12-hour Road Trip... Keep Cats Together Or Separate?

[fiorya]

Hi all,

I'm moving! The trip will be about 12 hours total (split into two days of driving). A friend of mine uses this on car trips and likes it:

I went ahead and bought one. I'm planning on putting both of my cats in it, because they get along well. My older cat is very anxious, and having my younger cat around usually helps her stay brave.

But after reading some posts on here, I found some members saying that you should keep the cats separate on a road trip. Because if they're together, they might become aggressive toward each other out of anxiety. Now I'm not so sure about what I should do. I guess if it turns out that they don't want to be car buddies, I could put them into separate carriers? But other than this carrier, all I have are two of these smaller carriers:

I don't really like using them, because my cats associate them with the vet. But I'll be bringing the carriers along, anyway, in case the big carrier isn't sufficient for transporting them to and from the car.

So I don't know, should I just plan to keep the cats in these two separate, smaller carriers? Or could the one big carrier work just fine?

Also, do you have any other tips for moving across the country with cats? I'd prefer not to drug them, because I won't have a chance to test any drugs on them before we leave.

 

[nese]

Hello,

Last year we drove 9 hours with our two cats. One was 1,5 years old and the other was around 4 months old. I made myself a carrier similar to the first picture in your post, and put both cats in it. The older one immediately lied in it and stayed very calm and comfortable through the drive. The kitten was anxious at first, but our older cat calmed her down, by licking her and after a while they slept together.

I put some toys inside the cage, but they were not interested in them. We stopped in every 2-3 hours and I offered them food, water and litter box in those breaks. The little one used the litter box several times, but the older one did not. She preffered to wait until we arrive.

Since your drive will be split into two, I guess it will be easier for you. Good luck!

 

[Furballsmom]

Personally I like that big 2 cat carrier, wow I didn't know they made this.
If I were you, as you probably are already, have it out so they can get used to it. You could always spray some over the counter non drug calming product into it. There are loads of products on the market with everything from tryptophan (yep, the same one made famous from American's Thanksgiving turkey-it works for felines too) to casein, chamomile, valerian, fake pheromones (some cats don't respond to, or even like, feliway), and some people are using CBD oil. If you go this route be sure it's not just hemp oil being sold as CBD.
You'll likely be fine with them in the one carrier especially since you'll have the other small ones ready in case something goes awry.
If you play music, at first try low volume classical harp music, it works well to calm cats, and there's an app called Relax My Cat.
Try and ensure that the car's air conditioning isn't blowing directly on them.

Also, there are these, in no particular order;

Not that you don't know, but it helps sometimes to have a reminder in the midst of everything
9 Tips That Will Help Your Kitten Adapt To A New Apartment

How To Make Your Home Bigger (at Least For Your Cats)

How To Help A New Cat Adjust To Your Home

Bringing Home A New Cat - The Complete Guide

36 Awesome Tips For Road Tripping With Your Cat

Traveling With Cats

I'm pretty sure this is mentioned in one of the other articles, but it bears repeating
How To Save Your Cat's Life With Proper Identification

10 Essential Cat Safety Rules You Need To Know

 

[tinydestroyer]

I was looking at that carrier for our 36 hour, cross country move as well. Many people recommended not to put them in the same carrier out of fear of aggression, but a few others stated that they put more than one cat in a large dog crate with blankets and pet beds.

I think it will all come down to how your individual cats respond to new situations. I would love to know how this works for you, because I still might want to buy a larger carrier (and keep their smaller carriers with us as back up.) Because my drive is longer, I think I'll stick with the dog crate, as it is more structured. Some reviews of the pen you purchased mentioned that it was a little more difficult to move into the hotel room because it is soft-sided, large, and no handles. Just maybe have someone with you to carry it inside if you're using a hotel?

As for other tips:
- some recommended teaching your cats to drink out of rabbit bottles before the trip by putting tuna water in them. Later, you can switch to regular water if they take to it. That way, they'll have access to fresh water which they won't spill. (Note: this might only clip on a crate and not the nylon pen, but if you could attach it someway, it won't spill at least.)

- get some blankets or foam, and spray it profusely with Feliway pheromone spray. That way, your kitties will remain calm for the drive (and drug free!)

- keep a harness and leash on the for the duration of the trip - especially if you'll be staying in a hotel. That way you can more easily grab them if they decide to hide. (Others suggested getting a hotel with a separate bathroom, and setting them up there.) Also, if they try to escape, you'll have some kind of chance at grabbing them first.

- print new ID tags with your new address and current phone number before you leave.

- not sure if you bought the matching neochichi litter tray that goes with that kitty pen, but if you did not, others recommend using a low-sided box filled with litter (like that cat food comes in,) and just disposing of it rather than trying to scoop and clean the box on the road. Others recommended disposable litter boxes. Just bring extra litter abdva small scoop in case!

- bring pet wipes, and some easy car cleaning wipes for whatever upholstery your car has. Accidents can happen, and it's better to be prepared!

- don't panic if your cats don't eat, drink, or use the box fit the duration of the trip. As stated above, some cats prefer to wait until they are safely at their destination.

- make sure you keep your cats in one safe room once you get to the new house, and put up signs (or even lock the room if possible,) so that no movers enter the room and let your cats out. Slowly let them explore the rest of the house area by area once you are sure that heavy things are secured, and the doors will remain shut in that room.

Please let me know how it goes! My trip is quite a bit later than yours, I believe, so I'd love to know what worked and what didn't! Good luck with your move!

 

[GoldyCat]

If they're really good buddies they might be more anxious being separated. I would start out with them in the same carrier and just have a second carrier available in case someone gets unhappy.

 

[Jem]

I agree with what others have said. I would start with them in the same carrier, you can always stop and separate them if they don't settle down well.
Also, take out your "vet" carrier and make it all comfy and inviting with what ever they like to sleep on (pad, pillow, blanket...), with toys and treats inside, several days before you leave, this will hopefully get them reacquainted with it in a more positive light, in the event that keeping them together does not work.
Good luck with the move!

 

[Tobermory]

I moved three cats from Utah to Michigan, then four years later from Michigan to Colorado, and finally four years after that from Colorado to Oregon. We did 10-11 hour days with nights in pet-friendly hotels. I put the two sisters in a medium-sized dog crate and the third cat in what I think is probably a large guinea pig cage. I pushed the two crates together and covered them loosely with a sheet so they couldn’t see the scenery rushing by but with an opening so they could see me. I think seeing each other helped in a misery-loves-company kind of way. The two sisters don’t like each other at all and avoid one another, but they did well together in the crate. Cats all react differently, but since yours get along, I’m with others in suggesting you crate them together!

That traveling case you got yours looks really nice. Is it soft sided? I remember reading somewhere (on TCS, maybe) that someone’s cat got so upset it clawed through the fabric and got out. Mine are unhappy in the car, but they’re calm. I’ve never given them anything for anxiety. They do make some soft sounds of unhappiness at first, but they stop after about 30 minutes.