Advice on 3 hour journey with our big 8kg cat

[croft85]

Hello

We are moving house/counties soon and I’m starting to think about how to comfortably get our biiiiig 8kg cat moved. He already hates the 15 minute vet journey and stress meows constantly so I want to make sure he’s ok. I have a couple of questions please:

1. Does anyone know of a good extra large cat carrier? We have a supposedly ‘large’ 50x38cm ish one and it’s fine for short journeys but he spins upside down in it (lies on his back in protest and spins round and round) so we need a bigger one. Bigger than the ‘large cat carriers’ in all the shops anyway. Ideally a metal/plastic one.

1. Any tips? Vet said they don’t sedate cats which I wasn’t keen to do anyway but was just checking as don’t like how distressed he gets! Going to buy feliway spray that you spray 20 mins before in corners.

I’m dreading it, he’s such a drama king 😄

Thanks so much for any advice!

P.s. The fur in the photo attached is his Summer coat, he currently has his winter coat so looks even bigger! We call him Gandalf his fur is so long...

No real advice, sorry. Just wanted to say your cat is so majestic💅🏼

Which airline is it? Their website might have further guidance.

This one has good reviews:

Amazon

You need a small dog crate that you can partially cover with a blanket (you can spray feliway on the blanket too).

Have you considered putting him in a cattery whilst you move? I can't imagine how you could load vans and unload/unpack at the other end without a cat losing it's shit and doing a runner in the process.

Oops, wrong link:

Amazon uk

@Raindough Meant to say it’s a car journey not plane. Thanks for his compliment!

@EspressoExpresso thanks, yes just trying to work out which dog crate as want it to have more solid sides like the cat ones do so they feel secure. Yes we’ve thought about other end lots. We’ll move him last after removals and straight into a small but safe annex. Otherwise would have been cattery (although he hates them and protests there too) He’s a very lovable but tricky customer!

We regularly do an 8 hour drive with our cat (that’s not far in Canada). The vet prescribed us Gabapentin. Our girl travels in a huge plastic crate - I think it’s rated for air travel, it’s pretty indestructible

I shamefully am here for the photo, he is gorgeous 😍 I used a dog crate to transport one of mine on a 4 hour car journey. I had a big blanket covering it all so he felt secure. He did a little bit of giving out but was mostly fine. Good luck with the move

I think your age is big enough, being in a enclosed small space makes them feel more secure (just as comfy as hiding under the bed) when they are stressors “outside”,

Cage, not age. Obvs.

I would not get a bigger carrier as long as The one you have slowed him to stand & turn easily.
More space means he could throw himself around with more vigour and hurt himself.

Don't feed him for 4 or five hours befor he travels so he is less likely to be/ feel sick .

Put something that smells of the person he likes the most in the carrier.

Offer him a small amount of his favourite food as soon as you arrive to help him settle

Only use a calming spray if you are sure he is ok with it , I have know it make some cats/ dogs sick .

slowed ? = allows

We moved from Antrim N.I. to Mildenhall Suffolk which included an 8hr ferry crossing. My 6.5KG cat also hates travelling to the point he stress poops on the 15 min journey to the vets. We made sure he wasn't fed the day before, covered the cat carrier with a blanket sprayed with Feliway, shaved his butt fur to stop the inevitable poop from mushing into his long fluffy posterior and carried spare bedding and clean up materials. I cant reassure you that it was a calm journey but i can say he made it with no ill effects. Resigned to his fate he stopped crying continuously around three hours in with only slight protestations hourly to remind us how cheesed off he was throughout the remaining journey.