SewingMom2many Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 I'm going to be driving about 18 hours with a cat in the van. My dd, Rachael got married and moved to Virginia in September. She wasn't able to take her cat when first moved out there so we are bringing the cat when we go to visit. I am not sure how this is going to work, we've never gone further than the vet. Is she going to pee all over the cat carrier? Should I get a larger box to put her and her litter box in (but I'm thinking it will just spill) or do you just stop at a rest stop and put her in the litter box and hope for the best? I would really appreciate any tips or words of wisdom you may have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clarkacademy Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 Get a bigger crate and even if you use a small dishpan type thing it will use the litter box. Under no circumstance you must never ever I mean ever open the door if the cat is not in the crate. 4 kids, 2 cats, one dog at a highway rest stop moving to FL my son opened the door the cat bolted into the middle of a major highway. My idiot self went after it. I saved the cat and almost caused a major collision not too mention almost got myself killed. Never open the door, you don't know your cats behavior if you have never gone on a long trip. I never thought my cat would do this. Keep them hydrated too that is very important. Never open the door though, ever. A friend going on a trip right after I moved decided to give her cat infant tylenol to keep it calm. She called me from the road saying how he was curled up sleeping in the seat it was all good. The cat was dead. Don't give your cat meds to calm them either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sputterduck Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 My mom just took two cats on a 10 hour drive. She put a litter box on the floor for them. It didn't spill. They were upset and the boy cat insisted on sitting on her lap the whole time, but they didn't pee on anything. She didn't put them in a box because the boy is terrified of them. He peed all over her last time she attempted to get him into a carrier. I recommended putting them in a large dog cage with a litter box, but she didn't do it and it turned out ok. Oh, and she had them in harnesses and leashes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sputterduck Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 Get a bigger crate and even if you use a small dishpan type thing it will use the litter box. Under no circumstance you must never ever I mean ever open the door if the cat is not in the crate. 4 kids, 2 cats, one dog at a highway rest stop moving to FL my son opened the door the cat bolted into the middle of a major highway. My idiot self went after it. I saved the cat and almost caused a major collision not too mention almost got myself killed. Never open the door, you don't know your cats behavior if you have never gone on a long trip. I never thought my cat would do this. Keep them hydrated too that is very important. Never open the door though, ever. A friend going on a trip right after I moved decided to give her cat infant tylenol to keep it calm. She called me from the road saying how he was curled up sleeping in the seat it was all good. The cat was dead. Don't give your cat meds to calm them either. That poor cat! I have a friend who medicates her animals and nothing at all will convince her that it's not safe. Cats are not people and their bodies are tiny, tiny compared to ours. It's way too easy to overdose and dosages aren't always comparable between species anyway! ARGH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ailaena Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 I used to do 20 hour trips with a cat where I stuck a litter box on the floor in the back and the cat went free range. But she was a fantastic cat - never bothered the driver once. We did a couple of 14-hour trips with 7 cats and nobody ever released their goods in the car; I think they were too stressed to think about going to the bathroom. I didn't even offer them the option, though, so maybe that was it. They also didn't really eat, but I made sure they had fresh water. For the second hour, one cat meowed all sad, but the rest of the way they were quiet. So quiet, I had to pull over every once in a while to make sure they weren't all dead... If you have access to an oversized carrier, that may be good because it will give her room to stand up and walk a step in each direction:tongue_smilie: Then you could then put a tiny litter box in the cage if you wanted. You can fashion your own out of a small box - she's not going to need a huge one. They also have these travel water attachments that you can stick on the bars, those work (don't fill them up too far). Put something comforting in the cage with her that you won't mind getting ruined, just in case, and bring a blanket to put over the top. With the blanket over the top, they feel slightly more secure and then you can blast the a/c and not worry about freezing out the cat. I think I worried slightly more than I should have. I don't really recommend letting the cat out of the carrier unless you make absolute certain that you can reach all parts of the car without opening the doors. If you want to take an extra precaution, line the area under the carrier with plastic and bring a change of whatever you are going to use as padding. HTH