Moving 10 1/2 hours with 2 kitties

[ct970]

Going to preface this by saying that any thoughts, advice, tips, etc. are greatly appreciated. I am anxious over this and just want to do the right thing.

At the end of February my bf and I are relocating from TN to FL. It is a 10 1/2 hour drive with no stops (so in reality about 11 1/2-12 hours when it's all said and done). Everything else has pretty much worked itself out and now we have to make a decision on how best to get our 2 cats down there.

The kitties are both 1 year old females named Mocha and Moon. They grew up together in a foster home since they were 2 months old and have pretty much never been apart since. They are curious, playful girls who are always content in the comforts of their own home. My concern is when I do bring them to the vet, they do not like Car rides at all. At first I put them together in one carrier as they were small kittens, and they squalled quite a bit and got a little stressed out but I think it was a little better because they had each other. Most recently, I had to put them in separate carriers to take them to the vet and while they could still see each other, the squalling was much worse and lasted the entire time to the vet (15 mins) and most of the way back as well although not quite as loud returning home, just little soft cries.

My plan is to put a bigger dog crate in my car, cover it with blankets from home, put a small litter pan in there, as well as a blanket and a few stuffed toys they find comfort in, and spray pheromone spray over the kennel/blankets before placing them in there. I just don't know if this is enough, and I know it's gonna make me sad/anxious if they cry the entire 11+ hours, which I hope will not be the case. I also don't want them stressing themselves out to the point where they get ill from it when we do reach our destination. I guess I need to decide if it is something worth looking into sedation for, or if they might be alright since they will be together in the crate with familiar items.

The good news is we really think this area will be our permanent home and hopefully will not have to do this again!!


Sorry for the long post, and again anything you can contribute is appreciated !

TLDR; moving 11 1/2 hours with 2 kitties, worried they will stress out the whole time, don't know whether to consideration sedation or not.

 

[rubysmama]

I've never traveled with cats, so have no personal experience tips to share, but the topic has come up on the site from time to time, so I'll post the links to a few threads that should be helpful. Also TCS has an article on the subject, which I'll post as well. Good luck. Hope the trip goes well, and everyone settles nicely in your new home.

Traveling With Cats [Inc. 36 actionable tips] – TheCatSite Articles

14 Hour Road Trip With Two Large Orange Tabbies
Moving Cross Country
Summer Road Trip!!!

 

[kittyprincesss]

Hiya there! I traveled from IL to CA with four cats. Twice, about 25+ hrs on the road. They will cry at first, but then they will settle, and they will get antsy maybe towards the end like last hr of the drive.

We used this type of carrier loaded in the back with the seat downs: ELITEFIELD 3-Door Collapsible Soft-Sided Dog Crate, Blue Gray, 20 inch - Chewy.com

You should drape a flat sheet that is thin over the kitties crate, since this one has now cover for the screen windows.

We personally liked these carriers more because the cats cant loop their claws in the sides unlike a wire dog crate.

We didn't use a litterbox, you can try but I would fill it very shallow so it doesn't spill during a turn. We used puppy pads layered on top of each other and when they would go, I would fold the top one over with my hand in the crate and bundle it up and put in a garbage bag.

For my cats, they were mellow at rest stops, curious for sure but I sat in back with them and would reach my hand in to pet them during these stops to comfort them, one of my older girls would come out only when we were parked and somewhere safe and sleep on my legs since I would sit there with a blanket, with my legs out.

Dont be surprised if you offer them food and they dont eat, they get nauseous from the car motion and usually wont have an appetite. Since your drive is not too bad, they should be okay. You can offer them a small amount of dry food, (again when you are stopped).

We tried to offer them water but they did not really care for it until we got to our new home. Same concept as above, offer it of course but dont be alarmed if they dont want it.

Spraying with feliway is a great idea too, we did that as well. A small blanket in crate is good because trust me they will sleep. They most likely will sleep together and rely on one another for comfort.

Now when I traveled, I got them a cooling pad which you can buy on amazon or petco because I was going through the warmer states. I definitely suggest this just in case? To prevent them overheating. You could get a small one. I dont know what temps you are looking at but these guys can get quite warm which is why I suggest only a thin flat sheet over the carrier.

All in all, my babies handled it well. They will cry at first, but I think they will adjust after a little and be okay. I did not use any sedation on all 4 cats. Them being together helps a lot.

Good luck!