Do's & Don't about traveling w/ cats?

shell

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I'll be moving on Saturday morning with my two cats & I'm not sure what I need to do about preparing them for the travel. I'll be traveling about 75 to 80 miles (approx. 1 hr & 15 minutes)& they've never traveled more than a couple miles to the Vets office. Neither of them really like being in the car...lots of yowling & crying. I have 2 pet carriers, but only one has a attachable food/water dish. What should I do about litter boxes? I thought about putting a tarp or something down, so if they do get the poop scared out of them it won't get all over my car.

Dumb question...but should I put their carriers on the floor behind my front seats or should I put them on the back seat? I've always sat the carriers on the seat, but I've always wondered about buckling them in some how. Is that safe to buckle them in? I'm praying that I don't get into an accident on the way, but I want to make sure that they are safe in case if that happens.

Any ideas or suggestions? I'd appreciate anything at this point since I'm clueless about traveling with kitties. Thanks!
 

loubelia

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Oh...me too, I'd be curious to know about that, since I might find myself in that same situation, and mine also 'prefer' to not ride in cars.
 
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shell

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Thanks MA! That was a very interesting article. Luckily, my cats like they're carriers...they like to sleep in them!
I think they'll do just fine, I'm just a worry wart.

MA, should I buckle them in on the back seat or just sit them on the floor behind the seat?
 

hissy

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I would buckle them in. It would be safer for them.
 
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shell

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That's what I thought, but it just seems a little weird. I tried it last time when I took Tiki to the Vet & it was a bit ackward. I'll definitely strap them in...hopefully it'll be a smooth ride!


Thanks again MA for all your help!
 

mzjazz2u

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When I brought Carmella and Henrietta from Arizona to Utah I had no problems at all traveling with them! Their carriers are larger (good for long trips) so they didn't move around in the back seat. They were pretty wedged in there. But if you can find a way to buckle them I think that is great!

I bought little dishes that attached to the door of the carrier for water and food. They used the water but weren't interested in food while traveling! I tried the water bottle like you use for hamsters but they didn't care for that at all. Luckily I had the other dish type too. I played Jim Brickman CD's on our trip and they loved it! As soon as I stopped the CD and tried to put on the radio, Carmella would start wailing!
She loves Jim Brickman!

For a litter box, I used the little cardboard trays that canned veggies are on in the store. It worked very well and when I got home I just took them out and threw them in the trash.
 

sicycat

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I wouldnt think you'd need a litterbox for only an hour and 15 min drive. Most cats can hold it for hours...
 

mzjazz2u

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More then likely they won't need it. But I would have one just in case. They might be a little nervous etc. and need to use one.

They like to lay in them too.
No idea why....
 

chelle

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Patches did wonderful when we moved in her pet taxi
she had her blanket and her little pillow in there.
she was pretty happy
 

ataraxia

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Just over an hour isn't too terribly long...

Are they really close? Maybe getting a larger carrier that they could ride in together would be comforting for them.
 
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