Traveling In The Car /desperate

[danteshuman]

Look what you are describing is sheer panic! So do not hit her or give her Benadryl (can be toxic for cats!!!!) Really, never smack your cat.

My advice call your vet or an emergency vet visit if needed (mobile vet if you can.) You should explain your cat’s sheer panic and that she is a danger to herself (& you) in the car. Ask if you can pick up a sedative for her that will knock her out for the car ride when you move (& if you are moving far away ask for her medical records to.) Be sure to ask for enough for you to get there plus some extra if your trip takes longer for whatever reason.

I have never had a cat panic that much in a car. The closest I came was my boy hyperventilating in his crate on the way to the vet. So my mom drove and he was on my lap in his crate with the top zipped open. I pet him and comforted him. He was fine. My teen kitten now? He goes on lots of car rides and is used to it. I just hold him and pet him softly the whole ride. I also take away his wet food 3 hours before and dry food 1 hour before (you may not be able to do this when giving the much needed sedative.) That way he doesn’t get carsick. I also encourage him to use the litter box by cleaning it right before I go so he won’t have to pee during his 30-45 minute ride.

 

[Looking for hope]

We've gone to the vet for this before, multiple times.
I would like to say that I've had her for going on seven years, we travel somewhat frequently because jobs and school and surgery. I've never hit her before. I doubt I will again. I had had a very long day going on four hours of sleep. I should've just figured something out and not made the drive.
I've been offered her Xanax, then doubled her dose, tried it halfway in between, then the small dose again. I got her when she was 11 months old, she was raised by vets as her mom and litter died giving birth. I didn't really think she could have had trauma, but the more I think, the more I realize she goes somewhere there's just no rationalizing/petting/singing/talking her out of.
Xanax didn't help. It just made her balance worse, so she had ANOTHER thing to panic about.

I know I don't like the way Xanax makes me feel. I think the combination of that feeling and the panic of the car terrorized her more.

She had a smack to her side, not to the spine or anything. And I know anatomy. Her neck is fine, it was much like a "no" from another cat. This cat is not in danger unless she's causing a car accident by giving me a panic attack too.
Putting her in a carrier will result in bloody torn claws, and no nose. And if you've ever had a cat regrow a nose (keep in mind they lick with scratchy tongues, also getting antibiotics and pain meds in her is hellish) then you might agree it's worth free range car demon.
I have tried training her in the carrier, she loves it inside the house, and if the car is still, she will willingly sit in it. I've tried covering it, I've tried calming musics, purrs, I've tried a rumble thing that's supposed to calm cats down in carriers. I've tried sheets and blankets of different colors. And four, four different kinds of cat carriers. I am not a rich person, I feed her better than I feed myself. Vet are really unwilling to sedate cats when they're not being supervised by thet vet. I underst the danger, but she's been under anesthesia multiple times and is always fine.
I will try CBD this time, I've never felt incapacitated on it in the way Xanax makes me feel. Hopefully it will take the edge off for her, and I'm in no rush. We can take lots of stops. She's completely not food motivated, making training difficult. She just wants love. She just wants me, and I just want her.

 

[Looking for hope]

She doesn't give up. I've tried her in the soft bag, she rolls around and still manages to hurt herself. Containing her makes her panic. Driving with another person is a nice idea, but 10 hours in a car with yowling cat is not anybody's idea of a fun time, and then they'd have to fly to wherever. She also cries more when I do give her attention. And she needs to run around. She does best if I drive and ignore her, and somebody else tries to distract her. Id love to validate her and let her feel her feels and support her, but there's no transitioning out of that place. She goes crazy. The smack kind of jolted her back, as did grabbing her scruf. She she went from like 180% car demon to 70% yowl level. I've tried making weird noises, talking calmly, yelling back. I honestly shouldn't keep moving with her. I've tried leaving her, but she and I both suffer. I've tried even rehoming her with my mom, which nearly ended my existence. Also she lost a seventh of her body weight.
Usually after sixish hours she falls asleep. Maybe I'll just try pulling off every time she super panics. But that might train her to super panic to get me to pull off.
But maybe CBD will work! Or valarian. She doesn't like catnip. She doesn't like wet food.

