The first time we tried to travel with our cat it was horrible. We put him in a small cat carrier and sat him right next to one of the kids so she could pet him throughout the journey. We thought he would be fine since he was such a mello cat at home. Instead, he ended up spraying the carrier; the two miles with the windows down made everything worse. He started bouncing around the carrier like a feral cat being caught by the dog catcher! At a truck stop, we had to wipe him down with baby wipes while my husband cleaned the carrier. For the first time in his five years with us, he scratched us on purpose and bit us hatefully. I was so mortified I started to fear for his safety! The rest of the trip we rode with him wrapped in a blanket like a baby in our laps. We couldn’t put him back in the carrier and he refused to be put down (he acted like the seats of the car was hot lava and wanted no part of it!)
I have since learned that I did everything wrong that I possibly could on that trip. He wasn’t introduced to the cat carrier before we left; and it was so small we couldn’t give him food, water, or a little box inside with him either. We thought we could stop to let him out on a leash… like our dog (sigh).
How to Travel with Your Cat
Start early. If your cat is still young, start taking your kitten with you when you run errands or go on short visits. If he/she grows up accustomed to travel, you will never have a problem!
Get your cat carrier about a month before your trip and allow your cat to be familiar with it. Add a favorite blanket, her favorite family member’s old t-shirt, and some toys to the inside. IMPORTANT: leave her items in the carrier when it is time to leave too!
Go on a mini-trip to the vet using the carrier as transport! It is great practice and it will give you a chance to discuss medications to make the car ride less stressful.
On the day of your journey, make sure you place your cat carrier on a flat surface (not the tilted seat), and don’t forget to bring food, water, and litter too!
Happy travels!
