I adopted Lincoln, a senior cat (around 14), in January. After a period of adjustment, he is doing great and I'm completely in love with him. The vet says he's very healthy, and he has a good appetite and loves to play.
He also loves visiting my parents. He adores other people and cats (they have two, who tolerate his outgoing nature), and likes being in a busy house with a screened-in porch where he can hang out when the weather is nice.
The problem is that my parents live two hours away from me, and he hates the car. So far I have only taken him three times, because it's been such a stressful experience for both of us. He has had diarrhea in his carrier every time, and once also urinated. It's the same every time: he seems alright except for a few meows, then he'll settle down to sleep, I'll think everything is going well, and then suddenly he's pooped and starts completely flipping out. It seems to be the poop that makes him panic, and I've learned to put multiple layers of newspaper down so that I can pull over and remove the poop right away, and then he settles down again once the carrier is clean.
If I have to give up on visiting with him, I will, but he just seems to have such a great time. As soon as we arrive, he's his normal self, cuddling up to my parents, batting the treat jar off the counter, playing with the other cats' toys.
So, are there any tips to help him stop defecating in the carrier? Aside from that, he really doesn't do too badly and sleeps for a large part of the drive - but the pooping really seems to freak him out, and he does it every time.
He also loves visiting my parents. He adores other people and cats (they have two, who tolerate his outgoing nature), and likes being in a busy house with a screened-in porch where he can hang out when the weather is nice.
The problem is that my parents live two hours away from me, and he hates the car. So far I have only taken him three times, because it's been such a stressful experience for both of us. He has had diarrhea in his carrier every time, and once also urinated. It's the same every time: he seems alright except for a few meows, then he'll settle down to sleep, I'll think everything is going well, and then suddenly he's pooped and starts completely flipping out. It seems to be the poop that makes him panic, and I've learned to put multiple layers of newspaper down so that I can pull over and remove the poop right away, and then he settles down again once the carrier is clean.
If I have to give up on visiting with him, I will, but he just seems to have such a great time. As soon as we arrive, he's his normal self, cuddling up to my parents, batting the treat jar off the counter, playing with the other cats' toys.
So, are there any tips to help him stop defecating in the carrier? Aside from that, he really doesn't do too badly and sleeps for a large part of the drive - but the pooping really seems to freak him out, and he does it every time.