We are going to be moving from New York State to Florida . . . and, of course, taking "Izzy kitty" with us. When we had our motorhome, we allowed Izzy to "roam the home" while traveling (yeah, I know -- not safe) because he continually meowed when in a carrier. In the car, there's no way that he will be allowed to roam. So . . . here are my questions (so far):We found a "pet safety travel tube" in an airline Sky Mall catalog and on the Web. There are two sizes. We know that cats usually prefer being in a smaller environment, but we wondered whether a "tube" that adjusts from 2 1/3' to 4' would be a good (or bad) idea for a long trip. At 4' we could probably put a small litterbox inside. One nice feature of these tubes is that they are made to incorporate the car's seat belt.When traveling full days, how do you handle litterbox "duties" (pun intended <G>), assuming we're *not* using the very large travel tube?Any suggestions regarding appropriate carriers, etc., would be greatly appreciated!
Judy MadnickAlbany, NY"Today is the first day of the rest of my life."
Carry a current photograph of your pet with you. If your pet is lost during a trip, a photograph will make it easier for others (airline employees, the police, shelter workers, and others) to help you find your pet.
Hi!
Thanks to both of you for your responses. We moved at the end of June, and Izzy-kitty made it here fine. I must admit, however, that we ended up allowing him to be outside of his carrier after day one of a three-day trip, as his meowing was interfering with my husband's ability to concentrate on his driving AND he was clawing at the door of his carrier and we were afraid he was going to harm himself. We had a mild "natural" sedative for him, which didn't help at all. Maybe *we* should have taken it. LOL!
We weren't thrilled about having him outside the carrier. But he was very well-behaved and, fortunately, there were no incidents, such as a motor vehicle accident or even having to stop short. We were extremely careful getting out of the car, taking turns doing so, and we ate our meals in the car. Well, we wouldn't have left him in the car alone anyhow. We don't anticipate taking any car trips with him in the future, so hopefully we won't have to deal with this again. When we take him to the vet's office, he's always in his carrier.
Thanks again for your replies.
Judy Madnick"Today is the first day of the rest of my life."
Strange that the writer let her pet loose in the car which I think is dangerous.
We're the ones who let our cat loose in the car -- and we don't disagree that it's dangerous in the event of an accident. However, it was a question of our sanity at that point, and without that, we never would have made it to our new home. [sigh] There was no time that we both left the car at the simultaneously, so we could be sure that Izzy didn't escape, and Izzy was nowhere near the accelerator. Again, the concern is always an accident or having to stop short . . . but sometimes we have to make difficult choices.
I recently traveled with two of my cats, and I don't think I could survive a long distance travel. It was less than two miles to the vet, and their loud chorus of meows was deafening.
We just returned from our new vet -- just about two miles away also. It reminded us that traveling with kitty for long distances simply isn't an option.
We typically use a cat sitter who comes to our home; however, the new vet has a nice condo setup for kitties. While it's not "home," we're thinking about trying it to see how Izzy fares. It's nice to know that he's not alone for 23+ hours per day.
Hi,
I frequently travel short trips with my cat, Fluffy, in the car - usually about a half hour or an hour. I found he was very anxious when enclosed in his cat carrier. He would meow pitifully and scratch at the carrier door. My solution was to buy him a harness - like used for walking a dog. I tie the leash to the passenger door handle, leaving just enough leeway for him to sit comfortably in the passenger seat. This way I can reach over and pat and reassure him while driving, and I don't have to worry about him getting loose and underneath my feet. On these short trips, we haven't had to worry about catbox problems. What I do use at home is puppy training pads instead of litter - Mr. Fluffy doesn't seem to like the feel of litter on his feet. One puppy training pad cut in two fits perfectly into two litter boxes. As soon as he uses a pad, I roll it up, stick it in a doggy duty disposal bag, and toss it out in the trash. No poppy or urine odors lingering, and no litter tracked onto the carpet. When I bring him to visit a friend, I bring along a pad or two. One laid out in the friend's bathroom and shown to Fluffy tells him where it is okay to go. Hope these suggestions help someone out there and their kitty.
Fluffy is strictly an indoor cat, but I do take him out for walks in the fresh hair on nice days - he walks along proudly on his leash (when he feels like it, otherwise, he sits until I carry him.) Oh, well, at least we both get some fresh air. :-)
