What is the most humane way to move middle aged cats cross country?
September 19, 2022 10:02 PM Subscribe
(I know this is a super odd one to be anonymous but it involves a possible breakup.)
I have two cats (8 , 9) who hate anything new or strange and I may have to move them across the country. Argh. Help?
I'm writing this partly just to ease a source of anxiety I manage to spin out into Really Bad Anxiety when I think about it, because I genuinely don't know how to do this and my cats are super important to me and I don't want to make them any more unhappy than is necessary.
Partner and I are doing a lot of figuring out if we can stay together or not after a long term relationship that has hit some considerable Existential Question rocks. They won't be surprised if they read and recognize this but it felt gross to post it less anonymously so, mod willing, I'm not. This in itself is of course a pretty bad stressor but I'd like to stop making the cat part of the question the cherry on the stress sundae.
The big questions are:
1) is a long drive or a relatively short flight easier on cats?
2) It's my impression you can't give cats a tranquilizer for a flight due to altitude and stuff, right?
3) If I'm driving and use a tranquilizer, is it possible to use compounding pharmacies because 1 cat won't take a pill?
4) If I'm flying, how does it work that my cats will be making horrible noises? Do I just apologize to people around me I guess?
5) If I'm driving, what else can I do to make them comfortable? The places I'm most likely to be going are like a 2 day drive.
These are worried, semi-rational questions. Thanks for any help.
Sorry no cat tax because anon. They're cute and you would like them.
I'm writing this partly just to ease a source of anxiety I manage to spin out into Really Bad Anxiety when I think about it, because I genuinely don't know how to do this and my cats are super important to me and I don't want to make them any more unhappy than is necessary.
Partner and I are doing a lot of figuring out if we can stay together or not after a long term relationship that has hit some considerable Existential Question rocks. They won't be surprised if they read and recognize this but it felt gross to post it less anonymously so, mod willing, I'm not. This in itself is of course a pretty bad stressor but I'd like to stop making the cat part of the question the cherry on the stress sundae.
The big questions are:
1) is a long drive or a relatively short flight easier on cats?
2) It's my impression you can't give cats a tranquilizer for a flight due to altitude and stuff, right?
3) If I'm driving and use a tranquilizer, is it possible to use compounding pharmacies because 1 cat won't take a pill?
4) If I'm flying, how does it work that my cats will be making horrible noises? Do I just apologize to people around me I guess?
5) If I'm driving, what else can I do to make them comfortable? The places I'm most likely to be going are like a 2 day drive.
These are worried, semi-rational questions. Thanks for any help.
Sorry no cat tax because anon. They're cute and you would like them.
The best idea I had was to get a large car kennel/tube so the cats could stay together in the car without having to be squashed together.
I used Zylkene as an anti-anxiety med for the cats before a 2 day trip. I think it helped?
Gabapentin is often prescribed for cats who get really stressed about vet visits. If I was to fly with my cats I would definitely consider getting a prescription.
posted by spamandkimchi at 11:00 PM on September 19, 2022
I used Zylkene as an anti-anxiety med for the cats before a 2 day trip. I think it helped?
Gabapentin is often prescribed for cats who get really stressed about vet visits. If I was to fly with my cats I would definitely consider getting a prescription.
posted by spamandkimchi at 11:00 PM on September 19, 2022
Primethyme describes something very similar to how we got our grumpy middle aged cat across the country last summer (along with two mellower cats).
We did have Gabapentin to spike into her food under a vet’s care but we did not anticipate that she would completely refuse to eat (for four days…..) so it ended up being not useful. She also refused to use the litter box for the first two days, which was really worrying but i got the pro tip idea to place her in the litter box and voila, instant tinkle, which then made her decide to drink…. And then we stopped worrying so much. She got through the rest of the drive and then was almost instantly restored once we were home.
Aluminum disposable casserole dishes make a great one day litter box by the way.
We always keep our cats in the hotel bathroom having read here on metafilter some entertaining stories of bed hideouts. Plus we made the policy that the bathroom door is always shut when the hotel door is open, to prevent escapes into the hallway!
