Leaving cats in car overnight?

[DexMax]

My family is moving states, and we are traveling by car in a 3 day trip. My parents were planning on just leaving the cats in the car overnight, and they have already reserved a hotel that doesn’t allow pets. They said that the car will be cool and that we would leave water and their litter box in the car.

This still doesn’t seem like a good idea to me. What are your thoughts?

 

[jefferd18]

My family is moving states, and we are traveling by car in a 3 day trip. My parents were planning on just leaving the cats in the car overnight, and they have already reserved a hotel that doesn’t allow pets. They said that the car will be cool and that we would leave water and their litter box in the car.

This still doesn’t seem like a good idea to me. What are your thoughts?

Ummm....I don't want to be negative but that sounds like a recipe for tragedy. If the cats are not in a carrier, they will bolt the moment somebody opens the door. When a friend of mine took her tiger tabby down to Florida on a vacation he flew out the door the moment they arrived and was never seen again. Same thing happen to me when my family moved across country. Cats are not great car travelers and the first thing they want to do when someone opens a car door- is to escape.

 

[Kieka]

Yeah, that sounds like asking for trouble.

If the weather is slightly warmer then expected, the car will heat up and retain heat. I've car camped before and unless it is pretty cold, the car can get stuffy and hot without windows open. But if the cats are loose you can't have a window open. If its too cold outside the car will get really cold, and while cats have fur and can stand cold they won't be happy about it and could dig at the seats trying to get warmer. Its a very narrow window of temperatures that allow someone to comfortable to stay in the car basically. But opening a window and caging the cats would then allow anything outside in. Which depending on where they are traveling could be okay or could be bad.

Not to mention cats loose in a car without supervision have a thousand and one things they can get into or hurt on. Especially if they have items in there because of the move. In a strange environment no telling what the cats will use to potty.

And passerbys might see the cats and decide to call the cops or break a window to save them. I know where I live it is legal to break a car window to save an animal that looks like it is in distress and owners aren't around.

It would be one thing if they were car camping with the cats. But leaving them alone is asking for all sorts of problems or opening yourself up for them. It would be better to sneak them in the hotel and risk having to pay a pet cleaning fee if they are really against changing hotels. Or, better, change hotels to one that allows pets. Or, even better, rent an RV for the trip to forgo the hotel entirely. I know a few people who do cross country moves with cats by traveling in RV and either following with their normal car, having it transported or flying back for their normal car. They rig up a door block so they don't have door dashers and make sure no opening outside are there. Then the cats can walk around or nap comfortably and be with the humans the whole time.

 

[DexMax]

Well, I’m really not sure what I should do to convince my parents. They seem really dead set on their plan even after bringing up some of these points. Would staying with the cat in the car be better?
Also forgot to mention that we are traveling with 2 cats.

 

[Kieka]

Staying in the car with the cats would at least give the cats someone familiar which should calm them down. The human would also be able to monitor temperature and turn on the car to run AC if too hot or provide a warm cuddle spot if its too cold. The human would also be able to help if something happened and prevent someone from breaking the car windows to save the cats.

Its not the ideal amount of space but its better then the cats being alone in the car. The general thought process should be is the condition I am leaving my cat in one I'm willing to be in myself. If the answer is no, in this case sleeping in the car with the cats then why is it okay to leave the cats there?

 

[jefferd18]

My family is moving states, and we are traveling by car in a 3 day trip. My parents were planning on just leaving the cats in the car overnight, and they have already reserved a hotel that doesn’t allow pets. They said that the car will be cool and that we would leave water and their litter box in the car.

This still doesn’t seem like a good idea to me. What are your thoughts?

Just sedate the cats and keep them in a carrier. That way you can at least crack window if they are kept in the car all night. This time of year some states are already hot- so keep that in mind.

I am telling you that those little things are going to bolt once a door is opened.

 

[DexMax]

Thanks for the suggestions. So assuming that I can’t convince them to change hotels, is the next best option for me to just stay in the car with the cats?

 

[jefferd18]

Thanks for the suggestions. So assuming that I can’t convince them to change hotels, is the next best option for me to just stay in the car with the cats?

Why, may I ask, are those cats allowed to free roam the car?

 

[DexMax]

Well we do have one kennel and one leash, but I think they were planning on letting them out overnight so that they could use the litter and have some more space.
I was more worried about the safety of them being in a car overnight, though.

 

[jefferd18]

Well we do have one kennel and one leash, but I think they were planning on letting them out overnight so that they could use the litter and have some more space.
I was more worried about the safety of them being in a car overnight, though.

Unless it is extremely hot or cold you do not need to worry about one night in the car. I have explained the reality of cats bolting through open car doors and have even shared my own experiences. Its all I can do.

 

[fionasmom]

Someone has to stay with them at the least for all the reasons already posted. As for the bolting out, that is a whole other issue even if someone is in the car with them when the door is opened. The person in the car will definitely have to put them in the carriers before the doors are opened.

Your trip is not that long, thankfully, but it will require vigilance if you have to stick to your parents' plan.

 

[amethyst]

Thanks for the suggestions. So assuming that I can’t convince them to change hotels, is the next best option for me to just stay in the car with the cats?

That is what I would do, just sleep in the car with the cats, that way you know they are ok, not too hot, not too cold, etc. Just make sure you put them in the carrier before you or anyone else opens any of the car doors, ideally keep the doors locked whenever the cats are out so someone can't accidentally release them.

 

[Kieka]

That is what I would do, just sleep in the car with the cats, that way you know they are ok, not too hot, not too cold, etc. Just make sure you put them in the carrier before you or anyone else opens any of the car doors, ideally keep the doors locked whenever the cats are out so someone can't accidentally release them.

Don't forget to turn on the window lock so that if the cars gets turned on for some reason they can't roll down the window.

 

[cataholic07]

What about getting an extra large wire kennel that you can put them in and that has a litter box? I mean if the cat has room to do it? But it would be the safest option or look for hotels who will allow you to have pets. There are quite a few!

 

[Xraystyle]

have you talked to management of the hotel about it? If they just booked online, the website might say "no pets" but if you explain the situation and maybe keep the cats in their carrier even in the room (or a wire kennel, as others suggested), management might be willing to give you a pass. Especially now when they probably need the business. It's worth a try anyway, I think management might prefer that to having a person sleeping in a car in their parking lot. That has actual other legal issues.

 

[neely]

My parents were planning on just leaving the cats in the car overnight, and they have already reserved a hotel that doesn’t allow pets.

Would your parents be willing to check which hotels allow pets? We had to leave our house in the middle of winter because our furnace broke during a polar vortex. We called different hotels in the area and found several that would allow us to bring our cat as long as we paid a security deposit. We got our security deposit back and our cat acclimated well being with us, i.e. he fell in love with the king size bed and bird's eye view.