20 hour road trip to Kansas with 2 cats and a dog

[Delarage]

Helped a friend drive from Delaware to Kansas over the weekend with two ragdoll cats and a golden retriever. The dog was fine, but the cats let their dislike of car travel be known throughout the trip. Plus, there was the "essence of litter box" to deal with. There has GOT to be a better way to move cats.

We stayed at a La Quinta (in Effingham) and it was great. All packed up and ready to leave, we couldn't find the girl cat. My friend was about to blame me for letting her slip out, but we called the front desk to report the situation and the lady who answered the phone assured us that the cat was not missing---and that we should check under the sink vanity, which has a hidden shelf underneath it. I checked and darned if she wasn't in there. The clerk said that it happens a lot--with people calling in a panic.

Once in Salina, we ended up lying on our backs in a cemetery looking at stars. But that's a long story for another time.

We all made it, although I was covered in enough dog & cat hair to look like Chewbacca when I emerged from the Subaru.

[MLAA]

1. Sounds like an unforgettable adventure!

[Delarage]

2. Definitely

I think I'll write a book about travelling with cats. It will have 3 words: Don't do it.

[Wingus Dingus]

3. I bought a motorhome for just this reason.

That might be a little drastic for most people, LOL.

[Delarage]

4. Smart move

Probably the only way to do it and not be physically and emotionally damaged.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

5. when I was moving from Kansas to New Mexico,

I also moved three cats. They were not crazy about the 12 hour drive, to say the least. My real regret was that I hadn't thought to get them harness trained so they could take a potty break along the way. I did stop once, near a park, and started to let one cat out, but I immediately feared she'd run off and I'd never get her back again, so we just continued driving.

I still make that drive every so often, as I still have family in the Kansas City area, but never with cats. I also never make the drive in one day any more, but break up the trip. It's a lot more pleasant now.

[Delarage]

6. Wow

Never thought about harnesses. These 2 were emotional wrecks, though, and definitely would've darted off into the hinterlands. So we went with the litter box. It was so hot out that we couldn't really keep the windows down that often--plus the hairstorm that swept through the car with the windows open was something to see. I think they were stress-shedding.

At one point, though, the golden retriever decided to take a nap *in* the litterbox. All sense of order and decorum was lost.

[ret5hd]

7. Haven't we ALL slept in a litter box...

at least once in our lives???

[AnotherDreamWeaver]

8. A couple years back I had to leave because of fires in the area.

I was in an evacuation zone. One dog, one cat. The cat would not go into a carrier. No Way. So I just put him in the car. NEVER LET A CAT LOOSE IN A CAR. He was on the dash, obscuring my vision. He was on the floor under my break pedal. He was trying to run out whenever I opened the door. Just some advice...
Peace,

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

9. Every so often I put the cat carrier in my living room for a few days,

leave the door open, and periodically put some cat treats inside. The cat goes in on her own for the treats, and associates it with the treats. Then, when I do need to close her in and take her to the vet, she's okay with it. Not happy, mind you, but okay.

[iscooterliberally]

10. You have my empathy.

I've done 2 cats in a Nissan 350z from Ft Lauderdale to Boston. When we moved back to FL. I had a dog in the moving truck. My poor wife had 2 big dogs and 5 cats in a Mazda wagon. Yeah...it's an adventure for sure!