Can you take a cat on a long distance car trip?

That's great of you, well done for wanting to take your kitty with you! OK, this is gonna be a long one! There are some steps you really should take before starting off, to make your cat and yourself happy to do the journey.

Some say cats can't travel, but when boarding, your cat has to get used to a new environment anyway, so she will be happy you're with them at least!

Cats hate car trips because they are noisy and usually end at the vets! They soon associate the smell of the car to nasty experiences, so Cars are scary things to cats.

There are a few things to do in preparation of the trip:

First, let him explore the car every day for weeks.

Let him loose in the car, don't turn the engine on, and put a litter tray somewhere, and food and water (with appropriate cover sheets to protect the car). Also, don't forget to put some familiar objects around for her, like her fave toys, a pillow from your bed or her own bed. Something that smells like your home.

If you can put the car in a safe place he can access without risk (like a garage, or an enclosed yard) then leave the doors open, otherwise just close the doors and stay with him, reading, chatting or listening to music. Wait for him to settle and fall asleep. Remember to always leave the cat transporter you will use for the trip on the seat, or wherever you keep it usually, WITH THE DOOR OPEN, so that kitty can go in and out of it at leisure.

This will be useful because he needs to get used to the car as a home, a totally safe place where he can sleep and be comfortable with his favourite human/s. Once he knows it well, he won't be so panic stricken to enter it, also during a long journey you will need to stop every few hours to use the tray, so it will come in handy to get him used to the tray being in there.

Once he is comfortable with the car, put him in his transporter crate, that same one that was always in the car with the open door, and then while talking soothingly to her turn the engine on, and go for a ride. Do this as often as possible, and without going to the vet! Just a ride around a few blocks, so that the cat realizes that car does not equal vet, or unpleasant things always.

When you are away you can open the crate's door, but ONLY WHEN THE ENGINE IS OFF, as driving with a cat free in the car can be extrememly dangerous to both of you.

Keep doing these exercises and she might get less terrified, so that her being sick might get better as well, otherwise ask your vet for anti-sickness medicines for cats. Also, don't feed her on the morning of the journey, give her food once she gets there, and either the night before leaving or at least 5 hours before starting off. Leave only fresh water in her clip-on bowl inside her travel crate.

On the day of the trip your cat will enter the car as usual, she might even look forward to it by now, and you will put her in the crate, and stop every 1-2 hours to let her use the toilet, and stretch her 4 legs! The final touch, spray some Feliway travel around the car at the start of the trip, it will ease her mind. You can put 4 drops of Bach flowers Rescue Remedy in the water she'll be drinking, they are flower extracts, so harmless and work wonders in calming the cat down without sedating the poor thing stupid.

Be careful, because once your cat is used to cars she might well get in it whenever she has a chance!

The most IMPORTANT bit is the following:

cats are territorial. They get used to a place and take time to get used to another, usually 4 weeks minimum. This means that if you let your cat roam free in a new place he or she doesn't know, she will get lost. The last thing you want to do is to take your kitty on holiday only to loose her! So, unless you're staying more than 4 weeks on your holiday, or there is a totally escape proof garden, don't let your cat out EVER, without a harness. If she isn't used to a harness she will freak out at being put one on!

Enjoy your holidays with your best friend!

PS: if you think that all this preparations are too much for you, you better have the cat boarded, as 10 hours in a cage for a cat who isn't used to cars will be a nightmare.

PPS: In the trunk they will have not enough air to breathe, for 10 hours!

If he gets car sick, get him a pet carrier or crate. There isn't really much you can do about that. Just make sure that his carrier is comfortable, and it has something that you can toss in the washing machine, after he pukes on it. Make sure you get a harness and leash for the cat. They have them for cats, yes. Stop every couple hours, and take him out to go potty. Stop somewhere that will have sand, dirt or wood chips. Cats dont' really like going on grass or rocks.

