Taking my cat on a long trip?

Question

my husband and i are planning a trip to ohio,then to north carolina (we live in CT)to visit family at the end of april. 
my cat, leo has heart disease (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure)and needs 4 different medications twice a day so we have to take him with us. i plan on giving him his own little space in our van with a litter box and other things he needs.we are also going to let him roam freely in the van in between us getting in and out of it.we have taken to to massachusetts with us before he never comes up to the drivers seat,so that wont be a problem,i will also keep his carrier open so he can sleep whenever he needs to. we will be gone 6 days to a week total.

i will of course be talking to his vet to see if there is anything special i need to do for him,other than making sure he has enough medication.

my question is,is there a water dish or anything that is specifically made for pets for long trips? im not worried about his food spilling but if his water does, it could cause a big mess.

tropnhof. · Accepted Answer

Stop periodically and let him have the chance to drink.  I wouldn't try to have a water container that he can use at will while you are moving.

I think it would be good to have a collar on him with your phone number on it in the event that he escapes your supervision.

ZotsRule · Answer

First off, really bad idea to let him "roam freely in the van".  There's the chance he could end up getting out and you'd never see him again.  There's also the chance he COULD come up to the driver's seat. And in the event of a crash - he'll go flying.  Please don't do it.

If he's going to be in a hard plastic crate then you could buy one of the water dishes that clip to the front grate.  Put very little water in it so it doesn't splash out.  When I've traveled by car with cats to shows I've just put an ice cube or two in the dish and if they get thirsty they lick that.

Since you'll be in a roomy van another option would be to a larger pop-up cage.  Drs. Foster Smith has a few different ones http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3261+16901+20719&pcatid=20719 This one's kinda cool http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3261+16901+22275&pcatid=22275 Something like this would give you room to put a comfy bed or blanket, food and water dishes and a litter box.  Whichever you go with, make it one you can carry inside with you so you're not taking the cat out of the cage and carrying it or putting it in something else.  Again - chance for escape.

Honestly, though, you could get by without a litter box.  I drove all the way from Seattle to Edmonton - 15 hours.  Stopped twice along the way and set up my pop up cage in a locked bathroom and NONE of my cats had to go.  When cats travel long distances they tend to just snooze and drink and eat very little so you could just do without the litter box in the cage and just have it ready to put down in the hotel room or wherever you're staying.

And DO get him microchipped.  It's very inexpensive - usually under $50 at most vets - and will ensure he gets back to you if lost.  I would also keep a harness on him with an ID tag and your cell phone number.  If you're out in the country somewhere people won't have a clue about microchips and that any vet or shelter can scan him.  They may just think he's a stray and keep him.

Taking my cat on a long trip?

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