Traveling with a cat?
 

So many people think that they have dogs who love traveling. But how about traveling with a cat? Anyone took a cat on vacation? <BR><BR>What do you do with a dog when you want to go to museum or restaurant, for example?

I haven't traveled with a cat (the 10 minute trip to the vet is traumatic enough) but apparently people do!<BR><BR>There were articles about this in the Washington Post last year; the author has apparently taken her cat on lots of trips. The other article is a list of reader's tips for traveling with pets.<BR><BR>--I hope it's ok to post the links --<BR><BR>http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A3261-2001Jun14<BR><BR>http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp...6886-2001Jun15

My freak of a cat loves to ride in the car. She gets so excited when it is trip time (and somehow she always knows even before we get out a suitcase) - she likes to stand on my lap and look out the window or lay on the dashboard. I have never taken her to a hotel though.

Last year our cats went to Elysburg, Pa, Middletown and Dayton, Oh, New York, Missouri, a month in Myrtle Beach and then Nashville and 2 months in Florida. What do you want to know?????

meow, take me, meow meow.

My in-laws take their cat camping with them all the time. They have a big conversion van-type camper, so they throw in a litter box and let her roam around the back. Apparently she loves it.<BR><BR>We took our two cats road-tripping cross-country this spring (moving, not for fun), and they seemed to enjoy the car after they got used to it. It was very hard to do anything with them along since you can't leave them alone in the car very long or they'll suffocate (we had warm weather all the way across). A couple nights we went out for long dinners after settling the kitties in our hotel room, although most hotels prohibit you from leaving animals unattended in the room.<BR><BR>We would never take ours along for fun - it's just too scary to think of them getting away from us (since most cats don't come back when you call them). My in-laws' cat is much more laid back and has more of a travelling personality.

My cat also has what I'd call a traveling personality. I'd love to go to Europe, but I never will because I can't bear the thought of going on vacation without my cat, and I'm afraid flying would kill her. So I just travel around the U.S. with my beloved cat in tow. I find hotels that are cat-friendly. When I go to museums and restaurants, I just keep her in her pet caddy. Most places will allow cats if they're properly contained.

You can't take your cat to most (if not all) of Europe because of quarantine regulations upon arrival (weeks or months). A friend actually smuggled his cat across a European border in the trunk of his car several years ago to avoid this. I agree with poster who said trip to vet is traumatic enough, but we had an old lunatic cat many years ago who also liked to ride on dashboard. But he also liked to ride under the seat and to try to extract his hissing mass was unpleasant. In general, I think cats would prefer to remain at home where they are king (or queen) of all they survey.

My little cat didn't love to travel thatt much,because I kept him in his crate..otherwise he would try to climb on the drivers shoulder,Yikes! But he loved exploring the new places he went..he went to Cape Cod when he was about 5 months old.We took him to Montauk every summer to our beach house.As long as he was with us, he was happy.That and a good spot of sunshine to toast himself in:)

I have flown with my cats a couple of times when I went to visit my sister in Vancouver, Canada but will not ever again. I think it is very hard on them.Cats like stability. Also, I'll never forget the time I pulled over at a road side turnout on the highway (in the middle of nowhere) I got out of my car and saw a cat just sitting there. I was just trying to figure out what to do with him when the his owners came back. They realized that he had escaped and had to turn around and backtrack 30 minutes to get him. It's a good thing he didn't go too far or wander out in front of traffic. I love my cats and want them with me all the time but now realize that my cats belong at home and it is selfish of me to take them on long trips.

I have 2 Siamese cats (9 years old). They travel well on short car trips (i.e., under 4 hours). In November I will be going to Florida for 6 months & am trying to figure out how to get my cats there! Can someone please help me! I do not want to drive(very lenghty drive.... about 2 days). Will I be permitted to bring my faithful felines on the plane with me? (It's about a 3.5 hour flight...add on waiting time in the airport) What should I do????