 

[danteshuman]

“Free range care demon”

OK I’m confused here. You are moving someplace once for 10 hours away, so why was she in the car ?today? Where you had to smack her? When I move with cats I only take them in one trip to save myself trauma! I would try the cod oil at home and see how she responds at home first (& how long it lasts.) Honestly I would pay the plane ticket home for a good friend or family member to drive me (and my crazy screaming cat) 10 hours so I could comfort my crazy cat. My boy travels in my arms (because he cries running around the car to.... and then he meows more/louder when I can’t reach him) and he is calmed by my quiet talking to him and soft pets. Also my boy is quieter when the cat is going one speed (freeway), less bumpy roads & there are less turns. For a 10 hour trip I would put her litter box in your car (on the floor) because that is a long while to hold it!

Good luck on your move!

 

[Furballsmom]

But maybe CBD will work! Or valarian.

 

[1 bruce 1]

The Xanax is obviously not working, I'd try the CBD oil. It calms but doesn't sedate. Some sedation drugs go the other way and winds them up faster and they lose inhibition. It's a "bad trip" in catspeak.
If you move frequently with her, I'd consider leaving her cat carrier out all the time, even if you're tripping over it like I usually am. Just leave it in plain view and take the element of "carrier = Hell" out of her mind. Start feeding her in it. If she has a favorite bed, put it in the carrier. Get a bigger carrier, not a straight-jacket size. There should be enough room for a litter pan, a water and food dish, and somewhere for her to lay. If she won't go near it (assuming this is a cat safe airline carrier), disassemble it and keep the top and door off. Make it a plastic bed and teach her how nice it is, then gradually add the top, and eventually the door back on.
@maggiedemi 's excellent suggestion of covering it is a good one. A lot of cats that freak will eventually calm down if the crate is covered entirely. We've done transportation with completely wild feral cats that are live trapped and we wouldn't be without that trusty sheet or tarp.
My guess is she'll never be an easy rider, but if you work up to her accepting the crate, accepting the door being shut for 4 seconds, then accepting the carrier being put into the car and then being drove around the block for a whole 30 seconds, I'd hope the panic would at least subside.
We had a cat who had the cat form of claustrophobia. It's a nightmare. I wish I'd known about this method of leaving the crate out, making it a nice place and just working them up to a short car journey back then.

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

Ok, call me a debbie downer but-
There are good reasons that a lot of areas have laws against traveling with unrestrained animals in cars. People and pets get killed in car accidents, for one.

 

[1 bruce 1]

Ok, call me a debbie downer but-
There are good reasons that a lot of areas have laws against traveling with unrestrained animals in cars. People and pets get killed in car accidents, for one.

We know of a gal who had a lot of dogs she was traveling with and all but one were caged for the trip. A bad accident happened, driver was beat up but OK and the dog that was unrestrained was thrown into traffic and killed, the caged dogs were banged up but lived.
The thought of the cat getting upset and going under the brake pedal is scary. When I first got my license I had a smallish dog, I took her with me in the truck cabin and when we got into traffic, there were some loud trucks and motorcycles, the dog got scared and tried to crawl under my legs and I couldn't use the pedals. I'm lucky I didn't get injured, or worse.
L Looking for hope if you're checking back, please try to acclimate her to a carrier and erase whatever thoughts she has of it being hell. You'll both be happier and safer for it. And I say this as a new friend, not a self proclaimed patriarch

 

[Hellenww]

Have you ever tried a booster seat? You'd need a harness she couldn't get out of. She wouldn't be as confined as a carrier but not able to roam. Being able to see over the dash and out the windows might make the car feel bigger to her. You'd also be able to reach over and touch her. A sedation/calming product would probably still neede but maybe she'd let herself relax some in a comfortable seat. My nervous boy yowls the whole rideto the vet and repeating his noise back to him lowers his volume if not his frequency.