Moving To Another State, Fly Or Drive

[ej x]

Hey guys,

I am moving to another state which is a 10hr drive, I was wondering what would be less stressful driving or flying for my 2 cats.

They handle the drive to the bet pretty well, granted that is only a 10-15 min drive.

They are indoor cats and I do not vaccinate them (just the very first triple vaccine), and not rabies, so flying would require me to vaccinate them (airline rules)

Thoughts?

 

[Kieka]

I would drive and get a hotel room halfway between the two points. That way your cats can get a break in the middle of the drive; 10 hours is a big drive for cats in one stretch. I'd probably set up a dog kennel/crate in the back of your vehicle with hanging beds and a litter box. Make sure you can get into the kennel/crate without having to open a car door. You don't want someone to bolt out the door and outside the vehicle.

 

[Kieka]

Here is another thread about traveling with cats that has some great advice on driving, Might Take Kitten On Vacation For 3 Days

 

[silkenpaw]

If you fly, please take the cats into the cabin with you. That means you would have to travel with someone else. I’m not sure the airline would let you buy a ticket just for the second cat. And keep in mind that there is a limit on how many animals can be in the cabin at the same time, so book early.

Whatever you decide, good luck and thank you for taking your cats with you; too many people just abandon them

 

[BonitaBaby]

I would drive too. I drove 6 hours each way with my cat in her carrier and my mom. My cat hates to leave her home inside, but I was too worried about the summer heat, so I took her with me for the weekend. I covered her carrier with a blanket on 3 sides to help ease her. When she'd meow, I'd say, "it's okay." I didn't realize that other people use dog crates or bigger carriers, but I think my cat would have stayed curled up in one position anyway like she always does when in the carrier and car.

 

[Daisy6]

When I figure out how to post pictures here (switching from Windows to Apple this week) I will show you what the back of my mom's car looked like during a move from central Ohio to north central Florida with a then-15 year old female cat.

 

[lalagimp]

Drove from Phoenix to DC in three days with four cats, three parrots, and 5 guinea pigs.
We stayed in two hotels, so each drive was about 10 hours.
Doable.
I got their vaccines though, and kept their papers in their car, in case there were any state lines that would check your animals.
When I had my parents take my dog from Phoenix home with them to a Iowa, I got her vaccines and a health certificate issued at the vet.

 

[KarenKat]

Drove from Phoenix to DC in three days with four cats, three parrots, and 5 guinea pigs

Oh wow, did you have the radio on, or just let the cacophony reign?

 

[Daisy6]

I like the vaccines idea. States don't check when you cross the boarder, but there is a chance your cat can run away and get lost during a pit stop for gas, food, etc. That is unlikely to happen but you can't be too safe with animals.

 

[lalagimp]

Oh wow, did you have the radio on, or just let the cacophony reign?

Boyfriend had the cats. He said after the first twenty minutes, they adjusted. Every time we stopped for gas, we let one out of the carriers on rotation, and had a barrier up between the front seats. So they'd get 2-3 hours to hang out and use the litter box. I had the parrots and guinea pigs. The guinea pigs would have murdered his allergies. The parrots usually only talked about stuff while I was pumping gas outside of their window.

 

[Daisy6]

LOL Parrots having small talk, that's silly. Did they complain about being in a car?

My cat was so scared I could not get her to eat or drink at gas stations.

 

[lalagimp]

Just green cheek talk, contact calling me, and sometimes asking "gimme kissy".
Their carrier is pretty big. They've been living in it since Friday or Saturday, and I just got them moved back into their cage today, since we relocated again this month.
Gimme Kissy gets used the most, because that's the words they learned first. Time to time, Koi starts chanting "Monkey. Monkey." because that's what I always call her. Idris got taught a large series of kissy smoochy noises by her daddy that she'll use for additional conversation. Jak has only spoken to me twice in her life. She's really quiet unless she's mad.

Yeah the only mishap we had moving the cats, is Tommy's initial anxiety when the trip began. About 45 minutes into driving, we stopped at a motel and asked if they had any paper towels, and had to clean his carrier for vomit and poop.
He didn't have any more problems, but he was too stressed to eat a treat with Bach's Rescue Remedy Pet. I really want to try him in a Sleepy Pod.

