We've got a full tank of gas, two cats in carriers, it's dark, and we're wearing sunglasses.

February 18, 2009 1:38 PM

Ramblin' up from Georgia to Vermont from March 26-28 with a new wife, two cats, and minimal luggage. So this is a two-pronged question: first, what do you recommend as a nice scenic fun route with minimal leave-the-car requirements, and second, how do you deal with two cats in one car for three days?

Will motels be a problem with animals? Do we need to dope them to the gills, and does that pose a health risk? Which routes are nicest, considering that we can't really leave the cats in the car while we go spelunking or whatnot? What do you recommend for (nutritious, tasty, not too expensive) road eatin'?

I'm aware there are a few East Coast road trip suggestions already in AskMe, but we've got the added wrinkle of having pets in the car.

Our eventual destination is Canada, permanently (I'm a Canuck, she's an American) so there will be no return trip, if that matters.

Any/all suggestions on how to survive a cat-laden road trip, and to maximize our "honeymoon", are welcome!

posted by Shepherd to travel & transportation (12 comments total)

I did the cat thing from Vermont to Seattle. It went fine, no drugs (me or the cats). The big deal is whether you have cats that will sack out or cats that roam and howl. The ones in my car were noisy for hte first 30-60 minutes of each day and then chilled out. We kept the cats in their harnesses for the whole trip but otherwise they were free in the car. We made sure their leashes were ON before we opened the car door, every time. Had a small litterbox with that pine stuff in the back seat and a deep dish with a little food and a little water on the other side. Motels will usually care about pets, but there are places online where you can find ones that are pet friendly. Because some people have terrible allergies, I'd recommend against sneaking them in someplace, though it's definitely within the range of possibility.

I'd suggest getting to your destinations early, putting the pets in the B&B or motel and then doing evening type activities more than daytime activities, focus on tasty food and maybe movies or bands playing and less on spelunking, as fun as it is. I guess you could do the same thing if you got up early in the morning but checkout times are often early-ish.
posted by jessamyn at 1:45 PM on February 18

Depends on the cat. Maybe you could try taking them out for short drives to see how they handle the car. I have to dope up my cat when going on long drives, and it's pretty easy to get a Rx from your vet for this. I keep my cats in a kennel in the backseat when driving - I'm always afraid they'll get down by my feet and I'll either smoosh one or won't be able to each the pedals with them in the way. And if they're doped up, they won't care a bit about being in a cage the whole time.

I don't know what quality motel you want to stay at, but I've found most Super 8s let you have pets in your room. You may want to call ahead to ask though.
posted by All.star at 2:00 PM on February 18

No suggestions on the cats, but you should really look into the Blue Ridge Parkway/Skyline Drive which runs up the spine of the Appalachians from North Carolina through Virginia. Far and away some of the best scenery east of the Mississippi. It runs parallel to I-81, so you won't be too terribly far from hotels, etc.

One thing to watch though: the speed limit is about 45mph most of the way, and that's actually a realistic speed for that stretch of road. It's two undivided lanes and full of switchbacks. This makes it gorgeous, but the trip from the VA/NC border to the VA/WV border takes at least twice as long taking the scenic route as on the interstate. It sounds like this is exactly what you're looking for, but it's something to keep in mind as you plan your trip.
posted by valkyryn at 2:07 PM on February 18 [1 favorite]

Cats can be tricky in the car. If someone can hold them rather than keep them caged, they tend to be better. You could ask the vet for a mild sedative just in case.

If you search the internets you can find hotels and motels that allow pets.
posted by radioamy at 2:23 PM on February 18

If someone can hold them rather than keep them caged, they tend to be better.

Unless they totally freak, get loose, land on your face and try to maintain balance by clawing at your eye sockets, whereupon you drive the car off a cliff on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Short version: Loose cat + long car ride = bad idea.