We drove two separate cars so I was alone and handled virtually all the going in and out of the car and hotel with three cats. It was definitely a slog, taking three or four trips. I did not worry too much about leaving the cats unattended for three or four minutes (always in a carrier). I just couldn’t carry three cat carriers at once so it had to be that way. Bathroom breaks on the road (for me not the cats) were the trickiest. I just had to set myself timer and stick to it , being ready to abort and try again if the cats were going to be in the car long enough for it to get hot.
posted by Tandem Affinity at 11:08 PM on September 19, 2022 [3 favorites]
We did have Gabapentin to spike into her food under a vet’s care but we did not anticipate that she would completely refuse to eat (for four days…..) so it ended up being not useful. She also refused to use the litter box for the first two days, which was really worrying but i got the pro tip idea to place her in the litter box and voila, instant tinkle, which then made her decide to drink…. And then we stopped worrying so much. She got through the rest of the drive and then was almost instantly restored once we were home.
Aluminum disposable casserole dishes make a great one day litter box by the way.
We always keep our cats in the hotel bathroom having read here on metafilter some entertaining stories of bed hideouts. Plus we made the policy that the bathroom door is always shut when the hotel door is open, to prevent escapes into the hallway!
We drove two separate cars so I was alone and handled virtually all the going in and out of the car and hotel with three cats. It was definitely a slog, taking three or four trips. I did not worry too much about leaving the cats unattended for three or four minutes (always in a carrier). I just couldn’t carry three cat carriers at once so it had to be that way. Bathroom breaks on the road (for me not the cats) were the trickiest. I just had to set myself timer and stick to it , being ready to abort and try again if the cats were going to be in the car long enough for it to get hot.
posted by Tandem Affinity at 11:08 PM on September 19, 2022 [3 favorites]
> The best idea I had was to get a large car kennel/tube so the cats could stay together in the car without having to be squashed together.
The tube looks good. We had our two sharing a small, rigid, rabit hutch, but this looks better.
I'd bring two bottles of odor-erase enzymatic cleaner against pee accidents, and maybe line the car surface with heavy plastic sheeting or beach towels.
On our big road trip, one of the two cats was fear panting for the first hour of riding, but then settled down without medication. That said, medications are great if your vet and the green thinks they're great.
posted by sebastienbailard at 11:38 PM on September 19, 2022
The tube looks good. We had our two sharing a small, rigid, rabit hutch, but this looks better.
I'd bring two bottles of odor-erase enzymatic cleaner against pee accidents, and maybe line the car surface with heavy plastic sheeting or beach towels.
On our big road trip, one of the two cats was fear panting for the first hour of riding, but then settled down without medication. That said, medications are great if your vet and the green thinks they're great.
posted by sebastienbailard at 11:38 PM on September 19, 2022
I've done the two day drive with cats that aren't happy about being in the car (three of them!). They weren't happy, but they used their boxes at the overnight stop and everyone survived and quickly adjusted to their new surroundings. After the first hour of nearly constant yowling, you kinda tune it out. It wasn't literally constant, but one would decide to get noisy again after half an hour of blessed silence and others would wake up and join in. We gave them water at stops, they ate (lightly) at the end of the day after we set up a litterbox and put each of them in it in turn. It was fine. Other people have given great tips for how to keep their chance of escape to a minimum, so I won't go on about that. If your cats will use hamster bottles for drinking, that can work ok to allow them constant access to water.
In life we all have to do things that we don't really want to do sometimes. Same goes for pets. It ain't a choice, so you do what you can to make it as safe and humane as possible and if they're pissed off, so be it. They will get over it. If half-feral Larry could make it and not hold a permanent grudge, I guarantee yours will too. She was like 9 at the time and lived almost as long again after.
posted by wierdo at 12:39 AM on September 20, 2022 [3 favorites]
In life we all have to do things that we don't really want to do sometimes. Same goes for pets. It ain't a choice, so you do what you can to make it as safe and humane as possible and if they're pissed off, so be it. They will get over it. If half-feral Larry could make it and not hold a permanent grudge, I guarantee yours will too. She was like 9 at the time and lived almost as long again after.
posted by wierdo at 12:39 AM on September 20, 2022 [3 favorites]
If you're flying, especially a short flight it might be okay for your cat but it really just depends on the cat. I've flown with a cat and you need an airline approved carrier that's soft and can go behind the seat in front of you on the floor. This was a few years ago, so my memory is a bit spotty but I remember I had the wrong carrier, it was like a tough plastic that you'd use to take them to the vet and needed to purchase the airline's approved one at the airport. $20 IIRC, and I was glad they sold it because it would've been a huge inconvenience if I had to reschedule my flight. Also, you didn't mention weight limit but that could be a factor if you have a chubby kitty and the carrier might be too small which could stress them out more.
