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Driving not so far, but with cat
Orogogus
San DiegoRegistered User regular
San DiegoRegistered User regular
This Christmas I was thinking of taking my cat up while visiting my parents, from San Diego to the San Francisco area. Taking Xandra onto a plane is kind of expensive, though, and from my roommate's description it sounds like a potentially major annoyance for everyone else on board, too. So I was considering driving, instead.
This would be a 6-8 hour drive, and my cat currently does not travel well, possibly owing to the fact that whenever she's in a car it has to do with either the vet or staying with strangers while I'm out of town. So for every car trip it's always been: Meow. Meow. Meow. Meow. Meow. Meow. Meow. Not out-and-out terror, but not happy by any stretch, either.
So, is this a reasonable trip to make with the cat? If I do this, how would I handle food, water and bathroom breaks during the drive? I'm going to take her litter box, but it seems inadvisable to give her free run of the car. Should I be using the time before Christmas to acclimate her to riding in the car, or do cats generally never take to it?
Obligatory:
This would be a 6-8 hour drive, and my cat currently does not travel well, possibly owing to the fact that whenever she's in a car it has to do with either the vet or staying with strangers while I'm out of town. So for every car trip it's always been: Meow. Meow. Meow. Meow. Meow. Meow. Meow. Not out-and-out terror, but not happy by any stretch, either.
So, is this a reasonable trip to make with the cat? If I do this, how would I handle food, water and bathroom breaks during the drive? I'm going to take her litter box, but it seems inadvisable to give her free run of the car. Should I be using the time before Christmas to acclimate her to riding in the car, or do cats generally never take to it?
Obligatory:
Orogogus on
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Our cat got out of the box we were transporting him in on the way to the vets once (silly us we thought a cardboard box would hold him) and he didn't freak out at all. He was freaking out before he got out of the box, but once he escaped he just climbed onto the back of the passenger's seat and sat there for the rest of the journey. Turns out he just wanted to see where he was going.
Not that I think you should give your cat free reign of the car, just saying, she probably wouldn't freak out as described.
Because we didn't see the point in buying a massive specialist carrier, we bought cat harnesses. This meant that, with the help of some string, we could attach the cats inside the car and still let them have some freedom. We took them down to the car in a cardboard box with their blankets and a couple of toys in and opened half the lid once they were attached inside and the car was sorted.
The boy cat stayed in the box and slept most of the way. The girl cat meeped a bit and then got out the box and found a comfy corner inbetween all our stuff.
We found that even though they had a litter tray and some water, they didn't want them and just wanted to stay curled up and asleep.
I would recommend some way of restricting the movement of your cat, as you don't really want cat in face when driving.
I know that there are similar sprays for cats, but you'd have to ask a cat person for an actual name/brand...
the cat's reaction is pretty predictable in this case...
if every car trip you took culminated with a kick to the nuts (or the female equivalent... umm... purple nurple?) you'd hate car trips with a passion.... but it the majority of trips ended with a reward, you wouldn't mind it so much
take your cat on non-vet car rides, and give him/her high-value treats at the end... i'm sure it'll help with the problem
Forget that, as McD said if the cat gets under your pedals its Big Trouble. Nearly happened to my flatmate the other day when she was taking our little monster to the vet - we're far too cheap to buy a carrier that she'll use maybe twice a year, so she was in a cardboard box, and managed to ninja out of it. The pedals were like the first thing she dived for, and my flatmate only just caught her in time.
And even if they don't actually try to murder you, they'll still be a huge distraction while driving if they're roaming around. Bob's cat harness idea seems like a good compromise for long trips.
If I had to make an 8 hour drive with my cat it'd go like this: probably skip her morning meal, line a kitty carrier with a few towels, install a gerbil/hamster water bottle thing, and try to drive there in a straight shot. She'd probably meow for 1/2-1 hour, then stop for awhile, then start up again for awhile, repeat. There'd be no way to console her. I wouldn't give her any breaks outside of the carrier, because good fucking luck getting her back in. When confronted with this possibility I'd skip taking her and get a neighbor to feed her twice daily while I was away.
My dogs take to car trips much better. The younger one's crated on trips. The older one has on occaision gotten scared and tried to jump in my lap while I'm driving, which isn't fun, but even at 50 lbs, it better than a freaked out cat doing the same.
I've done this, it's worked with 2 of our 3 cats, the other one has no problem with anything.
My family back home has two small dogs, and one cat. The cat knows damned well that any time she gets pulled towards the car, she's going to the vet, where she will be prodded and jabbed and made very uncomfortable. The dogs, on the other hand, know that 99% of their car trips end with something fun: driving down to the lake to go for a long walk, driving out to a farm owned by my parents' friends where they can romp around in the field with the other dogs, driving to my grandparents' place for dinner where everyone will fawn over how cute they are. The dogs *like* the car. All we need to do is say "Puppies, in the car!" and they will jump right in. My parents even drive down to Florida with them, and they're perfectly well-behaved.
