Moving next to Cats across the Country? Tips needed! ?
We are contemplating a move from where we live now in the South West to the East Coast to be near family.
We have a multi-cat household and are trying to figure out what is the best instrument to move with Cats?
With having several, so flying them there is not practicable - it will most likely be a four to five day driving trip in any the spring or following fall.
Anyone out there accomplish this?
Recommendations for traveling, keeping them safe & as comfortable as possible would be appreciated!
I would categorically not recommend driving that far with them. Not only is it going to be very rock-hard on them enduring long hours in the car but the possibility of them getting loose and lost somewhere along the way is very high.
The best course to get them to your new home would be to move them with a friend while you drive to your new home. Then once you're here have your friend put them in cargo on a flight to you. My friend did this beside his dog when he moved from Florida to Washington state and it worked perfectly. Delta is the one he used and I used them as well when I moved myself, my cats, dog and ferrets up to Seattle.
If your cats do not get vehicle sick, half of your problem is solved. Transport them in crates, make certain they have harnesses and leashed for when you stop for a break. Some cats like to ride surrounded by the car, others are terrified. Surely you have taken your cats to a vet at some point, how did they behave, that will grant you a clue. Take along a litter pan and litter, if they are trained to use it. Be careful within exiting the car when you walk them as they can escape in a moment if not secured with harness and leash.
As for flying them to your destination, cargo is the worst place for a pet. It can be extremely hot or very cold. If you plan to go that route, check into the airline thoroughly about this procedure. It can be markedly traumatic to either a cat or dog to fly in the cargo hold near no human in attendance.
Do not let your cats loose in the sports car unless they are well behaved, as they can easily distract the driver or hair under the seat and escape in a heartbeat whether the door is opened for any reason> Careful about rolling windows down also.
Answers: Some resources:
http://www.thepetcenter.com/gen/travcat.
http://www.for-the-love-of-cats.com/Trav...
http://www.thecatsite.com/Care/13/Travel...
My own tips:
-Make certain the cats are acclimated to their crates and the car before the trip
-Bring some kind of small, confidently portable litterbox with a bag of litter
-Take away their food an hour formerly getting the car
-Make sure they have collars next to up-to-date contact information (i.e. a cell #)
-Expect at least one cat to be a yowler, so have plenty of music!
Here. Let me prepare you for the trip:
meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow
meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow
I did this from Chicago to Reno. 5 days. One cat. I had him surrounded by the extra cab of the truck, with the owner on one side and a tunnel leading to a litterbox tent on the other side.
The first two days, all I heard be what's written above. And he had a full on freak out and chewed through his canvas carrier.
By daytime three, he had worn himself out and finally went to sleep.
Hotel-wise, the first night I brought him contained by the room in the carrier. Pulled him out and he ran beneath the bed.
In the morning I pulled him out from under the bed and continued the drive.
But by night #4, no carrier be needed to get to the room, and I'd just toss him on the bed when we got contained by the room and he'd run around exploring, leaping, playing, and sitting in the window.
I of late moved to California last month. Gave an herbal sedative to the cat, coated the carrier within lavender, and filled it with catnip. He did ok, save the occassional fit of trying to 'dig' his path out of the carrier. I also drove at night, and I think that made a difference.
Good luck!
Flying would bet the easiest you you and the cats.
I flew with my cat to NY and CA on the airplane as a carry on, and back.
There's https://www.flypets.com/ I never used it earlier but it might be worthwhile to check out.
Get adjectives the cats harnesses,
stop every hour for a toilet break,
water and nibbles.
Cat crates with their favorite blankets within, and something warm and snuggly. I recommend i microwaveable heat pad to put within the bottoms of the crates.
Car trips can be fine for most cats. Get flexible cat carriers and make certain they're secured in the car.
If your cats are fussy on long trips you can safely bequeath them benadryl to sedate them. The dosage is approximately 1 MG per pound; usually about partly a child dose will be fine.
I've taken cats 1200 miles from California to Texas and as long as they have nice carrying cases they should be fine. Five days is a long time though so you may need to stay in motels etc. more commonly than usual so the cats can have potty breaks; bring a box and litter obviously.
