Long car rides w/ sick cats?

[__caitlin]

Hey everyone! I have a cat who was recently diagnosed with large cell gastrointestinal lymphoma and is just starting chemotherapy. If anyone would like to see more details about that journey, here's my other thread on it. As often seems to be the case, his chemo appointments are a 30-60 minute drive one way depending on traffic.

I'm wondering what tips and tricks you all have for helping cats cope with long car rides? In particular, sick cats who may become uncomfortable because they need to use the bathroom?

For my boy Max, the trip there isn't usually as much of an issue -- but the way home gets increasingly stressful and I'm 90% sure it's because he needs to pee and/or has other gastrointestinal distress from his cancer. He typically pees in the litterbox as soon as we get home. But he is also a bit finicky and will not pee for the vet, so asking them to give him the option there may just lead to an even more extended time away from home for no reason. Anything I can do to make him more comfortable?

Also, has anyone ever experimented with letting a harness-trained cat out in the backseat -- with another person in the back to hold them / manage the harness and make sure they don't climb anywhere? I imagine this is very Not Done but just wanted to see anything people have tried.

 

[danteshuman]

I withhold wet food 6-8 hours before a car ride for Jackie. In Cami’s case she needs no wet food plus no dry food 3 hours before a car trip.

Is there anyway the vet can prescribe an anti nausea medication before your cat’s chemo treatments

 

[daftcat75]

I have taken Krista on two hour car drives. She was a blessing to drive with though. She would weakly protest the first few moments of a car ride but then settle right down and ride quietly. Then when she did speak up again, I knew she needed a break. I pulled into a parking lot, fetched a litterbox from the trunk, filled it with some litter (also stored in the trunk), and put a litterbox at her feet in the passenger compartment before letting her out of the carrier. She took to it instantly and relieved herself in the box when she needed to. Sometimes she just needed a break from driving and would skip the box in favor of stretching her legs and roaming around. I kept the car closed so the furthest she could go was the back window. When she wanted to spend more time in my lap than wandering around, it was time to give her some scritches and put her back in the carrier. The litterbox got dumped and put back in the trunk.

As for tips, I would say line the carrier with pee pads. A hard carrier will be easier to clean if accidents happen. But less comfortable. You may have to sacrifice some towels to make a hard carrier softer at the risk of having them soiled if any accidents occur. You may also spray the towels with Feliway about 15-20 minutes before putting them in the carrier. This can have a soothing effect.

I strongly advise against having a loose cat in a moving car. You think your partner may be able to hold him. But if he does get loose, that can be very distracting and dangerous. You could get a head or a leg full of claws from a freaked out cat.

 

[danteshuman]

Jackie rides on my lap/over my shoulder but he is used to the car rides & the harness. He is distracting but I’m not driving. I’m going to be buying him a car seat for pets. A baby blanket he can hide under when he is scared (drive thrus or night driving) helps him. Mind you he drives 40 minutes to & from Nana’s house every weekend. Rubbing behind his ears to pop his ears helps to (higher elevation up the hill/mini mountain.)

The other thing I do is clean his litter box (15-30 minutes before go time) to encorage him to go before a trip.

 

[Tobermory]

When I made cross-country trips with my cats, two of them would never pee until we reached the hotel for the evening. The third couldn’t hold it that long so she traveled in a crate that had room for a small litter tray, something like this: MIDWEST iCrate Fold & Carry Single Door Collapsible Wire Dog Crate, 24 inch - Chewy.com

I always transferred her to her carrier before I removed her from the car.