Travelling with a cat

platypus

platypus

platypus

Caporegime
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Just doing a bit of research and asking in case anyone has experience of it. We're moving soon, on what will be a ~10 hour journey.

We've got the moggy passport and she's ready to go, but I'm concerned about the journey. My thoughts are to get a cage big enough for her carrier, litter tray, food bowl and enough room to move a little about, and just hope that she sleeps most of the way. We can take turns driving and sitting in the back with her sometimes to give her some attention. A vet friend has recommended against a sedative.

Not really much else we can do, is there?
 
Other than what you have done above maybe consider an old large towel or sheet you can cover the box with.

Get some ear plugs for the harrowing Miows if shes a screamer :P

Oh you are talking BIG.... Litter box in cage back of an estate car boot ?
 
Sedatives can bring other problems- the vet is right to recommend against it.
Something more gentle like Feliway might help. I think a large cage as you describe is the best bet- but you can expect a very unhappy cat, at least until she gives up and goes to sleep...
It'll all be forgotten soon enough though, when she's checking out her new home...
 
I drove up to Whitby from Swindon (and back 2 weeks later) with my two moggies (3 years old at the time) in the back of the car!.

I had their basket/cage open on the back seat, some food and water, and an enclosed 'poo bin' in the boot with the 40% split seat down. I also stuffed pillows/blankets under the two front seats, and between the seats too, just as a deterrent, to stop them coming in the front and getting under my feet!!

One of them spent the entire journey on the parcel shelf, which, I noticed in my rear view mirror, freaked out some bloke tailgating me on the A419, when she got up and stretched then curled up again, He backed off a little, but his eyes were out on stalks!! :D
 
Forgot to say we'll be putting some feliway stuff in there, even if its a placebo (for us!).

Yer it'll be in the boot of an estate with some or all of the back seats down flat.

@Simian I wouldn't be comfortable having her out in the car on a 10 hour journey, just wouldn't consider it safe.
 
Simian said:
I drove up to Whitby from Swindon (and back 2 weeks later) with my two moggies (3 years old at the time) in the back of the car!.

I had their basket/cage open on the back seat, some food and water, and an enclosed 'poo bin' in the boot with the 40% split seat down. I also stuffed pillows/blankets under the two front seats, and between the seats too, just as a deterrent, to stop them coming in the front and getting under my feet!!

One of them spent the entire journey on the parcel shelf, which, I noticed in my rear view mirror, freaked out some bloke tailgating me on the A419, when she got up and stretched then curled up again, He backed off a little, but his eyes were out on stalks!! :D
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I thought I'd heard it was illegal to have an unrestrained cat in a (moving) car.
 
Came in expecting story about you travelling the world with your cat. I even had a meow-schwitz joke lined up :(
 
Big box, water, some treats all sound good. A towel or sheet can definitely work to make sure she can hide quietly if she wants to - but she probably won't. Familiar smelling things help of course. Try to minimise bumpy roads if you can - though I'm guessing you'll be taking the quickest route one way or the other.

If you're on a long journey, she will need the loo - you can either take a litter tray or plan to clean up mess (actually plan for that anyway).

Travel tired - plan to start your journey when the cat's just been outside for the day, or has otherwise been active. Then she's slightly more likely to give up and sleep. (Note more likely, not likely!)

Simian said:
I drove up to Whitby from Swindon (and back 2 weeks later) with my two moggies (3 years old at the time) in the back of the car!

I had their basket/cage open on the back seat, some food and water, and an enclosed 'poo bin' in the boot with the 40% split seat down. I also stuffed pillows/blankets under the two front seats, and between the seats too, just as a deterrent, to stop them coming in the front and getting under my feet!!
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Well done for managing that, but for everyone else please DON'T try this. Cats can jump and climb, and if one of them decides to get on your head, or under the pedals at 70mph on a motorway, there is a very serious risk of an accident. If you can't travel with another person, you really need to make sure the cat CANNOT get in the front of the car. That means cages or barriers, not just pillows.
 
Whenever we travel with our car (1.5hrs to my mum's who looks after her) we just let her 'run free', whilst one of us sits in the back to stop her coming to the front. After 5 minutes she just sleeps on our lap or on the seat anyway. That and a litter tray in the boot (with any parcel shelf removed) will be fine.
 
platypus said:
Forgot to say we'll be putting some feliway stuff in there, even if its a placebo (for us!).

Yer it'll be in the boot of an estate with some or all of the back seats down flat.

@Simian I wouldn't be comfortable having her out in the car on a 10 hour journey, just wouldn't consider it safe.
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I'd recommend using the feliway for a few days before the trip. Spray it around the areas/things she'll be using on the trip. It's definitely helped my cat although most we've done is 1.5 hours with him in the car. It depends on the cat but I found with my current cat that covering the carrier/cage with a blanket helped to calm him down. I think he didn't like seeing stuff flash by the windows so covering the cage (not all of it mind!) helped.
 
My cat is 22 years old. Going down the road to the vets is a labour now. However when he was younger he was fine in a car. He came from Brighton so has done at least one long journey.

My wife's cat (also around 22) has never been good in a car and will wet himself. So it kind of depends on the cat and the cats age.
 
platypus said:
I've looked at them, but I just don't see them being less stressful for her.
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Perhaps, but they are experienced in moving dogs and cats, they probably have good ways of helping keep the animals calm, perhaps give them a call and ask if they have any tips of keeping the cat calm? Or ring you local vet for extra advise, our vets can't do any surgery on the local premises and have a city centre animal hospital they take animals too and they have special vans for moving the animals too
 
Halestorm said:
Perhaps, but they are experienced in moving dogs and cats, they probably have good ways of helping keep the animals calm, perhaps give them a call and ask if they have any tips of keeping the cat calm?
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They'll just put the animals in the back of a van, drive from A to B, and clean up later. Yes, they'll carry equipment for cleaning up, and they'll be basically trained in how to handle the animals, but it's not a pet chaffeur - it's a van full of cages.
 
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