How Hard Is A Long Distance Move On A Cat?

[mopandsheldon]

hi everyone,

in a few months me and my family will be moving across county, its over 4000 thousand km drive plus a 7 hour ferry ride to our new home. now i am stuck making the hard decision if that journey is safe for my cats to make. I have 2 long haired cats that are brothers i have had them for about 4 year and they are around 8 years of age - they are very shy and scared cats. I love my cats very much and i want what is the safest and most heath-est in transporting them. has anyone ever drove with there cats for long distances? or flone with a cat? what has been your experience doing so?

i have concerned re-homing them before i move but i want to go through all my options before i decided them not going across the county would be the best thing for my babies.

 

[Kieka]

Your cats won't like the travel in the short term but I definitely think the short term discomfort is worth them staying with their family. That said, I haven't traveled with my cats but I know you can talk to your vet about a light sedative so they are drowsy during the trip (but only for the ferry part, altitude and medications don't always mix). When it comes to airlines, most people recommend having the cats in the cabin with you whenever possible so check around for an airline that allows it and carriers that fit within the recommendations. You do want to get the largest size manageable and allowed so that your cats have room to move and possibly a litter box too. For the ferry, I'd plane an overnight stay between the airplane and ferry to allow them to settle a little, eat, potty, and get out of the carriers. Then back in the carriers and onto the ferry. Carry a backpack with extra blankets, towels and baby wipes so you can clean carriers or them if needed (along with food and water).

Here is a thread on the same subject:
Moving Long Distance-How To Bring Cats
Relocating To Another State By Airplane And Have Two Cats.

 

[Etarre]

I've flown with my really timid cat across the country. It's definitely expensive, since not only do you have to pay $50-100 to take your cat on board the plane, but they also count as a piece of baggage, meaning that you'll probably have to pay an additional fee to check your actual baggage.

Be aware that you will have to take the cat out of the carrier when you go through security, so it's best to have some kind of harness on them in case they bolt. This was by far the scariest part of the experience for my cat, who had to be peeled out of her carrier, and then peeled off my back to go back into the carrier. Airports are noisy, busy places.

Once we got on the plane, she seemed to do better, and just curled up quietly for the whole trip, which included a stop in Dallas, and a two-hour stint of getting stuck in the plane on the runway due to a freak thunderstorm. I don't think she managed to sleep through the trip, but she did seem to appreciate being in a small, dark space. She did not eat, drink, or pee the whole trip, although I did have supplies with me.

She spent the following week hiding under a bed. Whether it was trauma from the trip or fear about being in a new space or both, I don't know. But she eventually came out from hiding and even enjoyed some features of the house we were in (the sunny enclosed porch, a cricket she found) and she lived many happy years after her adventure, so I don't think she was permanently scarred by it.

I'd hesitate to do this with any cat that's very old or sick, but otherwise I agree with Kieka that short-term discomfort is better than the long-term upheaval of getting used to a new family.

Driving probably depends on how your cats react to being in a car. My cat hated it, and seemed more disturbed by the movement of the cars than the movement/noise of the plane-- every time we had to speed up, slow down, or change lanes, there was a reproachful meow from the backseat. She particularly disliked NY city cabs, which I'll admit scare even me. She actually seemed to like the subway and to find the swaying motion calming, though, and didn't seem to mind the ferry once the time I took her on it.

Good luck!

 

[mopandsheldon]

Your cats won't like the travel in the short term but I definitely think the short term discomfort is worth them staying with their family. That said, I haven't traveled with my cats but I know you can talk to your vet about a light sedative so they are drowsy during the trip (but only for the ferry part, altitude and medications don't always mix). When it comes to airlines, most people recommend having the cats in the cabin with you whenever possible so check around for an airline that allows it and carriers that fit within the recommendations. You do want to get the largest size manageable and allowed so that your cats have room to move and possibly a litter box too. For the ferry, I'd plane an overnight stay between the airplane and ferry to allow them to settle a little, eat, potty, and get out of the carriers. Then back in the carriers and onto the ferry. Carry a backpack with extra blankets, towels and baby wipes so you can clean carriers or them if needed (along with food and water).

Here is a thread on the same subject:
Moving Long Distance-How To Bring Cats
Relocating To Another State By Airplane And Have Two Cats.

my cats wouldn't be able to stay in the cabin with me as there very large cats. how stressful would it be to put them under in cargo? is that safe?

 

[Furballsmom]

She particularly disliked NY city cabs, which I'll admit scare even me

This made me chuckle - aren't they something?
Anyway, I personally have strong feelings against cargo for any animal, but there may be success stories as well regarding cargo.