Any tips for traveling with a kitty??

[Jessica]

I'm taking a week of vacation after Christmas & will be staying at my parents' house, which is 3 hours away. I've taken Allie with me before, but she completely freaked out in the car .... does anyone have any tips for keeping her calm during the ride? Should I leave her in her kitty carrier, or let her roam around? Thanks in advance for your help!

:D

[Lorien]

1. NEVER let them roam around!

She could freak while you're on the highway, thus creating a danger for you and other drivers.

Go to PetsMart, Petco or another pet shop with a good selection and get a product called "Feliway"; it contains artificial cheek hormones that will calm kitty. Spray the interior of the carrier with Feliway, add a blanket, catnip toy, and a few treats, and you should be good to go! (Traveled three days to Ohio from Florida and back with my three cats to escape the hurricanes. I used feliway and they all did quite well)!

[kwassa]

7. Drove across the US with a cat

Los Angeles to Washington, D.C.

Basically, we kept the cat carrier on the back seat with the door open. Joan (known alternatively as Kitty Dearest, or Joan of Ark) roamed around the car, or went back to hide/sleep in the carrier as she chose. Being Siamese, she talked about every alternative. We had a harness to walk her on at rest stops; do not let the cat out on it's own. We met a hysterical cat owner who had lost her cat at a rural stop, and didn't know what to do. We didn't either, with a few hundred square miles of rural countryside around us.

I have actually seen cats that love to ride in cars, and will curl up on top of the seat back. Most freak, at least at first.

We didn't use any drugs or other products, by the way.

[TrogL]

2. Kitty carrier on floor of back seat

Cats don't appear to like the fast-moving scenery. They're perfectly happy down on the floor sulking.

[haele]

3. If the cat reacts well to catnip -

Give her some a half hour or so before putting her in the carrier. Put catnip in the bottom of the carrier before putting her in. Along with Allie's comfort toys and favorite sleeping towel/blanket/sweater/paperbag (whatever she loves to sleep on). She'll probably conk out and sleep through most of the trip.

Another thing to do - put the carrier out where Allie can explore it a day or two before you get ready to go and put toys and treats in it, so that it becomes a familiar kitty place to be and doesn't stress her out to get into it. I usually just keep the cat carrier out with a small pillow at all times so my boys can use it as a private sleeping spot when they want - and it doesn't become the "horrible cage of torture" when it comes to transporting them in it.
When I was traveling a lot with my boys, a vet who dealt alot with show animals and breeders recommended catnip and carrier familiarization instead of kitty valium. And it works! After the first fifteen minutes/half hour or so, no more caterwauling or kitty upset.

Good luck on your trip.

Haele

[Eurobabe]

4. Bach's Rescue Remedy seems to keep them calmer

Good luck, I will be travelling 8 hrs. by car on Weds. next week with the Daemon, to our new home. Should be interesting.

Try not feeding the puss before you travel, that helps the car sickness if he or she is prone. Oh and yes, a cat carrier is key. My guys each have a Sherpa, but the older one is about bursting out of his LARGE one!!

[luzdeluna]

5. I just found the greatest carriers

they're called "Sturdibags" and they are a soft sided nylon carrier that has a ridgid, zip out bottom. It comes in great colors and has a sholder strap as well as handles.

The three advantages ove Sherpa bags are...


1. after zipping out the bottom and slipping out 2 supports you can wash it in the washing machine.

2. it only weighs 2 pounds

3. it stands up by itself like a little tent so that you pet has plenty of overhead room.

The largest option comes with a zip out center devider so you can use it for one large guy or two little ones.

Apparently it is accepted by all major airlines and fit very well under seats.

Like Sherpas it has zipper pockets and a Velcro in fluffy pad.

I bought my Cairn Terrier a purple one for Christmas.

Oh...you can also get a matching travel litter box and water bowl to match.

[Lorien]

8. Thanks for the info

their website is www.sturdiproducts.com . Expensive, but it looks like a good investment. I wish I had had the three segment show shelters for my three cats when I drove to Ohio from Florida and back. Two were in a carrier together, but the one who was on his own was miserable. I'm sure I could fit all three in one of those things.

:hi:

carrier:


Show shelter:

[Eurobabe]

9. Bach's Rescue Remedy is da bomb!

Really helped my crazed cats "get over their bad ole selves" while we were traveling and acclimating to the new house. Highly recommended.

[dmr]

10. Can you tell me more about it?

I Googled it, but would like to hear about how it works from a DUer.

I will be moving about a thousand miles away later in the year with 6 cats in the backseat (many thanks to the DUer who gave the link to SturdiProducts). I know I will need something to relax two of them, and then for one other, I will have to get a prescription from the vet as she an extremely high strung and frightened adopted stray - afraid of her own shadow - poor baby breaks my heart.

How did your trip go, and how are they acclimating to the new house?

Many thanks ... :)

Edited for spelling ... opps!

[Darth_Kitten]

6. Maybe the vet can dope her?

When we moved as a child we had our cat given a sedative for travel. :)
Kitty carrier would be great. :)