long car trip with a cat

[shazann]

My partner has got a job in another town so we will be moving about five hours drive away. Can anyone suggest anything to make it easier for our cat on the long trip?
She has only been on short car rides to the vet before and i don't want her to be stressed.

[MYoungAtHeart]

My girls go every weekend with me to my cabin which is 3/4 hours away.  They have their own little Pink Cage and when not traveling, I keep the cage in the living room so that they can go in and out of it truly making it their own so when the cage is put in the truck, they are already comfortable in it.  

I have never had to use any feliway or meds with them for the trip, they settle down as soon as I turn the key in the ignition and leave the driveway....

Good luck to you with your move .....

M

[shazann]

thanks everyone for your responses. we have tried feliway before with no success, so i will ask the vet for something.

[opus88]

Pip made a good suggestion with the feliway, its avail at your Vets office or a good pet shop. I would strong suggest using this rather than any sedatives..most cats do very well with feliway. something else I use for my kitties for Vet trips is a product called RESCUE REMEDY....its a homeopathic product and very safe to use...just a couple drops. this too is avail at many Vet clinics or good pet stores, be very sure to use the one for pets not the one for humans because it has to be alcohol free. I will send you a link to preview both products...they both act by calming a cat:)

a cat can do very well with small litter box in a larger cage...and some water avail too, make sure she doesn't get too warm and never leave her alone in the car...the cars get very hot quickly and this is very unsafe for any animal....5 hours isn't too long, I've travelled with mine for city Vet appointments many times and thats a good 6 hour round trip....good luck:)

http://www.iherb.com/Bach-Original-Flower-Essences-Rescue-Remedy-Pet-Alcohol-Free-Formula-0-35-fl-oz-10-ml-Dropper/10604

http://www.amazon.com/Comfort-Zone-Feliway-Spray-Milliliters/dp/B003E71E24/ref=sr_1_2/189-3980678-9546202?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1379360177&sr=1-2&keywords=feliway+spray

[AnnieBrooke]

Long car rides are easier than short ones.  My cats used to cry for about the first 20 minutes, and then were fine, when we would take a three-hour drive to the beach.  A short ride, like to the vet, the cat never gets a chance to realize that all is not lost, and to calm down.  It got so my cats would even be happy to sleep out of their carriers, on the trips to the beach.  (Start them in their carrier, of course.)

Be sure the carrier is big enough for the cat to stand up in, and put an incontinence pad in the carrier, so if kitty needs to pee you can just fold up the wet pad and toss it.  And never open the car door if the cat is loose in the car.

[BluCrystal]

Ask your vet for some Alprazolam to give her for the ride.  This will sedate her so that she simply lays in her carrier, or takes a nap. :-)  - Blu

[Piparskeggr]

My kitty, Chesapeake, gets very stressed just by the short trip to the vet's.

I mentioned this when I made the appointment for the recent vet visit, the receptionist gave me a Feliway sample.  I wiped down the inside of Chessie's carrier, put her in first, then corralled Hildie and Teia.  Chessie went last at the vet.

Seemed to work, they were able to get blood for her annual physical without sedation, like my last vet needed to do.  They still remarked at how strong and smart she is (did a near successful escape move they'd not seen before).