HUGE CAVEAT: Some airlines may NOT allow one person to travel with two cats. From what I remember it was one person per pet. It was stressful and meow-y during take off and landing but there were quiet moments. I assume it would be similar to if a baby was crying on a flight. It was difficult to console the kitty and if I could have transported the cat any other way, I would have chosen to drive.
Reason being, although it might be more difficult and longer to drive, the cats might be more comfortable and you have more control over stops and breaks. Factor in if you feel safe driving the distance by yourself and if you could possibly have a friend or loved one accompany you.
It might be awkward, but depending on the nature of the breakup and the level of 'amicable' it is between you two, I might suggest asking your person if they would accompany you. Presumably, they had/have love/compassion/empathy for you and/or the kitties to ensure the transition is smooth. If it were me, I would help out but some breakups are not so amicable. I hope you're able to get through this and come out stronger with two happy kitties on the other side. Good luck OP.
posted by VyanSelei at 2:47 AM on September 20, 2022 [1 favorite]
HUGE CAVEAT: Some airlines may NOT allow one person to travel with two cats. From what I remember it was one person per pet. It was stressful and meow-y during take off and landing but there were quiet moments. I assume it would be similar to if a baby was crying on a flight. It was difficult to console the kitty and if I could have transported the cat any other way, I would have chosen to drive.
Reason being, although it might be more difficult and longer to drive, the cats might be more comfortable and you have more control over stops and breaks. Factor in if you feel safe driving the distance by yourself and if you could possibly have a friend or loved one accompany you.
It might be awkward, but depending on the nature of the breakup and the level of 'amicable' it is between you two, I might suggest asking your person if they would accompany you. Presumably, they had/have love/compassion/empathy for you and/or the kitties to ensure the transition is smooth. If it were me, I would help out but some breakups are not so amicable. I hope you're able to get through this and come out stronger with two happy kitties on the other side. Good luck OP.
posted by VyanSelei at 2:47 AM on September 20, 2022 [1 favorite]
Two cats makes the level of difficulty on an airplane much higher. I'm assuming you'd be taking them onboard and flying with them in a carrier placed underneath the seat in front of you. You would have to buy two seats, I assume. There are a lot of horror stories about flying pets as cargo, so I would definitely avoid that. Either way you choose, sedatives prescribed by your vet will be required. When I flew from CA to MA, I drugged my cat at SFO and he was good the whole trip until we landed. At that point, the noise of landing caused him to wake up and he yowled. It was survivable. A car trip of 2-days seems doable, and you could certainly do a few short test drives to try to find a comfortable car arrangement that would work best. You may want to test out the sedatives for those short drives too. The overnight at the hotel room would give you and your cats a break from the ride.
posted by shw at 3:33 AM on September 20, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by shw at 3:33 AM on September 20, 2022 [1 favorite]
One tip from someone who travels annually with lately a ridiculous number of cats. Buy one of those bed wetting protectors that are like giant diapers for the bed and cut it up into pieces big enough to line the carriers and come up on the sides. Pack up spares and a box of wet wipes in a tote bag. That way if one of the cats has an accident en route my modus operandi is: find a service station with a separate toilet or best of all a baby-changing room, get the cat out of the carrier (they have their harnesses on generally), ball up the protector and dispose of it, clean carrier if necessary with wet wipes, put another piece of protector in the carrier, clean up cat with wet wipes if necessary, put cat in carrier, wash hands. This is totally the baby-changing model with a diaper bag, and has made long drives or train travel with accident-prone cats much more pleasant - certainly less odiferous.
And as someone who had a car break down with three cats in the back, I vote for separate carriers and harnesses on all cats for portability reasons. You don't want to wrestle with them while worried a semi's going to smash into your car any moment.
posted by I claim sanctuary at 4:15 AM on September 20, 2022 [3 favorites]
And as someone who had a car break down with three cats in the back, I vote for separate carriers and harnesses on all cats for portability reasons. You don't want to wrestle with them while worried a semi's going to smash into your car any moment.
posted by I claim sanctuary at 4:15 AM on September 20, 2022 [3 favorites]
For years we schlepped our cat across the country regularly, a couple of times a year. She had a carrier but hated it and we used it only to put her in or take her out of the car.