There's a homeopathic concoction called Rescue Remedy that a friend used with good results when she drove with her cat from NYC to SF--you might try that.
posted by scratch at 2:39 PM on February 18

First off, congratulations! Can't help much on finding a scenic route, but these two previous mefi posts may help with the cat issues. Good luck and have fun!
posted by platinum at 3:09 PM on February 18

A little but more on the Blue Ridge Parkway/Skyline Drive - yes very scenic! Depending on the weather, of course. But, the speed limit on Skyline Drive is actually 35mph and it is highly recommended that you stick to it because animals (usually deer) have a habit of bounding out in front of cars at a moments notice. Also, it will cost you $15 (per vehicle) to drive along Skyline Drive as it meanders through Shenandoah National Park. The Blue Ridge Parkway is free. Both have lots of scenic overlooks that you can enjoy from inside or outside the car.
posted by geeky at 3:11 PM on February 18

Oh, and it shouldn't be too much of an issue by the end of March, but you never know with the crazy weather... if you decide to take Skyline Drive, you'll want to have an alternate route planned and call ahead to make sure the drive is open. The National Park will close access to Skyline Drive in the event of bad weather.
posted by geeky at 3:14 PM on February 18

The Parkway is really something to dip into for segments when it's part of a long trip -- extended periods can be mentally and physically exhausting, though breathtaking. If you had a week or so to do it (and no cats to placate) it's a fine trip. But since you have three days, and the section from Asheville to Mount Mitchell is closed, you're better off skipping it. Depending where you are in Georgia, you could go I-20 to I-77 and joining I-81, overnighting in Roanoke (7hrs from Atlanta) then spend the next day travelling more slowly up Skyline Drive.

You can conceivably avoid the big conurbations of the NE by taking I-81 all the way up to Binghampton, then sweeping across either to Springfield, MA, then north to VT, or going further north through the Adirondacks before cutting east.

Relatively low-end chain motels are generally more amenable to pets: Motel 6's one-pet-per-room policy can often be stretched; Hampton Inn also has a decent rep. I-81 has lots. Call in advance.
posted by holgate at 3:25 PM on February 18

Self-edit: you're probably better off skipping the section of the Parkway in NC, spending the first day on the road getting up to SW Virginia whichever way's most convenient, then devoting day 2 to a more scenic drive in the mountains.
posted by holgate at 4:09 PM on February 18

I drove from Oregon-->Pittsburgh-->Florida with my cat in the car. He just kinda roamed around the car, ending up preferring to lay beneath the brake pedal (how convenient.) He yowled for the first hour of the trip for the first couple days, then chilled out. We didn't dope him, but we sprayed this pheromone stuff in the car. It didn't seem to have a noticeable effect but your cat might respond differently. We snuck him into motels at least 5 times; it was stressful but I'm relatively high-strung. We kept a litter box in the back seat for the first few days but he didn't use it at all until we got to the motels.

Our trip as a whole was pretty rough, but you sound mentally well-equipped to deal with the stress. Expect the cats to freak a little bit, be prepared to hide them in a carrier covered with a blanket while you sneak them into the motels, and enjoy the views. Good luck!
posted by tatiana wishbone at 6:13 PM on February 18

We drove from Seattle to Vermont in a van with 3 cats and one giant breed dog. The trip was incredibly smooth, and I think a lot of it had to do with planning, and precautions we took. Here are a few things we did with/for the cats (YMMV):

-I found the accommodations ahead of time, booking motel rooms where they allowed pets days in advance. I narrowed some of my choices down using sites like Pets Welcome (you can google for others). If I didn't get good results for the town we were going to stay in, I just found motels using regular motel search sites and called to see if they allowed pets.

-We did bring kitty sedatives prescribed by the vet -- we ended up using them once on one cat, and twice on another. (This was in the motel rooms, where they were actually more agitated than when in the car.)

-In the van, we had each cat in his/her own carrier -- a medium-sized dog carrier that allowed room for a towel/blanket, a small litter pan, food and water. They were surprisingly quiet on the road, and seemed to enjoy the safety/comfort of their little travel condos. (The cats occasionally used their litter pans when the van was stopped, but mostly held it until we were in the motel. Also, our vet advised us that cats can get dehydrated while on the road, so fresh water is important. We had water in the carriers at all times, but they would pretty much only drink during our rest stops.)

-When we changed litter and/or water while on the road, we made sure the van doors were closed until done.

-In the motel rooms, we locked the cats in the bathroom with a litter box, food, and a sleeping bag in the bathtub for them to cuddle in. We did this because we noticed that in many of the rooms we stayed in, the beds or other furniture in the room had small openings/gaps in them, perfect for cats to get into. We didn't want to have to dismantle furniture before getting on the road again, so we decided the bathroom was the safest bet.
posted by lovermont at 8:36 PM on February 18