Summer Road Trip!!!

clg817

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Hello everyone! You may think I am crazy, but I am going to take my 1 year old kitty (about 8lbs) on a 16hour road trip, I am breaking it up into two days stopping at a hotel for a night. It will probably be hot, but if I need to run in to use a bathroom I am not worried because I have a remote start on my vehicle and the A/C can run while I am gone for 5 minutes (is it reasonable to think this should be ok?). It isn't really an option to leave her here since I am gone for over a month, once I get to my parents house I will be going on a few short trips. I I am looking for some suggestions, advice, stories of similar experiences, etc. Specifically the things listed below:

1. What type of crate is best. I have a 12" x 16" soft sided collapsible crate (see purple crate in photo) and a carrier that I used when flying with her over the holidays (see grey/black carrier in photo). I think the soft sided crate will be best, but it wont fit a litter box. Should I find a bigger crate that will fit a litter box? Food? Water?

2. She doesn't love car rides, but what kitty does? When I flew with her, she was pretty anxious and loud on the 40 minute drive to the airport. Seriously, DIA is practically in Nebraska when driving from Denver! Anyway, once we got to the airport she was fine. Before getting in the car I gave her HomeoPet Anxiety drops (I followed the directions, a few drops every 15 minutes 45 minutes prior to travel), clearly they didn't help for the car ride. My local Bentley's Pets & Stuff recommended Receptra CBD oil, I tried a tiny bit yesterday and she did ok, but only if I was petting her, as soon as I pulled my hand out of her crate, she would meow (she didn't try to escape as I zipped it up, so thats a win!). I also tried the thundershirt pheremones spray (without the thundershirt) and took her on a 5 minute ride to return a redbox, she was so loud and not happy. So, my question, should I stick with the CBD oil? Is this safe for cats? I will talk to the manufacturer and vet, but how often can I dose her on the trip? Back in December when I flew with her I asked the vet for the medication that was used for flying with pets, its a mild sedative. He was hesitant to give it to me, but I was more comfortable having it as an option. I did a test run with it before flying and did not like the reaction my cat had, so I haven't used it since. I really don't want to use this ever, so its not really something I will consider.

3. Any other advice? What should I plan for?
 
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clg817

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Thanks! I will take a look at these articles, I know I checked out the thread about two orange tabbies, but I will look at the others too!

I feel like I should have noted, my carrier is a fixed part of the living room, so it is not something my kitty only sees when going for a car ride, it is out all the time. My kitty actually likes to sit on top of it!
 

KSV

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Hello everyone! You may think I am crazy, but I am going to take my 1 year old kitty (about 8lbs) on a 16hour road trip, I am breaking it up into two days stopping at a hotel for a night. It will probably be hot, but if I need to run in to use a bathroom I am not worried because I have a remote start on my vehicle and the A/C can run while I am gone for 5 minutes (is it reasonable to think this should be ok?). It isn't really an option to leave her here since I am gone for over a month, once I get to my parents house I will be going on a few short trips. I I am looking for some suggestions, advice, stories of similar experiences, etc. Specifically the things listed below:

1. What type of crate is best. I have a 12" x 16" soft sided collapsible crate (see purple crate in photo) and a carrier that I used when flying with her over the holidays (see grey/black carrier in photo). I think the soft sided crate will be best, but it wont fit a litter box. Should I find a bigger crate that will fit a litter box? Food? Water?

2. She doesn't love car rides, but what kitty does? When I flew with her, she was pretty anxious and loud on the 40 minute drive to the airport. Seriously, DIA is practically in Nebraska when driving from Denver! Anyway, once we got to the airport she was fine. Before getting in the car I gave her HomeoPet Anxiety drops (I followed the directions, a few drops every 15 minutes 45 minutes prior to travel), clearly they didn't help for the car ride. My local Bentley's Pets & Stuff recommended Receptra CBD oil, I tried a tiny bit yesterday and she did ok, but only if I was petting her, as soon as I pulled my hand out of her crate, she would meow (she didn't try to escape as I zipped it up, so thats a win!). I also tried the thundershirt pheremones spray (without the thundershirt) and took her on a 5 minute ride to return a redbox, she was so loud and not happy. So, my question, should I stick with the CBD oil? Is this safe for cats? I will talk to the manufacturer and vet, but how often can I dose her on the trip? Back in December when I flew with her I asked the vet for the medication that was used for flying with pets, its a mild sedative. He was hesitant to give it to me, but I was more comfortable having it as an option. I did a test run with it before flying and did not like the reaction my cat had, so I haven't used it since. I really don't want to use this ever, so its not really something I will consider.

3. Any other advice? What should I plan for?
I wonder what kind of medication the vet gave you. My vet gave me “cat martini” which was gabapentin/neurontin for when she was adjusting to being brought inside after being lost for a while. It worked but for a short time to relieve anxiety.
 

Frankophile Feline Fan

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I’m going on a 6-hour road trip with Colette tomorrow. I found the greatest thing from Amazon! There is a pop-up cat tent that comes with a collapsible litter pan & food dish. Just be careful if your cat is an escape artist. Some cats can pull the zipper open and they may need to be tied.

Also, we will be traveling at night to manage the heat. My car A/C is on the fritz.
 

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Tobermory

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Be prepared in the hotel room that she may want to get under the beds if she can. A lot of hotels now have their beds on platforms, but there are still openings at the head of the bed where it meets the wall. I have pillows and blankets that I stuff around to keep my kitties from under beds—or I use the ones in the room!

I also use a bit larger crate rather than a carrier to give them more room to move. Mine have never been interested in using the litter box until I get them into the hotel room. I cover the crate so they can’t see the scenery rushing by or all of the hubbub in the hotel lobby.
 

