving??

trust me its safer in the small kennel and a few days hardship is ok in the long run at least your cat will arrive in its new home ok.

Answer 8

DON'T put your litter box in your car when the car's moving!
I tried that once with my cat and it spilled and the cat freaked out and... just don't do it.lol

You should keep him in its carrier for most of your trip though. Cats aren't known to pee on themselves, unless it's a male cat.

the best way is to keep it in the carrier and then pull over and put the kennel out on the side of the road and put the litter box in it (if it's big enough) and just lwet the cat use it that way. (:

Answer 9

My mother moved from CA to SD which was a three day trip carrying three cats and a small dog. The cats rode in the back of my Uncle's truck (in the camper) with food water and cat litter box. He also set up a heated blanket since it was ice cold outside (literally!). One cat was in a large cage since the older female is always beating her up, and that was made by putting a large wooden box on it's side and putting a chicken wire gate across the opening so they couldn't get at each other. All fared wonderfully!

Answer 10

Get a large crate that can fit the cat and a litter tray. This is for safety. If you stop suddenly, and the cat is not on a short harness or in a heavy crate, they can be tossed around and get hurt. During accidents, crates can act like a seatbelt for humans and potentially save lives.

I would get this large crate, and start getting the cat used to it, and the car by setting it up and taking very short trips - around the block - while you feed the cat a very special treat.
You might even start the process with the crate in the house, and just get him used to it in the house first. Start now so in a few months, this will not be strange for him.

You could put a bed in the crate that the cat is very familar with. so start now with either a new bed, or a towel, or his current bedding, so by the time you leave, the bed is very familar.