 

[Daisy6]

In 20/20 hindsight I wish I had purchased Feliway for the move - not only the car ride and hotel in Georgia, but also the hotel that was my home for three days and the new condominium. She spent two days in my closet.

 

[jen]

Gabapentin. Gabapentin. Gabapentin.

I moved a 15 year old cat (who LOVES the car and going places) and another 15 year old who hates the world (howls and is aggressive), and a 13 year old who hates the car (pees and cries) from Ohio to California.

It took us 4 days and 3 motels. Gabapentin was A LIFE SAVER. It mellowed out the 2 grumpy girls who hate the car (and also each other). They happily napped and rode in the car the whole way without much of a peep. I was shocked.

We had one large dog crate in the back of the SUV with a litterbox. And two smaller cat carriers in the middle and rotated them. I am absolutely surprised it went to smoothly.

 

[lalagimp]

Our vet said she wouldn't recommend medication for car travel before we left. Frustrating. Next time Tom goes to our vet out here, I'm going to ask about oral Cerenia, because the injections work wonders. We had to do so much transporting when he got sick between ER and hospital and ER and hospital. Friggin dramamine wouldn't even touch it.

 

[jen]

Our vet said she wouldn't recommend medication for car travel before we left. Frustrating. Next time Tom goes to our vet out here, I'm going to ask about oral Cerenia, because the injections work wonders. We had to do so much transporting when he got sick between ER and hospital and ER and hospital. Friggin dramamine wouldn't even touch it.

Why not? Did she have a reason? I did a trial run first before we left to see how much they needed and how well it helped.

 

[1 bruce 1]

Drive.
Break in between at a motel.
Talk to your cats, soothe them, let them see one another, hear your voice and smell your scent.
10 hours sounds like a lot, but it's not if you break it up especially.

I know a lot of people have flown pets without issue but I cannot do it and the thought of putting a pet of mine on board a plane to meet me later terrifies me.
A Westminster dog in the early-mid 2000's was flown and she disappeared. To this day, from what I know, she was never found and that freaks me out.
I'd make the drive and forget the airlines.
Hell my own cat sees her allergy doc and it's a 90-120 minute round trip (depending) and she hates the car. But so long as her crate is covered to block out the sun and I keep saying "well hi there, little missy" she's fine....

 

[lalagimp]

Why not? Did she have a reason? I did a trial run first before we left to see how much they needed and how well it helped.

Possibly because a sedative can end up giving them exactly the reaction you don't want, adversely. Like how my bubba has been under general anesthetic roughly a half a dozen times, but on the last time, after a teeth cleaning, he was aggressively tripping balls.

 

[1 bruce 1]

Possibly because a sedative can end up giving them exactly the reaction you don't want, adversely. Like how my bubba has been under general anesthetic roughly a half a dozen times, but on the last time, after a teeth cleaning, he was aggressively tripping balls.

I gotta bring dogs into this...y'all know that =)
But a popular sedative (acepromazine) does NOT work in 99% of sight hounds and makes them WAY worse.
Other dogs and types and breeds are usually fine but for some reason sight hounds are not.
If you're aiming for calmness, giving a sight hound ace might give you that (if you're lucky) but more than likely you'll get a dog flipping the "F" out and searching for those weird dancing bears, etc....
Don't assume a sedated cat without a test run will be "fine" on a long car ride.
If sedatives are given, I would NOT give them unless I could give them a day or two (or more) before to see the effect.
I would not want to be caught on the road, driving 70MPH on a highway or turnpike or whatever with an animal freaking out from a bad sedative reaction in the rear of the vehicle.
Each animal is different. What works for one cat might make another cat turn into Church. (Stephen King fans???? Anyone??)
Test the sedative. If they act weird, your vet is only a phone call away. Not so when you're barreling down the road at top speed with a cat flipping out 1 1/2 feet behind you. BTDT. =/ Don't repeat my mistakes...

 

[lalagimp]

Each animal is different. What works for one cat might make another cat turn into Church. (Stephen King fans???? Anyone??)