ArtNJ

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Be prepared in the hotel room that she may want to get under the beds if she can. A lot of hotels now have their beds on platforms, but there are still openings at the head of the bed where it meets the wall. I have pillows and blankets that I stuff around to keep my kitties from under beds—or I use the ones in the room!

I also use a bit larger crate rather than a carrier to give them more room to move. Mine have never been interested in using the litter box until I get them into the hotel room. I cover the crate so they can’t see the scenery rushing by or all of the hubbub in the hotel lobby.
LOL yes, on a road trip my brother and his partner tried for two hours to get their kitty back in the carrier while it ran around the hotel room / under the bed and ended up calling the fire department, and somehow the police showed up, and somehow two gay boys in the middle of nowhere that couldn't catch their kitty ended up being treated super nicely.

So I would say, make sure you know your kitty (theirs can be vicious) and know yourselves (they are not cat wranglers to be sure), unless you want to be involved in something similar, or possibly even more ridiculous.
 
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clg817

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UPDATE: The road trip was successful! I used a disposable natures miracle litter box and she used it once while driving (surprising, i know!). Unfortunately she wasnt thrilled about being in the carrier, i let the whining go for 90 minites before letting her out while in a harness and the leash buckled in to the front seat, she sat in my lap almost the entire trip with the exception of a brief vacation to her extra bed in the back seat. The only time she got upset was when we stopped for food/gas. On the way back she willingly sat in the carrier but freaked as soon as the door was shut. I was so scared of her getting loose that there was not one moment during the trip that she wasnt in the harness with the leash attached and buckled in. I did use the CBD oil sparingly and it really did help! I will say that it makes a difference to be in a pet friendly hotel. On my way to WI I snuck her in and ended up locking her in the bathroom because she wanted to sit in the window and my room was on the 1st floor. On my way back I made sure to get a pet friendly hotel and the peace of mind was totally worth having to drive an extra hour before gettin to the hotel. Overall, I learned I would do this again! I also know that I would need to buy a shorter leash to keep her from under the seat or gas pedal when I stop for the bathroom. I also would not have been able to make this trip if I didn't have remote start in my vehicle, I was able to crank the air in 100degree heat while I ran in to the bathroom. Cats can be great travel conpanions!
 

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Tobermory

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UPDATE: The road trip was successful! I used a disposable natures miracle litter box and she used it once while driving (surprising, i know!). Unfortunately she wasnt thrilled about being in the carrier, i let the whining go for 90 minites before letting her out while in a harness and the leash buckled in to the front seat, she sat in my lap almost the entire trip with the exception of a brief vacation to her extra bed in the back seat. The only time she got upset was when we stopped for food/gas. On the way back she willingly sat in the carrier but freaked as soon as the door was shut. I was so scared of her getting loose that there was not one moment during the trip that she wasnt in the harness with the leash attached and buckled in. I did use the CBD oil sparingly and it really did help! I will say that it makes a difference to be in a pet friendly hotel. On my way to WI I snuck her in and ended up locking her in the bathroom because she wanted to sit in the window and my room was on the 1st floor. On my way back I made sure to get a pet friendly hotel and the peace of mind was totally worth having to drive an extra hour before gettin to the hotel. Overall, I learned I would do this again! I also know that I would need to buy a shorter leash to keep her from under the seat or gas pedal when I stop for the bathroom. I also would not have been able to make this trip if I didn't have remote start in my vehicle, I was able to crank the air in 100degree heat while I ran in to the bathroom. Cats can be great travel conpanions!
That’s great! Sounds like it went well, and you learned a lot about how to make it manageable. Yeah, a pet-friendly hotel means one less thing to worry about.

Mine always cried for about 60 miles, not screeches but pitiful little peeps. I’m sure they figured out that pitiful sounds would make me feel guilty while screeches would annoy me. :)
 

rubysmama

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I'm glad it worked out for you. One thing I have to mention, though, is that it isn't a good idea to keep a cat, or any small pet, on your lap or loose in the car. If you had been in an accident, your cat could have been thrown from the car, the same way a person would be if they weren't wearing a seatbelt. And, if the cat was on your lap, and the airbags deployed, most likely the cat would be dead, and you would be horribly injured, if not also dead.

Here's an excerpt from Unsafe. And Illegal? Driving with Pets on Laps

The dangers
While potential accidents are reason enough to reconsider driving with your pet on your lap, there are other very real dangers to keep in mind. If a crash – even a minor one -- were to occur, a small pet could easily be crushed by a deployed airbag, or thrown from a car and injured. Many times pets escape from the vehicle after an accident and run away or run out into traffic. What’s more, during a crash an unrestrained dog can act as a dangerous airborne projectile. As AAA National Traffic Safety Programs Manager Jennifer Huebner-Davidson notes, “An unrestrained 10-pound dog in a crash at only 30 mph will exert roughly 300 pounds of pressure . . . Imagine the devastation that can cause to your pet and anyone in its path.”
 

Tobermory

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Great point, rubysmama rubysmama . The first cat I ever had (back in the ‘70s) loved to ride in the car. She would sit in the back seat and look out at the passing cars and scenery. People would point and wave. I cringe now to think about the danger I was putting her in...and me, of course. We were all immortal then and invincible. :)
 

rubysmama

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Same there, Tobermory Tobermory . Our family cat would sit in the back seat with us, and look out the window. And eventually settle down and nap. Course that was before seat belts were the law. And long before air bags were ever invented.

Also, we'd drive to the vet, then my mom would carry our cat into the office in her arms. We never had a cat carrier. Don't even know if they existed back then. I realize now we could have lost our cat if she'd gotten frightened and jumped out of mom's arms.
 
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