Moving House, 3 hour journey - 2 cats. Advice please.

[AlgaeDreams]

Since when was thread title below message? Nevermind...

So... As below (?). I'm moving house in August and am taking my 2 cats with me. It's about a 2.5-3 hour drive and I'm looking for advice on the best way to transport, any calming solutions? Should I involve the vet?
So firstly, I'm already looking at a puppy/dog crate for the youngest. He's approx 7 years old, long haired moggy but think Maincn size (I don't want to write that word regardless). Think small terrier, he's huge! I'd get a cover for it. What should I put in with him? Newspaper base? Water? If water, will it not just spill? My elderly lady bless her is just normal size and I think she'd feel better enclosed in a large cat carrier.

I'm sorry, I honestly don't know, we've only travelled at most for 15 minutes before...

I'm also looking in to litter trays to keep them in so they get to know their new surroundings... Since when did litter trays get so fancy?!

I was reading about Feliway, has anyone used that with success for travelling?

I feel like I want the vet to sedate them! Even getting the big one in will be a challenge as he's very self sufficient in the summer, becomes a homebody in winter.

Sorry, rambling.

Thank you wise ones.

You could ask the vet for advice but I don’t think they’d sedate them
Why don’t you take them to a local cattery the day before and book them in for 2 days to get yourself settled and hopefully that would be less stressful for you ❤️

*Keep them indoors in the new house for a few weeks, not keep them in the litter tray! 🤣 I might have to go to bed and catch up tomorrow!

I wouldn't be able to drive back to get them and drive them 3 hours back. Sorry, I'm confused.

You don’t need to sedate for a car trip unless you have a particularly anxious/feral cat.

Just do a covered carrier (or crate) with some soft bedding in. Put them in a quiet room while the rest of the moving in is done.

I moved 4 cats 1.5 hours away (and they had to spend a further couple of hours in their carriers at the new house). Also been in a lot of car trips with cats due to a family member being an exhibitor.

Drive to where your new house is the day before and drop them off - go back to old house, finish packing
then move the next day
then collect them from cattery near new house the next day or whenever is convenient

my friend did that and she was moving in the same village it was just easier

Thank you. Yes, they'll definitely be in their own room for unloading etc.

No, they're not particularly anxious or feral, they're both quite chilled (apart from hating each other) I'm hoping for a bonding road trip scenario.

Okay, that's good, covered and soft bedding.

In the largest secure crate you can reasonably fit. Don’t put them in together unless they’re litter mates. Line with absorbent vet bedding. Get a spill proof kennel/crate mounted bowl for water. If you’re struggling to find what you need search as if you’re looking for air travel solutions. Feed them before but not in transit. Absolutely no need to sedate them. My cat has done a 10 hour flight so probably around 15 hours total time in transit, twice, when we moved to America and back again, and don’t think he loved it but he’s absolutely fine. A 3 hour drive is nothing.

I can't drive due to my disability, my brother is hiring a transit, driving 100 miles up to me, then 3 hours to new house so back and forth isn't possible.

I once moved a monster cat from the North of England to Wales (about 6 hours with stops and traffic). It was a long time ago, but my vet did give me a (light) sedative for him.

Large carrier with newspaper under his favourite blanket. We stopped every two hours and offered water (using one of those rabbit water bottles through the bars as I'd never have wrestled the bugger back into the carrier). The vet advised no food. He was furious all the way but didn't wee or poo at all.

When we got there he strolled out like he owned the place. We kept him in for a few days and then let him out (hungry) on about day five. All was well and he lived a long and happy life, learning Welsh and menacing the locals. He used to stalk sheep in the fields.

He was a grumpy sod but I loved him. RIP Buster.

Thank you.

Definitely not in together!

That's great advice thank you. Definitely going for as big as possible and will search mounted bowl.

I'm sure they won't like it, I just wasn't sure what was the done thing. I won't like it either, I get so easily bored 🤣

I drove my lot 4 hours to a new home and they were just in their cat carriers and were fine. More recently my bunch travelled from England to Mallorca via road which took a few days and they were totally untraumatised by the experience and behaved impeccably, even with all the customs checks. They weren’t sedated during the trip. 3 hours is nothing - your bunch will be fine.

Three hours is nothing. Just put them in their normal carrier. I have Maine Coons (why can’t you write that out?) and they are pretty chilled though one doesn’t like the carrier as he had an eye op so bad associations but he’ll go in and it just temporary. Don’t sedate them or anything.
However they may get discombobulated with the packing so I’d be more concerned about them then. Do they go out?

Get a crate, chuck a blanket in and off you go, three hours without a drink or access to litter is perfectly fine in this situation, it’s a one off. Spray everything with Feliway and if he grumbles or meows tough if he needs to just get it done and move house!

My parents were worried about their very highly strung boy when they moved four hours away. The vet gave him
gabapentin. In the event he was as good as gold. And they still put him in the cattery near me when they come to stay. My cat also regularly makes the same journey to to stay with my parents and she’s brilliant. She has a Tavo Dupree isofix carrier for the motorway as it’s more secure than her usial
one. She likes it and sits in it by choice if I leave it out.

Packing up is going to be the trickiest thing I think. Last thing you want is for one or both of them to run off and hide with all the commotion. I would completely empty the smallest room in the house the day before (maybe an en suite bathroom?) put the cats in there and fill it with your cat’s beds, toys etc, then lock the door while everything else gets packed up. Then you know they are safe. Put a “CATS! Do Not Enter “ sign on it.

Finally, they are the last thing to be put in the car / van before you go. They are contained & easy to catch and put in their crates. They will also spend as little time in their crates as possible this way.

For the journey, just cover the carriers up with a cloth, they will be fine without food and water for a couple of hours (Just like we are).

When you reach the new house, do the same thing in reverse. Pick a small ‘cat room’ (even under-stairs closet would do) to lock them into straight away (with food and water, and a litter tray obvs) while you unload everything. Then when you’re done for the day, let them explore their new home.

Keep them inside for 2-4 weeks 🐱