For Those Who Like Challenge and Adventure: How to Travel with a Cat
If you're considering bringing your feline buddy on your next road trip, be prepared. Here's everything you need to know to travel with a cat.
Travel with a cat doesn’t have to be unpleasant.
I’m a lifelong member of “Team Cat.” There have been a few gaps in my adult life where I was cat-free, but I’ve pretty much always had a feline companion in my house. I’m not sure why I love cats so much – they’re a little bit like haughty toddlers with the attention span of a houseplant. Taking a cat outside the comforts of their home – and yes, they think of it as their home, and you’re just there to provide snacks and scratches – requires planning and preparation. Here’s your survival guide for how to travel with a cat.
These tips my vet gave me before my road trip with my Bengal, Henry, from Illinois to Texas, augmented with my own more realistic advice on what it was really like to hit the road with an animal who wasn’t into the experience at all.
Related: Tips for Traveling with Pets
Why travel with a cat?
The landscape of why and how people travel today differs from three years ago. Remote work is more common, and people can be more nomadic and work from anywhere. Whether you’re a digital nomad or just going on an ordinary road trip, it’s fairly easy to find a pet-friendly Airbnb or other accommodation, so the answer to “Why travel with a cat?” becomes “Why not?”
People consider their pets part of their family, and leaving a pet at home might be stressful or traumatic for the animal. Reliable pet sitters through a service such as Rover can be expensive. Sometimes, it seems easier and more comfortable to swoop a kitty into a pet carrier and take them along for the adventure.
Related: A Complete Guide to Road Tripping With Pets
Have realistic expectations
In other words, expect it not to be awesome. I follow a few adventure cats on Instagram, intrepid kitties who seem perfectly content to pose on a paddleboard. While I’ve never tried water sports with my current cat pals, Remus and Albus, I’m pretty sure the experience would freak them out and not be enjoyable for me. If your cat has a chill, adventure cat disposition, count yourself lucky and take on the world. But odds are, your cat will probably not jump for joy and love traveling, so don’t approach travel with a cat expecting it will.
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By the way, Henry is no longer with us. He lived about four more years after his one and only road trip and died at the ripe old age of 14. So far, our car trips with Remus and Albus have been confined to short, necessary trips, but you never know what future travel opportunities will bring.
Related: Traveling with Dogs in Style
Use an approved pet carrier when traveling with cats
Don’t use a box or bin to contain your cat during a car ride, and don’t ever pop them in the car and expect them to lay on the seat beside you placidly. When a cat is stressed, they hide, and it is unsafe for a cat to be under the seat when you’re driving. Not only is this distracting, but it’s also dangerous if a cat gets near your feet and impedes your ability to use the gas and brake pedals.
Buy a carrier meant for pet travel. The airline-approved carriers are the best, even if you’re not flying, because they tend to be sturdier than something that’s designed for a shorter trip, such as home to the vet and back.
Don’t leave your cat unattended in the car
If you’re traveling solo, this can present a challenge if you need to use the bathroom or get something to drink. Crack the window and make any breaks ultra-quick, especially if the temperature is above 70 degrees Fahrenheit. If you’re traveling with a partner, use the tag team approach.
Related: How to Prevent Death in a Hot Car Before Tragedy Strikes
Know which pit stops are pet-friendly
Taking a car trip with a cat in a cat carrier may dictate how far you can drive in a day and how long you can stop to take breaks, so make sure you plan for that when deciding how many hours you can drive in a day.
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Map out where you plan to stop and inquire ahead of time whether you can take your cat in a cat carrier to a restaurant or store. You don’t want “No, you can’t bring your cat in here” to be a surprise, so be prepared to do extra homework before you set out.
Should you sedate your cat in the car?
Always seek the advice of your vet before considering any pet anti-anxiety medicine, and never attempt to DIY this. If you think your feline friend doesn’t have the temperament to travel, consider making other arrangements. If it’s essential to travel, such as a cross-country move, ask your vet for the best solution.
We sedated Henry during his big road trip. We knew from experience that he wasn’t a good car traveler. The vet recommended we give him a trial run before travel so we could get a feel for how he’d behave under sedation. He was subdued but still agitated, and the trip upset him. He’s a cat, so I’m just going off his body language and behavioral clues, but if I had to guess what he was thinking during our car trip, it would be a whole lot of “You suck, lady.”
There are also cat-calming diffusers, sprays, and collars that may help ease your cat’s anxiety. We didn’t know about these products when we took Henry on his big trip, but we used them when one of our cats had trouble when we introduced a new pet into the household, and it helped calm her somewhat. I would pack all the cat-calming products if I had another big road trip planned with our cats.
Related: Prevent Motion Sickness with These 4 Tips
Pack their favorite toys and treats when traveling with cats
Blankets, toys, and anything familiar that smells like home might be comforting to a cat who is riding in a pet carrier. Even if your cat doesn’t play with the toys in their carrier, just having something familiar might ease their stress a little bit.
This isn’t the time to introduce new foods or toys. Stick with things your cat knows and likes until travel is complete, and pack the food your kitty is used to eating.
Consider putting a puppy potty pad in the bottom of the carrier, as these are more absorbent than a blanket and also disposable if your pet has an accident. Your cat will try hard not to pee or poop where they’re laying, but if they’re extra stressed or if you have an older cat, they might not be able to help it. The pad will help keep liquid from escaping the carrier, although you’ll want to change the pad and clean up the cat a bit when you stop.
Pack their usual litter box
This was my vet’s advice when we took our car trip with Henry. We decided not to take his usual litterbox because it was so large, but we did scoop his litter into a smaller pan for the trip, which he used when we stopped at hotels along the way.
Pack some cleaning supplies
Accidents happen, and when you’ve got a stressed-out cat in your car, it’s better to be prepared for a mess. Pack some paper towels and some cleaning wipes, as well as plastic bags you can use to dispose of any mess when you reach a stop with a trash can.
Always make sure your cat is secure before you open your car door
I mentioned not letting your cat out of the carrier in your car, and you shouldn’t do that but double-check to make sure your cat is safely inside the carrier before you open your door at a stop. One of my cats is a total Houdini, and we have to use a zip tie for an extra layer of security when we take him in the car. He can escape his very well-constructed carrier during a 10-minute drive, so we don’t trust him to stay in his carrier for a longer trip! Always check.
Don’t be in a hurry, and be patient
When you’re traveling by car with a cat, be willing to let the cat’s needs dictate the trip and accept that choosing a feline as a travel partner will produce a different kind of trip. Whether taking the cat is a necessity or you’re thinking, “Hmm, this might be fun,” it will be unlike any other travel experience. Adding a cat definitely changes the travel dynamic, and it is always about the cat.
If you will stay awhile at your destination, give your cat some space and patience to settle into their new environment. And have fun! You might think traveling with a cat is the best thing ever, or you might put the experience in your “Never again” bucket. Either way, you’ll have some “pawesome” stories to tell.
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Categorized:Car Culture
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