We had a litterbox in the hatchback and started the trip by setting her in it so she knew where it was. We had food and water dishes on the front seat floor. She never used either amenity when the car was in motion, but, like humans, ate/drank/peed when we took a pit stop.
Sometimes there was some meowing at the beginning of the trip, but: She usually found a protected, under seat spot and stayed there. Sometimes she would spend hours sitting on the driver’s leg. She seemed comfortable. We tried to use cat friendly hotels but were not above a little cat smuggling if necessary.
We were careful at each stop to make sure she remained in the car; she didn’t make any real Houdini like efforts to escape, though.
posted by shadygrove at 5:42 AM on September 20, 2022
We had a litterbox in the hatchback and started the trip by setting her in it so she knew where it was. We had food and water dishes on the front seat floor. She never used either amenity when the car was in motion, but, like humans, ate/drank/peed when we took a pit stop.
Sometimes there was some meowing at the beginning of the trip, but: She usually found a protected, under seat spot and stayed there. Sometimes she would spend hours sitting on the driver’s leg. She seemed comfortable. We tried to use cat friendly hotels but were not above a little cat smuggling if necessary.
We were careful at each stop to make sure she remained in the car; she didn’t make any real Houdini like efforts to escape, though.
posted by shadygrove at 5:42 AM on September 20, 2022
I've done it both ways. Flying was horrendous but fast - we gave both cats Xanax, one of them meowed for ten straight hours and the other one had (unrelated to the meds) diarrhea on the plane, which I never want to deal with again, but it was done and they were pretty recovered by bedtime. I believe we were on JetBlue and it was a one-cat-per-passenger thing, so that may be prohibitive for you.
The other trip was four days in a car, three cats and a dog, and that was surprisingly easy. We let them out one at a time in the car at stops to use the litter box we set up in the footwell, and had no trouble finding pet-friendly hotels. Any protests usually stopped after the first half-hour or so, and they mostly just napped. I think it was pretty disorienting for them but didn't cause any long-term trauma.
Definitely talk to your vet about drugs, either way - we used Xanax for the plane but had switched to gabapentin by the time we took the car trip, and it actually worked better. The vet strongly recommended, in both cases, that we test the drugs on the cats at home to make sure they worked and didn't have unfortunate side effects.
posted by restless_nomad at 6:45 AM on September 20, 2022
The other trip was four days in a car, three cats and a dog, and that was surprisingly easy. We let them out one at a time in the car at stops to use the litter box we set up in the footwell, and had no trouble finding pet-friendly hotels. Any protests usually stopped after the first half-hour or so, and they mostly just napped. I think it was pretty disorienting for them but didn't cause any long-term trauma.
Definitely talk to your vet about drugs, either way - we used Xanax for the plane but had switched to gabapentin by the time we took the car trip, and it actually worked better. The vet strongly recommended, in both cases, that we test the drugs on the cats at home to make sure they worked and didn't have unfortunate side effects.
posted by restless_nomad at 6:45 AM on September 20, 2022
I think driving is safest for the cats, especially because the airlines still seem to be sort of chaotic right now, and it would be awful if there were delays, cancellations, etc. It's less stressful to be in a relatively quiet car than in an airport with thousands of people, and then on an incredibly loud plane. I have driven a long distance with a cat who quickly got used to it.
posted by pinochiette at 6:59 AM on September 20, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by pinochiette at 6:59 AM on September 20, 2022 [1 favorite]
- You can start now introducing the idea that carriers aren't all bad. Put treats in them, maybe clicker train your cats to go inside for treats, leave the carriers out as cozy bed nooks. Do tiny micro-trips (cat in carrier, pause, cat out of carrier for a treat; cat in carrier, walk with carrier a short distance, cat out of carrier for a treat. Cat in carrier, treat fed in through side. Cat in carrier, put carrier in car, let cat out of carrier in car for treats.). The whole thing needs to be relatively un-stressful; if the cat starts freaking out, stop and try something less intense (cat near carrier; cat in bottom of carrier; toy hopping into/out of carrier).
