# Last minute advice for traveling in car!!



## horseplaypen (Apr 1, 2004)

Hello, we're driving 5 hours tomorrow with the cats and I'm trying to do everything I can to make sure they don't pee in their carriers since our car is brand new! 

I have Feliway which I'll spray in the carriers (and car too why not) and Rescue Remedy to give them before we leave. I'm going to line the carriers with puppy pads, and we bought plastic drop sheets to spread over the backseat in case they do pee.

We'll take the food away about 7 hours before we leave so they don't poo, but I don't know how soon to take away the water - I don't want them to get dehydrated because they also pant a lot and howl when they're in the car. When do you think we should take the water away? 

Any other last-minute tips you can think of?? I'm actually quite nervous to drive them so far!!


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

We moved across the country with our seven cats. However, only the first day was spent in carriers, the rest of the trip they were loose in the Motorhome. All but one hid under blankets in the back sleeping area when we were driving. 

For long-distances in crates, you've already lined-out most things I would suggest:
I use towels in the carriers as they are absorbent, pliable enough to bury/cover waste or vomit or the cat can burrow under and hide. They also give the cat a more comfortable surface to crouch on and grip their claws into. Placing a plastic liner down is great, I would also place a large towel over that to absorb any stray splashes. Try to secure the carriers so they won't slide on top of the plastic liner.

They are going to howl and pant. Try to direct air vents to blow into their carriers. Maybe use a light sheet to drape over the carriers so it cuts down on what they can see of the outside moving past so quickly. For 5 hours, no food/water. Bring it with you in case you are held up ... but in general, just get the trip over as safe and as quickly as possible. IF you must clean out a carrier or offer food/water ... I would recommend NOT opening the carrier unless EVERY escape access is blocked off; no open or cracked doors/windows. _In fact, I wouldn't open a crate in the car at all because the cat could get out and hide/stuck under seats or dashboards. _

I'd carry the cat to a service station bathroom with a locking door and nothing inside that bathroom where the cat could escape and become inaccessible to you, like behind the sink or storage cupboards or climb shelving to reach drop-ceiling panels. Bring some plastic garbage bags to put the soiled towels into for laundering after your trip, or throw them away if they are rag-towels. 

Best of luck with your trip.
h =^..^=


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## madie (Apr 20, 2010)

gr8 helpful advice as usual, Heidi. I think you should have a sticky for traveling with cat(s) for both long and short trips (however 'short' vs. 'long' is defined by cat terms....lol). it would be nice to have it as reference to go back and forth to. i know i might need it in the near future.


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

Aw, shucks! Thanks, but I don't think it needs to be a sticky. Sometimes travel requirements change and people's travel itineraries are going to be fairly specific to their situation and in those cases, individual replies and suggestions are probably better than a more generic sticky would be. I like hearing everyone else's suggestions because I learn from them, too.


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## horseplaypen (Apr 1, 2004)

Thanks Heidi, that is awesome. Good point about the gas station bathrooms - I don't even want to imagine any scenarios with ceiling tiles!!!!!


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## horseplaypen (Apr 1, 2004)

I meant to mention this before, but I think a sticky is a good idea, because the forum wouldn't let me search for "car" because it's too common... so all it found was travel by itself which was not super helpful. 

Anyway, the car ride was not great at all. They cried and panted the entire 6 hours, and when we were about an hour away Ariel started to get really distressed - going berserk in her carrier then lying down and refusing to get up. I pulled her out and put her in my lap but she wouldn't hold her head up and her eyes started to get glazed and close. We took her to the emergency vet clinic (ironically the first time I stepped foot into my own vet school!) where she perked up and looked more-or-less normal. She's been physically fine since, but it was extremely nervewracking - I was crying and sure she was going to die. We're going to try taking them out for little drives, since we'll have to do the 6-hour return trip at Christmas.

Now we've been trying to get them used to the new house... had them shut up in separate rooms for a few days but had to let them out. They've been hissing and squabbling so I'm not sure how best to fix that... but that's a whole new thread!


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## Mom of 4 (Jul 29, 2006)

My daughter just moved 1200 miles away. We managed to make the trip in 2 1/2 days. Harper did great in her carrier. She rode in the front passenger seat, up high enough to see out the windows. She has traveled frequently since she was 4 months old, usually 3-4 hour trips. She had an evening meal when we arrived at the hotels, then water and dry food available until 4 hours before we left in the morning.

Zoey talks the whole time - after awhile, it sounds like she is saying hello. I probably shouldn't drive when I am hallucinating.


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## Olivers-Slave (Jul 25, 2010)

what my dad did was get a harness and leash for the cats and let them be in the car as they willed. They did pretty well, the leash and harness were just to be sure when he got out of the car they didn't bolt in the middle of nowhere as he drove from cali to fl. my current cat oliver loves car trips, he chills on the back of my neck and watches ronaldo drive, or the traffic going by. just don't be nervous about it. I believe animals feed off our own current feelings, so while you're nervous they are nervous. If you're calm and chill about it like its normal they will be more inclined to believe it to be so.


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## Ummm (Jul 16, 2010)

When we adopted our 2 cats, one was 4.5 hours away (one way) and the other was 5 hours away (one way) <we adopted them on 2 separate occasions>. Both cats did fine - we didn't feed them or give them treat or water in the car, and they didn't pee or poop in the carrier. We had the AC on since it was in the summer. We only stopped to use the restrooms ourselves and didn't take the cats out. They were meowing but probably due to nervousness since they had no clue who we were!


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