# Moving cross country -- flying vs. driving



## cheshirecat987 (Jun 1, 2013)

My girlfriend and I are moving from California to New York with our three cats, and we're struggling to decide the best way to do it. It's a _long_ drive--about 42 hours, not including traffic or stops. I can't imagine we could drive more than 8-10 hours a day, since it sounds like the cats won't eat, drink, or use the litterbox while we drive. That means a 4-5 day drive in the best case scenario. We have a tiny hatchback, so it'll be a tight fit. Only individual carriers will fit, not a crate.

Alternatively, we could buy a ticket for one of our parents to fly to California, then all three fly to New York with one cat each under the seat. This would entail a 45-minute drive to the airport, 1.5 hours waiting for the flight, 5 hours on the plane, and another 1-2 hours to get out of the airport, into a rental car, and drive to our new apartment. 

Flying sounds expensive and daunting--but could anything really be worse than a 4-5 day drive with cats in the middle of the summer? At least if we fly, the misery can't possibly last longer than a single day. Other possibilities we've floated would be to rent a van and put a crate in the back, or rent a small RV that we could sleep in and they could acclimate to (vs. caging them and stopping in a new hotel every night). Either of those options would mean shipping or towing the car.

Does anyone have any advice on the best approach?


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## bluemilk (Oct 3, 2005)

WELL... erm,

If by car, how do they like the car on SHORT trips? As long as they're O.K. being in a car, they can adapt and find ways to amuse themselves. Feed them, give them water, turn on the A.C. and let them clamber around the car, occasionally. And don't forget litter stops and safe, supervised playtime. 

Also,of course, don't leave them in a hot car for ANY length of time.


The air option sounds better. They can stay under the seats? Not in the cargo hold?


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## cheshirecat987 (Jun 1, 2013)

bluemilk said:


> They can stay under the seats? Not in the cargo hold?


Yep, they'll be able to fly under the seat--though we'd have to buy two additional flights to bring a relative to CA then fly them back to NY with us (so they can carry the third cat).

They range on car-tolerance: one cat is fine, one cat howls, one cat usually poops on himself


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## 192473 (Apr 4, 2017)

I would use an RV and tow the car with it. Turn it into a Road Trip and have a memory!
I guess you're moving upstate because in the metro NY area you DON'T want to have a car!
Looking forward to hearing what mode of travel you picked and the outcome!


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## bigjimslade (Oct 16, 2016)

Have you planned out a road trip? One of the problems you will have is stop at hotels (most of which are not cat friendly).

There are animal transport services you might be able use. Have the cats delivered to your parents' house.


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## PriscaLS (Jul 8, 2017)

I would strongly advise flying with them. I moved to the US from Italy with my 10 year old cat last November and was absolutely terrified of how she would handle the flight (obviously in my case there was no other choice); we had two flights to catch and a total travel time of over 24h. She did not enjoy the flights but she got over the experience insanely quickly. If you can shorten their travel time by that much, do it!


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## bluemilk (Oct 3, 2005)

OT there are pilots and companies that fly PETS!


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## spirite (Jul 31, 2012)

It'll be stressful for the cats either way, although they will bounce back quickly. The longest drive I did was about 11 hours over 2 days, with 2 kitties in individual carriers in an absolutely packed car. They were fine once we arrived, but they didn't eat, drink, or use the litterbox at all during the trip, including during the overnight stay at the hotel, altogether about 32 hours. Once we got there, I confined them to one room with the essentials while I set up their space. Once I opened the door, it took no time at all for them to come out and explore. My concern about driving would be that your kitties wouldn't eat or drink for the entire duration of your trip, though maybe that's not likely to happen. There are members who've done longer drives than mine, but I don't remember if anyone's done a cross-country trip in a car. 

Personally, I'd opt for flying, to keep the misery to one day, as you said. And at least during the summer there's less likelihood of weather-related flight delays and cancellations that could prolong the travel time. 

As for cost, whew, between all the plane tickets I imagine it would be more expensive than renting a van/RV and having the car shipped, but it might be worth it to reduce *your* stress level as well as that of your kitties - especially since it sounds like you can get a direct flight so won't have to deal with changing planes.


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## fanwoodguy (Oct 14, 2011)

I have flown with a cat (kitten actually) once. Be aware TSA requires you remove the cat from the carrier so they can run the carrier through the scanner. That was an unexpected surprise. I had to ask for a secure room so I could hold the kitten while they conducted this scan. The last thing I needed was a frightened cat bolting out of my arms in an airport. You will experience that times 3. Be prepared


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## Blakeney Green (Jan 15, 2013)

I did a three day drive plus fourteen hour ferry with my cats when I moved from Canada to the US. They did absolutely fine and showed no ill effects. We made sure to plan ahead for pet-friendly hotels, and it really wasn't hard to find places along the route that would accept them.

I think it'll be fine either way, but I wouldn't rule out driving - I didn't find it to be that difficult, honestly. If I ever have to do it again, I'd definitely drive again.


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## spirite (Jul 31, 2012)

You are a brave soul, Blakeney Green! It's true that there is no ideal option for long-distance travel with kitties...I think their humans are probably more traumatized than they are though.


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