So yeah, for this trip, you're probably screwed either way. But in the future, start following illig's advice (edit: and bowen's), and just teach your cat that car trips don't always end in pain.
Get a carrier, every cat owner should have one for vet trips. It's also good for any other kind of emergency or if someone allergic has to come by your house. A box with holes if you want to be cheap but I would not want to spent 8 hours in a box in a car myself.
Stop every couple of hours to refresh yourself at a gas station or something and, using the cat harness, let your cat out, put small amount of water and food down, and the litter box and hang out for 10 minutes. Cat will probably not use the litter but you are at least offering the choice and letting the cat out of it's box for a little bit.
I would spend the time getting your cat used to the harness as much as car trips. If you put some effort into both I think you will get good results. I think people give cats too much leeway. Mine will willingly walk into their carriers and regularly spend the day at other people's houses without any big drama. I just don't take any bullshit since they were kittens and it gave good results. Leave the carrier out in the house from now on. Leave the door open, occasionally hide a treat in the back and just ignore it for a couple of weeks. Put a nice blanket down in the bottom so its comfortable and warm and let your cat check it out without the fear of the door shutting behind them.
Yeah, you're going to have to deal with the meow, meow, meow. Thats just part of the fun of cat ownership.
If you're gonna keep it contained (which I'd advise), I suggest a carrier with a large enough grate that it can see out of. Position the crate opening where it can see you throughout the trip. Put a towel in the crate bottom for comfort and ease of cleaning if the cat has an accident (bring a few spare towe;s and a box you can seal air-tight unless you like the smell of cat piss/shit in your car) and a couple of comfort items.
A harness (not a leash... any sudden stops and you could end up lynching the cat) where the cat can roam free in the back seat can also work.
I'd definitely advise taking a short, 15~30 minute drive though, if you're going to try that. They'll generally be as spooked within the first 15 minutes as they will be for 8 hours.
I've known some cats and dogs who were actually fine uncontained in the car, but usually they end up trying to sit with/on you. It's temping to let the cat do that so it feels comforted, but it just ends up badly.
When I was a student, I used to take my cat to my girlfriends place. She (the cat) used to sit across my shoulders and look out the window while I drove.
I wouldnt really recommend though - imagine what would happen if the cat got under the pedals...
I guess my ex got lucky then when she drove from Philly to Minneapolis :P He ended up just finding a spot on top of all the luggage and made a nest to sleep. (The SUV was packed).
Also, make sure the cat doesn't get too hot in the car.
I'd imagine that the trips to friends/vet were shorter car rides? In my experience I've seen that while cats will freak out for the first couple hours (or less). They'll most likely calm down after that.
Put towels in the cat carrier and set it out now. Let the cat get used to climbing into the cat carrier like it's a place to sleep, so their scent is all over it. Worked for my little kitten who hated car rides, now she's all "Meh, so what, I have my blankie." :P
Try some relaxing music imo
YOU DO NOT WANT YOUR CATS LOOSE IN THE CAR.
They barely ate, drank a little bit and never used the litterbox and that was for 2.5 days. They'd drink a little when we stopped and that's it.
PSN: Broichan
Either way, unless it's for days and days, the cats just seem to cope and stay quiet.
Make sure to put down lots of towels/celephane/whatever cause the cat will prolly piss and it wont just stay in the carrier as you drive.
It's going to be unpleasant the whole ride with or without one. The cat is going to howl most the ride, and be scared. It's best not to take it.
Note, however, that I am always a passenger (I don't drive), the cat is on a harness and leash, so she's not going anywhere she ain't supposed too. She's most certainly NOT ALLOWED anywhere near the driver.
She can get warm in the car and needs water, and she pees on newspaper if there is any in car.
The only time she has ever been in a carrier was when I took her on a plane. In that case I had her drugged up with Valerian Root. I got it at my local hippy-style pet supply place. Made her high as a kite (look at all the pretty colors! high) and she slept the entire eight hour trip with nary a peep.
We've heard about herbal remedies to help chill her out / put her to sleep. Has anyone had experience with using these for a long flight? Did you take your cat into the cabin with you, or put her in cargo? Did you have to deal with layovers in the airport? Drugged or no? What about litter and drink breaks?
http://shop.robbinspetcare.com/dogs/aatranq.html
It made her so high... but she was totally fine the whole trip. Slept better than I did, that's for sure.
It was a straight shot though, no layovers.
She went in a carrier that fit under the seat in front of me. I flew JetBlue and had to buy a special carrier that was 8" high. She was kinda squished (she's fat), but otherwise totally fine.
I made sure she had pooped before I left, and only gave her a few little chewy treats after that. She seems to have held the pee.
Regarding something posted way earlier -- this would be for about 2 weeks, and my mother and my brother both really want to meet my cat, so I'm at least considering the logistics of it all.
And to make it clear: the cat will not be roaming free in the car. This is not on the table at all. It won't be allowed near the pedals, it won't be driving the car, etc.