Travelling with cats

[HeyManIJustWantSomeMuesli]

I am moving house soon, we will have about a three hour drive and I'm worrying about transporting our fours cats; I'm thinking I should get a dog crate/cage for the car with food, water, a blanket and a litter tray. We will probably transport them two at a time as they naturally pair off and we will be back and forth a lot for the first few weeks so no need to cram them all in one journey.

Does anyone have experience of travelling that far with cats who only ever go in the car for the vet (they've moved house a few times before but never more than a 20min drive!)

Should/can I get some sort if Feliway type thing to help keep them calm?

Thanks

I often take cats on a two hour drive or so (down to our sanctuary) and they seem generally fine (although I've never done it without at least one having a shit just as we set off, thus fragrancing the car for the entire journey:) ). I don't think I'd put them in a dog crate in the car, they'd be too likely to be thrown around. They'll be fine in carriers.

Feliway has to be plugged in, so it won't work in a car. It could be handy for the other end though.

A dog crate might be very useful at the other end as well. You'll need to keep them in for at least three weeks to get used to their new surroundings. And when you're in the process of moving in there will be lots of doors opening and closing I imagine, so you could shut them in a dog crate then. Alternatively just put them in a small room as soon as you arrive and make sure no one opens the door again until all the moving in has finished.

I've taken a cat on holiday several times - once on a touring holiday. They should be fine. Just treat it quite matter of factly and don't listen to any protestations; which should moderate quite quickly.

Oh - and don't let them out while the car is moving.

Best of luck.

A friend here in the village takes her cat back to Poland every summer. They go for 2 months, the cat roams the farm her family have there, then they all head back in the car for a three day cross Europe journey.

They have done it for a few years and say the cat seems quite content. I did offer to feed it for them but they said it would miss it's holiday!

Thanks for all the replies; I hadn't thought about them getting thrown around in a larger crate, good point.

I'm jealous of all these calm, travelling cats; mine go bonkers and one gets car sick (and always craps on the way to and/or from the vet)! Hopefully a longer journey will give them time to calm down.

I've only ever had one accident - a poo - in all the years of travelling. They seem to cross their legs re pees but I guess if you've got to poo......

Just take a few towels, plastic bags, kitchen towels and some spray something or other to treat accidents. (The towels go on the base of the container and can be quickly whipped away and put in plastic bags if they're soiled for future washing. I know some posters have also had great success with puppy training pads which can just be chucked altogether.)

And yes - a longer journey should give them time to calm down. Mine generally take about 15-30 minutes to shut up altogether. (Apart from the odd squawk to remind you they're there.)

On a long journey they will sleep. Don't worry about food and water, in fact keep them hungry ans feed as soon as you get to the new place.

The packing and unpacking can be more disturbing, if you can confine them to one room at each end of the journey it will keep them calmer.

Yes to feliway.

After a 34 hour journey to the UK, then a four hour car journey, I might be able to advise a little.

Firstly, they need their own crate. One per cat. Cats have funny turns when scared... Your journey will be a very long cats choir, but they will be fine: Cats can go without toileting (usually) for up to 24 hours. My male will poop on the way to/from the vets almost without fail but did not soil his crate at all when I moved to the UK.

That said, I lined each tray with 'puppy pads', which I don't know if you can get in the UK, but essentially like nappies but flat. An alternative is to get a towel and fold in cling film/plastic, so it absorbs, but does not leak. Have several spare so if any soiling takes place, grab cat, replace lining, put cat back, dump towel in litter bin...

No need for food/water or a litter tray at all if it's just a few hours. In fact, when we did the 34 hour trip, we were advised not to feed/water six hours before the flight. I did give them water after 12 hours (during a layover), but they barely drank, and defo did not eat the treats given to them.

You'll be fine. If your cats are anything like mine, they'll go into a trance and you'll be the one fretting.

Happy journeying...

Thanks for all your responses; especially with regards to them not needing food/water for the journey. I was getting all panicky about them getting thirsty (god knows why, I know they sleep in one spot for bloody hours without a drink all the time!)

Take a bottle of water/bowl and some kibble with you just in case but you're unlikely to need it. The weather (no seriously hot days) is on your side at the moment.