Advice needed for transporting a cat in the car, who hates his cat box.

[ItWasnaMeGuv]

For his whole life (18 years) my cat's cattery has been a five minute drive away. That journey was upsetting for him but it was five minutes so doable. Cattery closed recently, owner retired, and I found another suitable place 30 minute drive away. I took him there for Christmas period and he cried the whole time in the car, pooing in the box . The return journey was the same. There must be an alternative, we can't go through that again.

My question is, how can I safely transport my cat in the car? He is not afraid of the car as he likes to hop in when I get home from work and open the door, and he wanders about the front and back quite happily. Do I get a harness and attach him to the seatbelt? Is that even safe? Are there massive containers that will fit on the back seat that he might prefer (or may not, anyway ).

My daughter is a house/pet sitter with a well-known agency and she has pet-sat around the UK and Europe, currently in Canada. I like the thought of my elder cat staying put while we are away, but am deeply embarrassed that my home is NOT like the places my daughter pet sits at. It is "lived in" . I asked her and she said "mum, the most important thing is that the animal/s you are caring for are friendly, happy and content that you are there, not the decor" (she had one bad experience with an aggressive cat). In that case a prospective cat sitter would surely be very happy as my cat is gentle, cuddly and friendly 24/7.

Still, I'd like some of you mumsnetters with experience to tell me your experiences and advice. Do I persevere with a 100% safe cattery experience or try a cat-sitter live-in?

Gabapentin did not work for my cat. She needs cat Valium.

I would take my cat who hated the carrier in a big comforter. He enjoyed that. You need two people to do this though. One to drive and another to hold the cat.

Just get someone to cat sit. I would never put my cat in a cattery. She'd be so stressed. Cats are usually very territorial and taking them out of their home/territory is very stressful to them.

We leave a cat feeder out for a couple of days away, and have someone popping in twice a day for longer trips away. But I can see that won't work for you, so just get a cat sitter. As long as your home is clean I don't think it matters that it's "lived in".

We also have Hive and put the heating on for the cat when we are away! She is more likely to dose in her bed by the radiator then

I bought this and will take cat out for a trial drive to see how he settles.

I cannot seem to post a link so it is a KYG Dog Car Seat Cover with side protection. I also got an escape proof cat harness. If it doesn't work I can give the car seat protector to a dog owner . I am hopeful though because he will have plenty of roaming space and with his favourite fleece blanket and a handful of Dreamies, he may not even realise we are moving. It should come next week so I will update success or failure.

Update!

Took cat out in harness and back seat dog cover with safety clip for harness. Sadly, he pooed after 25 minutes.

Visited vet and got a couple of Gapapentin tabs. He took one on Saturday morning and, two hours later I took him out for a drive. Success! No pooh! He did complain at first but then sat quietly. I just need to phone vet to get more pills when required.

Fantastic! The gabapentin really is magical!

Great update. Good puss

I've had an epiphany. I had to take Mewler to the vet today for her annual service. Instead of giving her Gabapentin, I took a Lik-E-Lix in a small pot. It worked like a treat. A bit of growling combined with yum yum noises aside, no problems