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Cats not eating much when traveling -- should I worry?

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13K views 4 replies 4 participants last post by  Heidi n Q  
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#1 ·
So, I'm 1.5 days into a 3-day (2 days, 2 half-days) road trip, moving from NC to Iowa with my Dad and two cats. :)

So far Misty and Stormy have been pretty good travelers -- mostly quiet in the car and seeming to enjoy exploring the hotel rooms (Misty in particular is very taken with a room having TWO beds close enough to jump between.)

However, they're eating very little food -- today they had maybe a few mouthfuls of dry food in the morning and a few mouthfuls of wet food in the evening. (Last night they ate more wet food overnight so I'm hoping they do it again tonight.)

As a consequence they're also not peeing and pooping much. This is handy since I'm giving up on offering them the litter box while on the road (our attempt today didn't go well -- it turns out highway rest stops have tractor trailers and tractor trailers are scary). So hey just get it in the evenings (but don't run to use it when we get in or anything).

However, I'm getting worried, since we still have another day or so of this before we arrive (and the new apartment will presumably be scary for several days as well). Should I be worried? If so, what should I do?
 
#4 ·
Maybe cats get a little motion/car sick like people. If that's the case, maybe the less in their tummies, the better. 8O

They may be hungry enough to eat a really good meal when you get there.
 
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#5 ·
I think they will be okay with such a short trip of 3 days. As long as they aren't getting overheated, they should be fine with what they eat/drink at the hotel overnight.

We did a 9-day move across the US with 7 cats and they hid during the day as we drove and only came out from under the blankets (they burrowed under them) at night. Oh, they were transported loose in an RV with access to water, food and litter 24/7. Only one cat was comfortable with vehicle travel and he spent most of the trip on the dashboard watching the traffic and scenery.

Once you get settled into the apartment, I bet they settle in pretty quickly. I think they will appreciate not being in the carriers, not moving, having their familiar things/smells and furniture around them AND...you being relaxed once the trip is finally over and you are 'there'. Do put them in one room of the apartment as you get things settled so they can have a 'safe room' and let them out into the rest of the apartment for short bits (until you see they are okay) to get confident with exploring. If the apartment is small-ish, you may only need to put them in one room for only a day, or overnight, before you can let them explore unassisted.
 
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