Need Advice About Road Trips!

[Catster17]

So these summer vacations my family and I are planning on going on an almost 2-week trip, and we'll be traveling by car. This will be my first time traveling with any pet, let alone a four month-old kitten, and it's also my first time having a cat. I've never had the cat in the car, save for some trips to the local grocery store and park. Not taking the little brat with us is out of question, so I really need help on what to do with a kitten stuck for 8 hours in car with four other people!
I've read pretty much every article on travelling with cats, but they aren't in much detail and have repeated information. I really want this road trip to go as well as possible, because I don't want my father, who is still a bit reserved about cats, to get a negative impression of the poor kitty when he's just started warming up.
The kitten's previous owners used to take him on 4 hour road trips, and he would spend the time sleeping on a lap, so it's pretty obvious he doesn't get car sick easily. What I'm really worried about, is the fact that once when they took him to stay at another house, he pooped outside of the litter box, probably because of nervousness. How can I make him comfortable in a hotel room? Do I need to take his current litter box with us, or take disposable ones? He seems pretty comfortable sleeping at our feet or crawling into the trunk, so do I really need a carrier? Is it better to give him dry or wet food for the whole duration of the trip? Please help, I really need advice! <3

 

[GoldyCat]

First of all, you need to have kitty in a carrier, not on someone's lap. I you have to brake hard kitty could go flying around the inside of the car and be badly injured. There's also a chance that he will try to explore instead of staying on a lap, and get himself stuck somewhere you can't reach him.

Some people suggest using a crate large enough to put in food & water and a litter box. I have traveled that way, but found it isn't really necessary. A regular carrier works just fine. You can put puppy pads in the carrier in case of accidents if you want.

I would offer water when you stop for your own rest breaks. A little food is fine before you start out, but probably not a full meal until you get to the hotel.

I frequently take my cats on 7-9 hour drives going to cat shows. They mostly just sleep all the way. I have one cat who complains if she's not in the middle of the back seat where she can see out the front window. Another one sings to me all the way if he's where he can see me.

You can take his own litter box if you have room, but a disposable one will work as well. Don't forget to take litter. I take large incontinence bed pads to put under the litter box and food & water dishes. A whisk broom is a good idea, to sweep up any litter that gets scattered beyond the pad. Hotel staff really appreciate it when you clean up your own mess.

There are a couple of articles that have useful information
Traveling With Cats
35 Awesome Tips for Road Tripping With Your Cat

 

[Margret]

Make sure you have hotel reservations in advance, and be absolutely certain the hotel accepts cats. Just because their website says "Pet friendly" doesn't necessarily mean they accept cats. (I found this out the hard way, late at night, in a very small town.) Some people say "pet" when they mean "dog." This means that unless their website specifically says they accept cats you must actually talk to someone at the hotel before making your reservation.

Margret

 

[GoldyCat]

Make sure you have hotel reservations in advance, and be absolutely certain the hotel accepts cats. Just because their website says "Pet friendly" doesn't necessarily mean they accept cats. (I found this out the hard way, late at night, in a very small town.) Some people say "pet" when they mean "dog." This means that unless their website specifically says they accept cats you must actually talk to someone at the hotel before making your reservation.

Margret

Also check on pet fees. Some hotels will accept cats but they have a non-refundable fee of $$per pet per night. Or a flat fee per visit of more $$$.

 

[Tobermory]

I’ll echo what GoldyCat said: Kitty must be in a carrier. Not only could he go flying with dangerous consequences if you have to brake hard, but also just imagine what would happen if he gets under the brake pedal itself. And they will do that.

Here are a couple of recent threads about traveling with cats in addition to the good articles mentioned above. Lots of great advice and things to think about!

Summer Road Trip!!!
Moving Terrified Cats

 

[lalagimp]

I used Nature's Miracle Jumbo disposable litter pans and stayed at 2 Best Westerns from Phoenix to D.C.
I called them in advance, because it wasn't a single cat - it was my entire houseful of animals. One hotel charged me a small fee and I think the other charged me either $40 or $60, but I was fine because we had a place to stay.
I told them please help me. I have 4 cats, 3 little parrots, and 5 guinea pigs, and if you absolutely require I can split them up between two rooms.
La Quinta had a 1 per per room policy. Super 8 had either 1 or 2 pets to a room or up to a certain weight limit. Best Western hooked me up.

 

[Margret]

Incidentally, the hotel that we had a reservation for that didn't accept cats was part of a national chain (Super 8); we had made our reservation through the chain and had specifically told them that we were traveling with a cat. The chain also was taken in by the fact that the hotel's website said "Pet friendly," so be wary of those toll-free reservation numbers.

Margret

 

[lalagimp]

The chain also was taken in by the fact that the hotel's website said "Pet friendly," so be wary of those toll-free reservation numbers.

Eesh. I called the hotels directly because I needed to know what their managers would approve. Customer Service may have a standard, but many establishments are franchise. I'm glad you raised this point.

 

[raysmyheart]

Hi Catster17 ! It is essential that a cat travels in a secured carrier at all times in a vehicle. A kitty can get stuck or cut under car seats. Also,a lot of cats will automatically go to the floor of the car when the car is moving and if the cat goes under the gas or brake pedal, the cat could be very seriously hurt when these pedals are pressed. Also, if the cat is under these pedals and the car needs to be braked, there is absolutely no time to decide about whether you can use the brake or not.

Very best to you and kitty in your travels and may you stay safe when you travel.