- Cats seem to be a lot more comfortable and safe-feeling in the carriers with woolly floors. Even if there's something on top of the woolly floor, it won't slide around. Cats sliding around on smooth plastic has got to be and feel a lot less secure.
posted by amtho at 7:33 AM on September 20, 2022 [2 favorites]
- Cats seem to be a lot more comfortable and safe-feeling in the carriers with woolly floors. Even if there's something on top of the woolly floor, it won't slide around. Cats sliding around on smooth plastic has got to be and feel a lot less secure.
posted by amtho at 7:33 AM on September 20, 2022 [2 favorites]
If you're driving, recommend that you have some "Urine Off" or another enzymatic cleaner on hand. Cat pee accidents can happen, and the cleaner makes a huge difference!
posted by Paper rabies at 7:41 AM on September 20, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by Paper rabies at 7:41 AM on September 20, 2022 [1 favorite]
My mom recently relocated with her skittish cat, three day drive. She did pretty much exactly what primethyme did. I tested a harness on the cat a few days before she left, and the cat immediately escaped. So she also never opened the car or hotel doors unless the cat was in the carrier or bathroom. We gave the cat treats in the carrier for a few days before the trip started. She also had drugs for the cat. Kitty handled the trip surprisingly well.
Cats like dark, enclosed spaces, so I'd also bring a sheet to cover the carrier and see if that helps if the cat is really freaked out. That's what people who trap feral cats do. It calms them down pretty effectively.
posted by Mavri at 7:47 AM on September 20, 2022
Cats like dark, enclosed spaces, so I'd also bring a sheet to cover the carrier and see if that helps if the cat is really freaked out. That's what people who trap feral cats do. It calms them down pretty effectively.
posted by Mavri at 7:47 AM on September 20, 2022
I did transdermal gabapentin (from a compounding pharmacy) for my recent 2 cats + one human (me) move. United will allow you to pay for an extra seat and travel with 2 cats as one person. I did a red eye flight to have a calmer time in the airport and on the plane. The cats yelled more in the car to / from the airport than in the plane. The two carriers become your ONLY carry on luggage though-- wear a coat with a lot of pockets.
I also moved with them previously in a 4 day car trip by myself (taking 4 days let me keep the drives to about 6 hours each day). They greatly preferred to snooze together in a large dog crate (which I lined with pee pads and blankets) and weren't interested in eating or drinking. Stayed at La Quinta each time with no problems. I loaded the crate (with them inside) onto a folding wagon to get them to/from the car each time.
If you are unable to get a second human (hello pandemic) and need to take stuff with you to your destination, maybe drive. If you just want to get a couple suitcases and the kitties across the country asap, maybe fly.
posted by travertina at 8:28 AM on September 20, 2022 [2 favorites]
I also moved with them previously in a 4 day car trip by myself (taking 4 days let me keep the drives to about 6 hours each day). They greatly preferred to snooze together in a large dog crate (which I lined with pee pads and blankets) and weren't interested in eating or drinking. Stayed at La Quinta each time with no problems. I loaded the crate (with them inside) onto a folding wagon to get them to/from the car each time.
If you are unable to get a second human (hello pandemic) and need to take stuff with you to your destination, maybe drive. If you just want to get a couple suitcases and the kitties across the country asap, maybe fly.
posted by travertina at 8:28 AM on September 20, 2022 [2 favorites]
Primethyme is right to mention that "pet friendly" sometimes excludes cats. We've found Hampton Inns to be pretty reliable. We've found Googling around dinnertime for a pet-friendly hotel ahead on the road works well.
As you surely know, cats like high places. We have two big bins that take up the backseat, and our kitty loves to hang out on top of those, on her kitty blanket or safely in her Ikea straw half-box. She can see everything that way. So, reserving the entire back seat may actually be counterproductive.
We did a few practice rides before hitting the road for real, and I think that helped.
posted by Dashy at 8:35 AM on September 20, 2022 [1 favorite]
As you surely know, cats like high places. We have two big bins that take up the backseat, and our kitty loves to hang out on top of those, on her kitty blanket or safely in her Ikea straw half-box. She can see everything that way. So, reserving the entire back seat may actually be counterproductive.