and good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erica in OR Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 You might consider getting a prescription from your vet. We moved cross-country and our cat had never done well in our van. He would hang over the driver's seat headrest to at least be near us, but would still spend the entire trip emitting a piteous meow over and over to tell us something was not right in his world. For the long drive, the vet prescribed tranquilizers specifically for him and his weight. They made him dozy and more likely to sleep for longer periods. Erica in OR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 Practice with the large crate and small litter box at home a few days before the trip. It won't seem so strange in the car. I'd check with a vet, too. He or she would have good advice for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 You might consider getting a prescription from your vet. We moved cross-country and our cat had never done well in our van. He would hang over the driver's seat headrest to at least be near us, but would still spend the entire trip emitting a piteous meow over and over to tell us something was not right in his world. For the long drive, the vet prescribed tranquilizers specifically for him and his weight. They made him dozy and more likely to sleep for longer periods. Erica in OR :iagree: My cat does the piteous meow, too. I had a cat before who would let out a bloodcurdling screech the entire time he was in the car. I'd get some drugs from the vet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SewingMom2many Posted March 8, 2012 Author Share Posted March 8, 2012 Thank you so much for the advice! We will definitely not be letting her out of the cage after that story! I'm calling the vet right now to ask about tranquilizers. That's something I hadn't thought about and since it's going to be an interesting drive as it is... me, my dd Emily (23 yo) who talks non-stop, my 3 boys ages 6 and under, a dog, and a cat :w00t: I will appreciate any peace and quiet I can get with the cat being drugged :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GailV Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 I also put an old towel in the crate, with backup towels packed in the car, too. And a plastic bag to put the old towels in case they were ... used. My cats didn't relieve themselves or throw up, though, on long trips. OTOH, anymore one of the cats can't make it to the vet's office without having to go, so now everyone gets a towel all the time. Oh, man, this brings back memories -- driving with a loaded van, a 3 year old, 2 cats, I was 7 months pregnant, dh in a different car, moving from Delaware to western Ohio. That was quite a trip.:auto: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fraidycat Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 We just moved from ND to CA with two cats in January. We put them in an oversized carrier with an undersized litter box (Walmart $.99), a cat bed, and one those water bottles that hangs on the cage, which leaked a lot from bumps in the road. It was a mess and the cats needed a bath when we got to this end, but they did get here safe and sound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThisIsTheDay Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 I'm going to be driving about 18 hours with a cat in the van. My dd, Rachael got married and moved to Virginia in September. She wasn't able to take her cat when first moved out there so we are bringing the cat when we go to visit. I am not sure how this is going to work, we've never gone further than the vet. Is she going to pee all over the cat carrier? Should I get a larger box to put her and her litter box in (but I'm thinking it will just spill) or do you just stop at a rest stop and put her in the litter box and hope for the best? I would really appreciate any tips or words of wisdom you may have. We drove for three days across the country with our cats when we moved. Our cats were allowed to roam free in the car, but that's because they rode in dh's car, and he was able to corral them. I'd be too chicken to try that. When we stopped during the day, they were freaked out enough that they didn't want to run out the door. When we stopped for the nights, dh would catch them and carry them into the hotel rooms. Our cats never used the litter box in the car. (We were grateful!) *I* would use a cat carrier. If you have a larger crate, you can put a small pan of litter at one end of the crate. (Cut a small box in half horizontally, or use the cardboard from a 24-pack of bottled water, etc.) It is likely your cats will not use the litter box in that 18 hours. Make sure you offer them a bit of water when you stop. I traveled with another cat once, and she meowed the entire time--every five seconds. It was awful. I drove three hours there, listening to her, and then had to get back in the car the next day to drive home. Ugh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonshineLearner Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 If you have room... big crate with little crate in it... and the vet's office uses a frisbee for litter. (When they are there) So.... and music!!! They are likely to make that crazy meow sound for at least a while... so music on so you don't go crazy with them :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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