Get him a special water container. Pretty much like what you'd get for a hampster or mouse. They can smell the water, so don't worry about him getting thirsty. He won't be feeling well, and will be a little scared, so don't worry about if he eats or drinks or not. He'll eat and drink once he's in a house, or at least out of the car.

Also, make sure that you have his carrier either in a seat belt, or tucked tight between suitcases/bags, or whatever. He'll feel a little better knowing that the box holding him in won't go anywhere!

If you have any other questions, or concerns, you can always contact a vet, or pet store. They can give you some good info!

Good luck, and have fun!

Most cats really don't like to go on vacations; there's not only the car trip to consider but also odds are, when you get to your vacation home, he'll spent most of the time hiding under the bed or some place similar. That won't make him happy either! Also there's a risk if he gets out he'll try to walk home and get lost. If you still want to try it, try out how he acts in a strange place first; drive over to a friend's place nearby where you go for a few hour's visit and watch how he acts there... if he's fine in the strange house then maybe you can take him but if he's scared/stressed he's not gonna be happy coming along on a holiday either....

Yes, you can take him. Most cats have initial issues about car rides because of the frequent stops and turns of in-town driving (which is most likely all he's ever experienced, on trips to vets). They usually calm down once you hit the open road, though, as it is more stable a ride.

For safety, he should be kept in a carrier, though that may piss him off and keep him meowing the whole time to be let out. I'd recommend getting a soft-sided carrier and leaving it out for him to get accustomed to and to sleep in well before the trip (trust me, they love the soft surface and WILL sleep in it if you leave it out for him.

Then, when you go on the trip, he has a safe, familiar place to go if he's scared, which means he'll probably opt to go there anyway given the choice. Newspaper EVERY surface in your car. In layers.

Get your Vet to prescribe him some Dramamine/motion sickness medicine and give it as directed. Make sure he's 'comfy' and has a litter box he can use when he needs one. Keeping him in a 'cage' is a good idea, for BOTH of your safety, but let him 'out' (on a leash) to do some 'cat wandering' whenever you stop awhile. After ten hours in a car without stretching YOUR legs, you'd be miserable ... and so would the poor cat. If you CAN NOT take him with you, then DO NOT leave him 'alone' ... hire a 'pet sitter' you know will come in to 'interact with' him and feed him and clean his box, or take him to a 'kennel' or 'cattery' for boarding.

Place him in a carrier with several layers of newspaper. Call the vet and clear it that you can give him one 25 mg capsule of benadryl every 6 hours. They have liquid benadryl you can spike canned food with too. Start the meds, if the vet says ok, the day before the trip. I've done this with my one cat many times for long car trips and never had one puke! Good Luck

I rescued a cat on one of our trips to Georgia and brought her back to Connecticut with us. Mia was around a year old and had kittens 2 days after we got her home. We put her in a crate and took a harness and leash so when we stopped we could get her out for a few mins, she made the trip GREAT. I did cover the crate with a light blanket or sheet so she felt safe in her crate.

I tried to go out of town and leave my cat in a pet hotel. Once we got there, I put her in the condo and tried to leave. She cried, then I started crying....

Long story short, I had to take her with me. I just put her in a carrier and put some food and water in a dish. The trip was 5 hours long and she was okay as long as she could see out the window.

Some people recommend sedation, but I wouldn't do that. My vet discouraged it since you never know how you're pet will react and you probably aren't skilled in pet resuscitation.

If he gets car sick, it might be best to leave him home unless you're going to be gone for an extended period. If you DO decide to take him, they have herbal sedatives at most pet stores. These don't knock the pet OUT or anything... they just act as a calming agent. They also have anti-nausea meds for animals who get carsick. Not sure how much of it they have at the "chain" petstores... I get my stuff at a small specialty shop. It costs more, but the stuff is all natural and stuff.

I think your best bet is boarding him while you are away. You and he will both be miserable the whole trip. He will be frightened and wont understand what is happening. If you enjoy listening to a cat scream, claw and vomit in your car for 10 hours go for it! Or, try to find a friend to watch him for you.