We did a few practice rides before hitting the road for real, and I think that helped.
posted by Dashy at 8:35 AM on September 20, 2022 [1 favorite]
missed the edit window-- both options would have been easier with an extra human to be honest, flying moreso. People in airports are nice to a sobbing human with 2 cats though. Message me if you have any follow up questions.
posted by travertina at 8:35 AM on September 20, 2022
posted by travertina at 8:35 AM on September 20, 2022
Oh! Forgot to mention that the gabapentin the vet prescribed the cats was a capsule that could be pulled apart and sprinkled into their food. Very very easy. I mixed in some of the Fortiflora they love so they really didn't even notice the gabapentin.
posted by spamandkimchi at 9:02 AM on September 20, 2022
posted by spamandkimchi at 9:02 AM on September 20, 2022
If you do end up flying, you can request to take the cats to a private room for security screening so you don't have to take them out of the carriers and hold them. The TSA staff may be reluctant to do so because it takes extra time and staff, but you can insist.
posted by amarynth at 9:48 AM on September 20, 2022
posted by amarynth at 9:48 AM on September 20, 2022
Flying with cats can be an utter nightmare, depending on the cats. As noted, there is conflicting info about drugging them (some cats have an opposite reaction to anxiety drugs) and you have to take them out of the carrier to go through security which is scary if you have strong, aggressive and or "runner" beasts.
This also may be unusual, but I've lost my seat on an Alaska flight because someone had an allergy and the airline screwed up placing us. That sucked a LOT, if only because it added stress and shame to an already stressful experience. Luckily I only had to wait 2 hours for the next one, but I would have been hosed if it had been longer.
posted by Grim Fridge at 9:57 AM on September 20, 2022
This also may be unusual, but I've lost my seat on an Alaska flight because someone had an allergy and the airline screwed up placing us. That sucked a LOT, if only because it added stress and shame to an already stressful experience. Luckily I only had to wait 2 hours for the next one, but I would have been hosed if it had been longer.
posted by Grim Fridge at 9:57 AM on September 20, 2022
Hotel tip: some bed frames appear to be platform style, which can lead you to think that your cat can't get under the bed. However, the boards only go around three sides and they often stop short of the headboard or wall. Result: the cat can get under the entire bed by squeezing in between the platform and the bedside table and finding that hole. Now you get to lift out the mattress and box spring to retrieve your cat when it's time to leave.
Solution: During your reconnaissance of the room, take some extra pillows and jam them in between the platform and both bedside tables. It will save you a world of hurt.
posted by carmicha at 9:59 AM on September 20, 2022 [1 favorite]
Solution: During your reconnaissance of the room, take some extra pillows and jam them in between the platform and both bedside tables. It will save you a world of hurt.
posted by carmicha at 9:59 AM on September 20, 2022 [1 favorite]
Buy one of those bed wetting protectors that are like giant diapers for the bed and cut it up into pieces big enough to line the carriers and come up on the sides
Ah, this thread is full of dog-innocent people! Buy pee pads. They come in multiple sizes so you can pick whatever fits either the carrier or the seat under it (or whatever surfaces you choose to protect). Some of them have adhesive strips on the bottom if you want to, say, attach them semi-firmly to the seat.
posted by praemunire at 11:32 AM on September 20, 2022 [1 favorite]
Ah, this thread is full of dog-innocent people! Buy pee pads. They come in multiple sizes so you can pick whatever fits either the carrier or the seat under it (or whatever surfaces you choose to protect). Some of them have adhesive strips on the bottom if you want to, say, attach them semi-firmly to the seat.
posted by praemunire at 11:32 AM on September 20, 2022 [1 favorite]
3) If I'm driving and use a tranquilizer, is it possible to use compounding pharmacies because 1 cat won't take a pill?
Not a full-blown tranquilizer, but two of our cats definitely mellow out from just a few calming snacks meant to take the edge off fireworks etc. From the way they get munched down they appear to be quite tasty. Pet shops should carry those.
Third cat doesn't need any of that (but still wants to join when they're handed out), as anything exiting is just dandy.
posted by Stoneshop at 11:43 AM on September 20, 2022
Not a full-blown tranquilizer, but two of our cats definitely mellow out from just a few calming snacks meant to take the edge off fireworks etc. From the way they get munched down they appear to be quite tasty. Pet shops should carry those.
