My husband and I are moving cross country in the next few months. We've got one cat, an 8 year old male tabby. He's NOT a fan of being in the car...of course, the car only takes him to the vet!
I've read that people get cat carriers, have little dishes of food and water, and stop a few times a day with kitty in harness to walk around outside and get fresh air. Some people use sedatives but I'm not crazy about that.
My question is...can you TRAIN your cat to like the car? I hate the thought of him being distressed for a week's drive, so I decided to get him used to the car in stages. Today we're in stage one. I took him outside, we got in the car, and I turned it on. We sat for 5 minutes. At first he cowered and cried, but then he calmed down and investigated. Then he began purring and snuggling me. When I brought him in, he ran upstairs. I was hoping that I could do this 3 times a week, until he felt used to being in the car, and then I'd start going around the block.
Would it be crazy for him to be LOOSE in the car? Or should he always be in a cat kennel?
Is this training a crazy idea to begin with?
Any other advice for this upcoming trip?
I've read that people get cat carriers, have little dishes of food and water, and stop a few times a day with kitty in harness to walk around outside and get fresh air. Some people use sedatives but I'm not crazy about that.
My question is...can you TRAIN your cat to like the car? I hate the thought of him being distressed for a week's drive, so I decided to get him used to the car in stages. Today we're in stage one. I took him outside, we got in the car, and I turned it on. We sat for 5 minutes. At first he cowered and cried, but then he calmed down and investigated. Then he began purring and snuggling me. When I brought him in, he ran upstairs. I was hoping that I could do this 3 times a week, until he felt used to being in the car, and then I'd start going around the block.
Would it be crazy for him to be LOOSE in the car? Or should he always be in a cat kennel?
Is this training a crazy idea to begin with?
Any other advice for this upcoming trip?