It really depends on how many you own and how old they are. Kittens are the easiest of course. Also some of your cats might be more relaxed if they're free to roam the sports car. It's not recommended because they might freak and affect your driving but it depends on how you feel.
There's also a spray called feilawey that you can receive at most pet stores to calm your pets down (You spray it in their bedding).
The important entry is taking potty breaks. Obviously you don't want to set your cat free so you'll want to slightly reduce their food/water intake to when you're at a resting place. Most motels don't like pets but I say who care, as long as you clean up they probably won't even notice.
Best of luck, I've never taken a 5 Day trip with animals, that's pretty far!
I moved from San Antonio Texas to Washington Dc, with 3 dogs & 4 cats,oh yeah I was 6 months pregnant. Is possible believe me, as long you are organized,also since your trip is not any time soon sort sure that you get your animals used to long trips so what I recommended 3-6 months prior your big move, take trips near your cat's, start small first like a 30 minute car ride, then move up the time so they can grasp used the idea being in their crate while contained by the car. Also on the day of the trip limit yourself to food but not marine,since they will be nervous,also make sure that you enjoy a place in the car that they will feel secure,either a special blanket that they lay on that has your scent so they know that your are near. If you are stopping at a hotel to sleep over, trademark sure that you put them in the bathroom with their litter box. I yearning you the best of luck on your adventure it's going to be great just plan ahead,be organize past you know it you will be at your destination, and your kitties will be alright, but they will be mad at you for a little while consequently they will get over it. Best of luck!
Several years ago, my mother moved from the northern midwest to southern Texas. She did so next to many cats AND dogs (they were moving from a farm to a unusual farm). They drove, and she did it with only the help of her husband.
The critters be all crated and grouped according to their "cliques". They were in a terrifically large van (had good ventilation). I know that she made the biggest effort to hold the trip as short as possible. They took short breaks to nap rather than taking overnights (with such a crew that would have be nearly impossible).
I know that the saving grace came from her vet. I'm not sure precisely what it was called, but they were competent to give her some sort of "pet valium" that helped to calm them and keep hold of everyone sane for the trip. I'm sure some may argue against medicating them, but she didn't know how she could have managed such a trip minus it. My mother is a lifelong animal freak who constantly puts the welfare/care of her pets even in front of her own (sometimes to her own detriment, but that's another story=).
Good luck with your move!!
We drove beside two cats from Arizona to Minnesota. Because my cats get along well, we got a German Shepherd Dog sized shipper to put them both in, along with a litter box. That worked out well.
I have this not-so-brilliant idea of putting them in harnesses and taking them out of the saloon on leashes at rest stops so they could stretch their legs. That did not work out so well. One of my cats got spooked by a family next to little kids, ran to the end of her leash, and flipped out. Literally. Flipped around so hard that she loosened the harness and get out. She was running so fast across the parking lot toward the highway, there be no way I could catch her. Fortunately, there be a guy getting out of his car, right where she was head. He saw what was going on, and stood in her way. She turned around, and started running for some field - again, so fast I had no chance of catching her. Again, fortunately, other inhabitants saw what she was doing, and made a circle around her. That's how I was able to corner her. Those people were her guardian angels that day. Please cram from my mistake, and keep your cats inside their carriers. They can and will survive the confinement.
You might consider getting some Rescue Remedy to help near the stress for the cats. It is safe for cats, and you can put it either in the fur aft their ears, or in their food, to help calm them. Get it at your local robustness food store. Or you can talk to your veterinarian to discuss the possibility of sedatives - since you may enjoy to have health certificates for your cats to transport them across state lines, besides.
One hint for finding lodging at a bargain: You know those travel "magazines" given away free at places approaching Denny's and truck stops, with all the ads for attractions and restaurants and motels? You might might some tangible bargains in those. We found a decent (clean but not new) motel, owned and run by a kinfolk rather than a chain, that was $35 (including a $5 charge per cat) for the night.
Best of luck with your trip. May it be safer and smoother than ours was.