Susan - Yes, you can take your pets on the plane, but check with the airline you want to fly for their rules about flying with pets. I looked into this at one point, but decided against it for my trip because it wasn't very long. If I were going away for 6 months, though, I would want my kitty with me!<BR><BR>There are extra charges each way (up to $100 per pet, depending on the airline), and limits as to how many pets can be in the cabin at one time, usually only two allowed. So you have to make sure to tell the booking agent when you buy your ticket.<BR><BR>Good luck!

Yes, there's a fee to fly with a cat or a dog, whether your pet travels with you in the cabin or is "checked." We've done it, and besides the fee, we had to show proof (at check-in) that our cat was up-to-date on all of her shots.<BR><BR>We were permitted to bring her (in her carrier) into the cabin and had no problems, but rest assured that if someone with severe allergies sees your pet and raises enough of a fuss, you'll be required to let a flight attendant take your pet and "stow" it below.<BR><BR>We've also taken a cat on an extremely long car ride when we moved from New Mexico back to Maryland--three days. This cat hated the car and I really dreaded the trip, so I went to my vet beforehand and got medication to calm her down before the trip. The effect it had on her broke my heart, so after that first day I didn't give her any and she was fine--just curled up either on the back seat or on one of our laps and went to sleep! In the future, I'm going to save the tranquilizers for ME and leave the cat alone!

Years ago, I moved from LA to NYC.I had a tiny little kitten.There was no way I would put her in some kennel in the hold of the plane.So they let me bring her on the plane and she slept in my lap the entire flight.The flight attendants brought her food,it was a happy experience for the Puss and for me.She lived in NYC for 14 years!

Oh, rampant misinformation! The only European country that enforces a quarantine on pets entering is England. That's b/c, as an island nation, it is currently free of rabies and would like to stay that way. Since the only way to test for rabies is to section the brain, the quarantine is intended to contain the animal until symptoms either appear or don't. That said, the quarantine is waaaay too long, and many suspect that its main purpose is to prop up the kennel industry, as you have to pay the daily fee while your pet is in quarantine. If England ever joins the EU, it is thought that they will have to seriously reconsider their quarantine as an obstacle to free movement among EU nations.<BR>Now, we took our 5 cats to Germany for a year, and while there was no quarantine, there was a good bit of paperwork to do, and some minor fees to pay. 2 went in the cabin with us, the other 3 into the hold below. The ones in the cabin were fine, if antsy, but the ones in the hold were terrified, judging from their state when we retrieved them, and I would avoid ever doing that again.<BR>BTW, Hawaii also imposes a quarantine on entering pets--again, island, no rabies. Anyone know of others?

We have also driven across the country several times with all five cats in tow. The main problems for us were: high summer temps meant we couldn't leave them in the car to, say, sightsee along the way or even eat lunch in a restaurant; and, even with water, food and litter boxes available in the car, the cats just shut down and hunkered in their carriers all day long. They relaxed in the motel at night, but I would feel bad travelling with them just for "pleasure". We hire a cat sitter to come to our house once a day while we're away and see to the cats and the mail, etc., so we can travel guilt-free.

Lynn, I had the exact same experience with tranqs for the cat--he staggered around half-blind for hours after the pill was supposed to have worn off. Never again! He does much better without them, but he still hates his carrier and the car.

There are exceptions to every rule, but most cats probably would prefer to stay at home if they had a choice. If you do choose to travel with a pet, make sure that they are wearing a collar and an identification tag. I've heard enough horror stories about cats scooting out of a car at a rest stop or restaurant, never to be found again. Best to confine them within a carrier everytime the car door or window is opened. Also I would make sure that you always travel with copies of all their medical records too. <BR>KathyH

I didn't mention it in my above post but both of my cats are microchipped. Maybe something to look into if you travel with your cat (not that it takes the place of being cautious, alert, etc...). Neither of my cats are outdoor cats and neither shows any interest in wanting to go outside. <BR><BR>My boy cat is so docile that he just sits quietly wherever he goes. He was a rescue and traveled to me on a plane with his foster mom from Texas. She said he never made a sound and she gave him no meds. When he goes to the vet, he sits quietly in his carrier. The girl, who we have had longer, is the one who loves traveling in the car. She has many other weird habits too but I just love her.

