What's the best approach to moving states with cats?

[enendawson]

My husband and I have two cats.  They get along, sleep together, and groom each other.  In the next couple of weeks we will be moving 13 hours away.  I plan to buy a large kennel so that we can put them both in it together, and I also plan to speak with their vet soon to see about any tranquilizer we may be able to give them during the move.

They have both been fairly good in a kennel, but we've only been able to test them on short trips to the vet.  One of the two, since being spayed, has become more vocal when in the kennel in a car.

We have not moved cats on a long drive before.So I am wondering from anyone who has had this experience, what is the best approach?  How do you keep the cats calm during the move (we plan to have them in the same car with us and stop once at a hotel)?  Should we keep both cats together like we plan to or separate them? What's the healthiest way to move cats on a long drive?

Thanks for any advice!  I understand that our cats may react differently than others... but I would still like to hear your comments.

 

[renstwin]

I moved twice with my last cat. Once from Michigan to NC. And from NC to Florida.

Definitely separate them into different carriers. I let mine out overnight in the hotel with a small litterbox and food. She was fine both times.

Good luck.

 

[shadowsmommy]

Definitely separate them... and tranquilizer is wonderful. I used that with my cat when I moved from MI to NC. He still meowed on occasion, but was fairly out of it for the majority of the drive.

 

[enendawson]

Thanks! I think that's the approach we are going to take. Thanks so much for your comments!

 

[happybird]

I have moved with my cats a lot. One of my older cats travels in a larger crate with my youngest cat. It seems to calm to younger one, who is a bit high strung. They curl up together and are very happy. The other three have their own, small crates. We try to arrange the crates in the car so everyone can see each other, or at the very least, see one of the other cats.

My male does not like riding in the car at all. He will also pee in his crate every time, no matter the length of the trip or when I restrict his water intake or how many times he uses the box before we leave. Because of this, I put two old towels in his crate and place the crate on another old towel, on top of a spread out trash bag, on the car seat. The towel in the front of the crate is folded into a pad and the one in the back is kind of loosely bunched. He will pee on the towel in the back and kind of kick at it and then lay on the one in the front. I feel bad he has to ride with pee, but it is way too dangerous to open the crate door en route This has been the best solution I can find because it keeps the pee off of him. A small litter box in the crate was a messy disaster.

Before we moved a few months ago, I emptied out the bedroom first and left the cats in there with their toys, beds and open crates. The door stayed closed, with a big warning note taped to it. That way, there was no danger of anyone dashing out the front door as we moved stuff. Whenever my husband or I took a break, we would go into the bedroom and hang out, give out treats, love, and brushings. We just reversed the procedure at the new house, making the bedroom a safe room for the cats. The room was quickly set up for the cats while they waited in the car. I included a radio for playing soft music to drown out some of the strange moving noises. We put our blankets and other items with our familiar smell in the room with the cats, along with all of their paraphanelia.

We cut off food and water about 12 hours before a long car trip. When we get to our destination, the dishes are the first thing I put out. Cats can only go about 18-24 hours without food and water in an extreme situation like moving, but any longer than that can cause serious health issues. After withholding food and water it is a good idea to add some extra water to their canned food for a few days in order to make sure they are hydrated properly. If you are worried about them eating, you can always very carefully slip a tiny dish with a few tablesppons of canned food in the crate door. Once, we tried to teach my cats to use a hamster water bottle for a particularily long trip. Sadly, they did not catch on, lol!

As for the hotel, it would probably be best to leave them in their crates or to restrict them to the bathroom with a litterbox and the open crates as beds. Odds are they will probably just hide if let loose in the room. If that happens, trying to round them back up when you are ready to leave can be very stressful for both you and the cats. Plus, there is always the scary prospect of them darting out of the door in a strange place. That thought terrifies me.

Really, though, I guess it all depends on the cats themselves, and how long they have been in the crates at this point. It may be necessary to let them out for a snack, drink and trip to the box. That is when the bathroom, and it's door, come in handy. They will defintely be freaked out by the new smells at the hotel, but it would be nice to be able to let them out to stetch and get some love. Staying in the crates would probably make them feel the most secure and be the least confusing, since you are moving on to another new place after only a couple hours.

I wish you the best of luck with your move