Third cat doesn't need any of that (but still wants to join when they're handed out), as anything exiting is just dandy.
posted by Stoneshop at 11:43 AM on September 20, 2022
Based on advice from previous questions, we too did this double-wide carrier that straps in when we drove three days across country with two cats. They did great! An hour of yowling the first day, then maybe 15 minutes each subsequent morning.
One unusual thing that I think helped -- we had such a car full of stuff, that we stacked that carrier on top of a row of 15-qt storage boxes with a yoga mat sandwiched in between. That extra seven inches elevated the carrier enough that they could easily see out the windows, and they really did just sit and watch the landscape for hours.
Definitely line the bottom with pee-pads, and bring a bottle of Natures Miracle in the car. If you can train them to tolerate a harness (and then a leash) ahead of time, that will greatly help. Ours wore their harnesses all through the 10-12 hour drive times. LaQuinta hotels are all pet-friendly. This all worked so well for us that we're considering just bringing them along for future roadtrips. Good luck to you all!
posted by mimi at 11:44 AM on September 20, 2022
One unusual thing that I think helped -- we had such a car full of stuff, that we stacked that carrier on top of a row of 15-qt storage boxes with a yoga mat sandwiched in between. That extra seven inches elevated the carrier enough that they could easily see out the windows, and they really did just sit and watch the landscape for hours.
Definitely line the bottom with pee-pads, and bring a bottle of Natures Miracle in the car. If you can train them to tolerate a harness (and then a leash) ahead of time, that will greatly help. Ours wore their harnesses all through the 10-12 hour drive times. LaQuinta hotels are all pet-friendly. This all worked so well for us that we're considering just bringing them along for future roadtrips. Good luck to you all!
posted by mimi at 11:44 AM on September 20, 2022
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For our particular combination of human anxieties and cat personalities, we thought flying would be worse than driving. Our cat does not like strange people or loud noises, and the idea of having him loose in the airport to go through security is enough to even now make me a bit nauseous. Also we thought that he would be very stressed out being in proximity to a bunch of other people for several hours, even if medicated (and similar to your 1 cat, he is very hard to give medicine to).
So for both moves, we drove. We very carefully planned our route to have each day be a reasonable length including stops, and we researched and pre-booked a cat-friendly hotel at each stop. Our planned daily driving distance factored in the expectation that we'd probably be a bit more stressed having the cat with us, and also that he probably didn't want to be in the car for 12 hours, so we erred on the side of shorter days. We called the hotels in advance to confirm their policy because we did not want to arrive late at night and be told "pet-friendly" means dogs only (which it does at some places). For us these tended to be mid-range chain hotels, not any one particular chain.
Basically the entire back seat of the car belonged to the cat. He had a very large carrier (really for dogs) that took up the entire back seat and had room for a bed, a small litter box, water, and food. I don't think he used the litter box while the car was in motion a single time, across both multi-day moves, but it made us feel better to know he had it available. We were really paranoid about him escaping (in no small part because of that epic cat escape thread here on the Green from many years ago), so we had a policy that the car doors could never be open if he wasn't securely in his carrier. We had a smaller carrier we used to transport him to and from the car in some cases; we loaded him into and out of that carrier in the car, with the car door closed. It was awkward but not impossible.
When we got to each hotel, one person would go inside, check in, scope out the room, and make sure everything was ok. That person would also try to figure out the best route for getting the cat into the hotel, ideally avoiding the main lobby (not always possible). The other person would wait in the car with the cat. Once the check-in was done, we'd go together to move the cat and all of his essentials to the room at the same time, so as soon as we let him out of his carrier, he'd have his litter box, food, and water available. Then we'd take turns bringing in anything else needed from the car, maybe running to grab food, etc. The goal being to not leave the cat unattended. I think if you have to do it alone and can't find a friend to tag along, it's ok. It might just take a little bit of extra planning to minimize unattended time (e.g. stop at drive-thru for food, bring the cats inside while you check in to the room, etc.).
We never gave our cat any medication for the drives, and it did not seem to be needed.
With all of this, these trips have gone beautifully. Our cat who gets stressed easily actually seems to really enjoy hotel rooms, and he never cries or seems upset during the car ride. He definitely explores, and we have had a few tense moments when he went under the bed and was hard to get out, but no major issues. Of course, as I'm sure you very well know, all cats are different, and yours may prefer completely the opposite approach...
posted by primethyme at 10:25 PM on September 19, 2022 [12 favorites]