Hi Cathy - We've taken our 3 cats on our road trip vacations for the past 3 years. We are planning another road trip this summer and are looking forward to taking them again!<BR><BR>My cats have always been pretty laid back, so I think that really helps alot. I could see where a very high strung or nervous cat would be miserable traveling by car.<BR><BR>We fix the back of our SUV up for them by putting the seats down and laying down a quilt from home. Then we put their carriers and litterbox in, along with food and water dishes. Our stuff gets stuck up top in the roof carrier! :-)<BR><BR>The first 15 minutes are usually when they complain (meowing), then they settle down and sleep, or just look out the window. Whoever is sitting in the passenger seat is the official cat holder. They each like to take turns in the passenger's lap to sit and look out the window.<BR><BR>If we ever do have to leave them in the vehicle, we make it short, and we leave it running with the A/C on and the doors locked. We always keep spare keys on us, so we just use the spare to open the door.<BR><BR>We always search for cat-friendly hotels via the internet before we leave. Our final destination is usually a cabin. The cats love to sit in the window and survey the new surroundings. I have noticed that they are usually tired and will sleep hard the first night in the cabin. Then they are back to their old selves for the rest of the week.<BR><BR>The first year we vacationed with them we were staying in a cabin that had cabins on either side of it, and parking for all of us in the front. Everytime we returned to the cabin, the cats must have heard the sound of tires on the gravel, and their little heads would pop up & look out the window to see who it was. Having them there was like having a little bit of home with us.<BR><BR>I would recommend car-tripping with your cat to any cat lover... It's something we've really enjoyed over the years.

<BR>When will you humans learn that your only use to us is to feed us and pet us when we so desire. We sure as hell don't want to be stuck with you on some stupid vacation. Leave us at home with arrangements for someone to come by and feed us and clean our litterbox and we will be very happy cats. Stay gone as long as you like. purrrrrr

the first time I took the family kitty to the vet, many years ago, I just threw her in the car with me. needless to say she was not amused.<BR><BR>had she ONLY climbed on my shoulder/head, it would not have been as bad. but, she ran around and around and around inside the car. finally decided to settle RIGHT underneath the brake pedal. this is not a good spot for cats.<BR><BR>that was a nightmare trip - funny, but a nightmare. and did she YOWL.<BR><BR>never did that again..<BR><BR>HRH

To the person who microchips your cat, that is very good, but they should also have collars and tags. Not all shelters have scanners to read chips and even if the do, in a lot of places, cats are hardly ever scanned for chips. Dogs yes, but cats no.<BR>KathyH

Kathy,<BR><BR>Yes, I completely agree. My cats have collars and tags too. The boy cat came microchipped by the rescue group so I decided to have the girl done too in case she ever got her collar off. You can never be too careful and I would be heartbroken if anything happened to either of them!

Glad I found this thread as I had planned on contacting my vet but its great to hear what other people do. My cat has no problem traveling short distances, he never yowls but curls up and goes to sleep in his carrier. I have traveled up to 4 hour this way with no problems. Next month however I am moving from Chicago to Charlotte, NC and will be driving my car out there over the course of 2 maybe 3 days. What do I do with the cat? How do I feed him? How does he go to the bathroom? I was thinking about packing a small litter box and a leash and getting out at rest stops and letting him out of his carrier and on a leash to go to the litter box. Should I just travel without him in the carrier in the car and set up a litter box in the backseat? I have never let him out of the carrier in the car before. Also I think he would be tentative to use the litter box in the car or even eat. What do I do?

Carrie,<BR><BR>I buy one of those disposable litterboxes for the car - you can usually get them at Jewel or Dominick's or one of the pet stores. This will sound totally gross but my cat gets so excited about riding in the car (see my above post) that she immediately jumps into the litterbox and pees. I have also made the mistake of leaving the food bag in the car (instead of in the trunk of the car) while we are driving and she has basically dug a hole in the bag and helped herself. That being said, every cat is different and it might be wise to ask your vet for some tips. Also search the net for sites like Animal Planet and Petco that have articles on this topic. I just quickly checked petco.com and they have an article on handling a road trip with your cat. Good luck!

