Tips for taking a cat on a long drive?

I would suggest starting with short trips (a few blocks at a time) and gradually increasing your distance and time -- although you can't really "train" your cat for 12 hours in the car.

Make sure your cat's carrier is padded with a blanket or towel and, if you don't have a water dish in the carrier (depending on how big it is), make frequent stops where you offer him water and a little food. I have also used a "cat calming spray" that I spray on the inside of my cats' carriers before we travel; sometimes that seems to help.

There are tranquilizers you can get from the veterinarian if your cat doesn't like car rides.

Cats react in different ways when riding in the car. I make frequent 6-hour trips to the in-law's home with my two girls; one of them sleeps almost immediately and doesn't wake up until we stop and the other will yell at me for up to 2 1/2 hours before curling up to sleep. Only a trial drive will let you know which kind of reaction your cat will have, and based on that, you can decide to drug your kitty or let him sleep naturally!

Good luck on your move, and thanks for considering your cat's comfort during this busy time!

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Tips for taking a cat on a long drive?

I am moving from Missouri to New Jersey and have to take my cat along with me in the car. We will drive 12 hrs the first day and 8 the next day. My cat is almost 2 yrs old, a gray tabby cat. I've never taken him in a car before, should I start with little rides or just do it all at once?...

My husband and I took our 2 year old cat with us home for the holidays (11 hour drive each way, both Thanksgiving and Christmas). Everything actually went very well, but I think we also just have a really mellow cat.

Some things that worked for us:

-Bringing a crate and a harness/leash, so that our cat couldn't bolt out of the car when we stopped.

-Bringing our cat's litter box with a small amount of litter (she never used it, but it gave us piece of mind)

-We did not give our cat food or water for several hours before the trip (to prevent carsickness and trips to the litter box; although we did give our cat small amounts of water during the trip, and she never did use the litter box)

-We also packed a few toys and played with our kitty during the trip; it also provided us with entertainment during the long car ride.

Our vet suggested that we take short car rides with our cat first to gage their comfort in the car and did let us know that some cats do travel better with sedatives. You may want to call your vet and ask if that is an option.

Invest in a cat carrier. They aren't that expensive, maybe $20 from walmart, it's just a plastic box with lots of holes in it and a door.

That is the best/safest way to transport your cat in a car, no matter how long the drive. The cat will feel much more secure in the carrier and will have some protection from flying around if you have to hit the brakes or turn sharply.

Throw a blanket in the bottom for comfort and let the cat out to stretch, eat, relieve itself, etc....

Speaking of that...make sure you have a littler box handy and some litter!

Use a large cat carrier. If you don't have a chance to take her places before you leave, cover the carrier with a sheet. Take off when she's just woken up from a nap- it'll help her feel more relaxed. Make sure you put something soft on the bottom of the carrier so she doesn't slide.

It never hurts to take a cat for short rides a few times (in a carrier) before making a longer trip. This way, you can see how your cat acts while being in the car.

Hasn't he ever been to the vet? How did you get him there?

If the cat is afraid, or gets car sick, you can give him some Dramamine. Dramamine usually comes in tablets of 50mgs. A cat can have 12.5 mgs (or 1/4 of the tablet). Give it to him about 1 hour before leaving on the trip. The package will tell you how often you need to give it......probably only once during the 12 hrs.....then, only if he's scared!

I took a Siamese on a week-long trip, all over the place (Texas, Ark, Miss - vacation, with 4 kids), and gave this to him AND my daughter(gets motion sick, too! They slept side by side in the back seat most of the time.........

Dramamine can be bought at the drug store! It's one of the few "people" meds that's ok for cats!!

So............take him for a few rides, keep him in the carrier while in the car.........he may "freak out" and you'd have an accident.....don't want THAT to happen!!

Hope this helps......Good luck and keep safe!

First off - try not to worry or make a big deal by fussing over the cat - he'll pick up on the anxiety and become anxious himself. Second, put him in the carrier about 5 or 10 minutes before you put him in the car to leave (gives him some time to get to know the carrier). Put the carrier in the back seat with the door of the carrier facing the opposite door of the car (the idea here is to let him exercise his natural curiosity by leaving the door of the kennel open and secured so that it's not banging around, and he has easy access to it if he gets scared and needs to hide. Soon enough he'll venture out of the kennel to explore, complain or just sleep. In any case, don't let him know you are watching him; if he cries, talk low and soothing but don't look at him or he'll be encouraged and cry louder and longer. Eventually he'll acclimate, but how you respond to his reactions will determine how he acts in the long term. Just think "casual" and he'll likely follow your lead.

I traveled extensively with two cats in a Winnebago Warrior, did it just like that - no drama or trauma. The Siamese would look out the passenger window and bob her head up and down in the funniest way as she tried to focus on the white line - it was too cute. Good luuck on the road!

I don't know if there is any kind of medication, but my suggestion would be to have some food in the car to keep him distracted, or toys. And every so often, maybe find a place to pull over and (if you can) put a harness leash on and take her/him to 'do some buisiness' and get relaxed again. Try taking her on short little rides before you leave, and see how she takes to it, and get her used to it.

give your cat a test spin first to see how he reacts to the car. as long as you bring some food along and let him out to go to the bathroom along the way, he should be fine. bring cat nip too to intertain him.

YOU SHOULD KEEP YOUR CAT IN A CAGE, THEY'RE NOT LIKE DOGS AN COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT...