Driving to France with cat - any tips?

[MarmMummy]

Hi, we are driving to France with out 5 year old cat for the first time this year. It’s about a 14 hour journey. Anyone have any top tips to share?! TIA

Poor cat. A horribly long car journey and then what, you’ll be checking all the time it’s still in the house and then the journey back. You’ll need to keep it in one room to make sure it doesn’t escape. How is this benefiting the cat?

I can see this post heading for Classics!!

Are you out of your mind??

Your cat is anxious by nature and not young. Apart from the distressing car journey, there is a significant risk of losing your cat in France. He may go off exploring and get lost. He won't be on his own turf and may get disorientated. That would be my bigger worry.

Don’t do this, it’s just absolutely, totally mad. Are you out of your mind?
The journey there and back will be horrendously stressful for your cat, plus being stuck indoor in an unknown place. You obviously can’t let her out because she will get lost and you’ll never find her again.
Just focus on arranging everything for her to be left at home; get the catsitter to sit in for a good half an hour a day and come in twice a day if possible, get her lots of treats, new toys and plug in Feliways. If you think she is stressed on her own at home, I can’t explain you how much more stressed she will feel travelling and being in an unfamiliar place. It is plain dangerous.

@caitlinohara

I can’t help thinking the cat will be way more stressed by the journey than you leaving her. Could you not use a cattery?? I would be worried about her running off whilst on holiday in a strange place, never mind by the journey!

^ This

Find a lovely cattery at home and let her stay there, or get a cat sitter to live at your house. Such a long round trip isn’t fair and I’d be terrified she’d get lost whilst you’re there and then you really will be scuppered.

None of my business & I don’t usually hang out in the litter tray, but anyway ... really?!? I am a dog person. My dogs have always travelled easily & my pre-child dog travelled the length & breadth of the UK with me (well, certainly went to Lands End, Norfolk, Aberdeen & the Lakes, so pretty close). But I wouldn’t travel 14 hours (28 in fact) with my dogs for a fortnight & they could go out - on a lead - & enjoy the sea & so forth at the end of it. I am no cat expert but what is your cat going to gain from this?!

@BarrelOfOtters

We used to take our cat on holiday on a barge. She was fine apart from getting pregnant one year, TBF this was the 70s and things were different then.

That’s the risk of a holiday romance coming home upduffed

If she pulled her hair out staying at home what do you think she is going to be doing after 14 hours in a cat box ? Just book a cattery , the whole scenario is ludicrous.

My parents frequently travel the same from uk to their home in France with their cat when she was still alive. She wasn't ecstatic about it but was ok. She'd be in her cage, and my parents made sure she had plenty of food and water and 1-2 stops to check or clean up.What helped if they would break down the driving over two days and stop overnight. They'd bring the cage in and let her out overnight in the bathroom.

@unfortunateevents

You were planning to transport her in a dog basket?! and are just thinking maybe you should buy a crate?! Were you seriously going to do a 14 hour journey with a cat loose in your car and rely on your children petting her to keep her calm. Words honestly fail me.

It’s a proper travel dog basket, as she’s a big cat, Not the kind that a dog would lie in at home. I’m surprised by how anti everyone is to this plan. Maybe we are just a weird family. Our two Siamese cats holidayed in Scotland with us, travelling loose in the car from Kent so maybe my perspective is a bit warped! I have the cat sitter lined up already, but I also now have a pet passport and a special amendment to my Eurostar booking!

Please don't! Our cat had a traumatic experience and never recovered. It really wasn't something you'd perceive as that bad and it was unfortunate but he really was a very difficult pet after that and although we loved him dearly until the very end, I really would avoid super stressing a cat out in any way after seeing it permanently affect him. A cat sitter in the familiar environment that he knows is a great idea!

Also would you really be happy with him going outside in an unfamiliar environment? I'd be terrified he'd get lost!

Its not just the long journey its your plan to just let her roam when you get there.

Your 100% responsible for this cat & if you make a mistake she’s the one who suffers.

Rather stupidly it hadn’t sunk in that even if she survives the trip and the stay there is the return journey too !
Because of this I double my very strong ‘don’t do it’ stance For her benefit first and foremost - in fact now solely concerned for your poor cat !

I don’t think this is a mad idea. But do bear in mind you may want to keep her in before you start packing to come home. As she’ll see a suitcase and scoot.

This is a terrible, terrible, terrible, terrible, terrible idea!!

The cat will be much more traumatised by both the journey and the new surroundings than she would be by having a cat sitter, and the chances of losing her in your holiday destination are very high. Do you really want to spend your holidays with all doors and windows closed? What if she manages to get out anyway? If you have children you can't trust them to be careful with doors. If she gets out she could easily be lost for good, because after all you will only be there for two weeks.

Do not do this.

What, hang on, you weren't planning to keep her inside in the holiday destination?! OMFG!!!

I wouldnt for 2 weeks tbh.
My mum used to take her cat down to france every year but it was a holiday home and they would spend a long time there. The first time they did it, the cat hid for about a week in fear. She did get used to it and enjoyed it as a second home eventually when she began to recognise it as her territory, but for a 2 week holiday It wont be worth the trauma for her. Id get someone to cat sit her at home and if she is a bit stressed by it, then still better than the stress of an unfamiliar territory

@pandafunfactory

Don't let them out of the container at the roadside ever.

This.

My brother drove to Spain with his. At Calais he opened the car door slightly, while the cat box was open... then spent the next 5 hours searching for the bloody cat!

He found him eventually and all was well - but for a while there he was starting to think he'd have to leave the cat to fend for itself in France :(

He was moving. No way would he go through this again for a holiday.

Yeah, please don't do this to your cat, Op. If it was for a permanent move, fair enough (DH and I have driven 14 hours--not nonstop, mind you-with our cats for relocation purposes and it was a miserable journey) but a 2 week holiday?

The cat won't even have a chance to recover from the trauma before it it'll get thrown back into the car for the return journey. Your kitty has already shown they cannot cope with stressful situations. Don't subject it to more.

I'm amazed anyone who knows anything about cats at all is contemplating this. You have to keep them in for 2 weeks when you move !

When you’re at your destination are you planning to let the cat roam freely? Or keep her indoors with all windows and doors shut?

This is the bit that worries me most, I wouldn’t be able to keep my cat in and would worry about her returning if I let her out.

Is your current cat a Siamese type?

I don't think you can use your childhood ones as a benchmark if not befuse they're definitely different to other breeds!

I agree that there's no way I'd arrive at a new place with my cats and let them out. If she can't even stay in her own house without being stressed out by a small change in routine, how will she cope with this?

I’m surprised by how anti everyone is to this plan.

Really? It's a terrible idea!

OP, this is not really a good idea.