Carrie - we had exactly the same concerns when we moved cross-country with our cats. I worried about it for weeks ahead of time - especially the litter box thing. What we ended up doing, on recommendation from our vet, was keeping the backseat totally free of anything except a comfy blanket and a carrier. We left the door of the carrier open while driving so they could wander in and out, and then usually locked them up before opening the doors so they wouldn't escape (they never really tried).<BR><BR>As for the litter box, we have a pass-through that we left open so they could wander in and out of the trunk, where we kept the litte box. They didn't ever use it in the car (only at night after we were well settled at our hotel), but one of them decided that it was a nice cozy place to sleep! A little gross, but we made sure to keep it nice and clean.<BR><BR>We also kept food and water in dishes on the floor, but they pretty much ignored them. As for letting them roam loose in the car, I had my mom with me, and she kept them from climbing all over me while I was driving (and they sure tried). I wouldn't want to have them loose if I was driving by myself.<BR><BR>Definitely discuss it with your vet - ours made us feel much better. They may also give you a certificate of health, which was important for us coming into California (not sure if it's important when crossing into other states). Good luck!

be careful, a friend's at jumped out of her car in New Orleans & was never heard from again

My grandmother and grandfather drove from Arizona to NC with her Siamese cat.Every so often they would stop and she would take the cat out on a leash and the cat would go to the bathroom on the side of the road! I have never seen a cat like that since.Too bad that damn cat hated everybody:)

Although the cats mentioned here were well behaved, I've experienced cats that meowed constantly during a flight. Nowhere near as bad as a wailing baby or kid though.

meow, be nice to me i'm cute and purr to you, meow meow meow

Leave the xxxxx cat home - just because you want to travel does not mean the cat wants to. Set some mice loose in the house before you go to keep it occupied.

Thanks alex and cg for the info. I will check with my vet as well. Only problem now is that change makes my cat nervous and when he gets nervous he sheds. He may be bald by the time I arrive and get moved inot the new apartment in NC!!!!!!!

If you plan to put you cat on a leash and collar, I'd suggest rather than just a collar you use what is called a figure eight harness. Cats can slip out of collars pretty easily if they want. A harness is a little safer. Also let him get used to it and the leash at home first.<BR>Kathy

To "c"...don't be too hard on the poor Siamese cat. We had one and it loved everyone in the family, but if someone came into the house it turned into an attack cat! It even bit people that came to the house frequently! I think it's part of the breed.

Both of my cats are siamese. They have never attacked anyone. The boy just runs and hides.

I know my cats wouldn't travel well, but I did read a really good book a few months ago, "The Cat Who Covered the World" by Christopher Wren. It's written by NY Times journalist who traveled the world and lived abroad (Russia, Italy, Egypt and other places, I think) with his family...and cat. There are lots of anecdotes about stodgy foreign diplomats crumbling and cooing when they met the kitty. :)

Be careful in hotels. We went to Savannah (very nice, new, clean looking hotel)and our cat got his paw stuck on a sticky mouse trap. They were four others all over in the room-easily acessible by animals or CHILDREN. He didn't get hurt, just a sticky paw, but he will not stay with us in a hotel.

Carrie-- For what it's worth, our cats HATE leaving their carriers during a road trip. I've tried the harness thing, and they were just terrified, forget about using the litter box or eating or drinking. I hope your cat is more mellow, but if s/he's not, think about this: s/he probably sleeps all day at home, and I know my cats don't eat or drink much at all during the day, nor do they really use the litter box. So keeping them in their carriers all day in the car isn't as cruel as it sounds, as long as you keep your driving day to 8 hours or less and offer food, etc. in the hotel at night.

I have never travelled with my cat (just putting her in her carrier is a trying experience), but my sister flew my cat from New Jersey to Omaha, NE to bring her to live with me. She had to pay $80 for the cat and check with the airline directly, because they only allow 1 pet p/plane. She also had to provide documentation from a vet proving that the cat passed a recent physical. <BR><BR>The whole experience was very upsetting for my cat, but worth it. Now she has a great home and a happy life.