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I used to know a man whose dog kept bringing him freshly-killed nutria rats from the nearby city park pond.  He didn't much appreciate his dog's gifts, but did appreciate the public service the dog was performing.

Looking for advice on the best way to relocate a couple of cats a couple thousand miles.

SO and I are planning to move in a few months, and are discussing whether flying or driving is the safest, least stressful way to move the cats. We have been harness training them to get them accustomed to being on leashes.

Driving would take several days, requiring the kitties to spend long hours each day in their carriers. Each day would also require a stop at a pet-friendly motel and every transfer from car to outdoors to building and back again seems to me an opportunity for a potential escape.

Flying would mean that transport is completed in a single day, reducing the amount of stress-inducing carrier time. SO, however, thinks this has more potential problems. Our cats are large, so their carriers may not fit under the seats. SO also thinks the airport will make us take off their harnesses to go through the security checkpoint, risking an escape. Does this match anyone else's experience?

Once in the new place, what can we do to help them adjust to their new home?

See what suggestions their vet may offer. 

As for having them get used to the new home, that is probably a non issue.  Take their toys and anything that they prefer to sleep on/in and let them explore on their own.
It may be harder if you are also moving furniture and have to wait for the movers to unpack you.

Quote from: clean on July 23, 2023, 05:04:31 PMSee what suggestions their vet may offer. 

Asking the vet is a good idea.

When my family made a cross-country move with a cat and dog while I was an undergraduate, we drove, and it took a number of days. My cat at the time was a yowler, so the vet gave us sedative pills to calm her down. She still yowled, but perhaps not as much. The trip went smoothly. We stayed at pet-friendly motels and were extremely careful about keeping track of where kitty was to prevent escapes. It worked.

My in-laws made a cross-country move with a cat a long time ago, and they flew. That also worked. I'd recommend considering your timetable, your finances, Maestro's and Caramelo's temperaments, and especially the advice of your vet. Hope the move goes well.

We're taking the plunge and bringing another cat into the evil household. He's an orange tabby cat (I haven't had an orange cat since I was a kid!), about 5 months old and needs a name!!! Very sweet. Any ideas?

Quote from: clean on July 23, 2023, 05:04:31 PMSee what suggestions their vet may offer. 

As for having them get used to the new home, that is probably a non issue.  Take their toys and anything that they prefer to sleep on/in and let them explore on their own.
It may be harder if you are also moving furniture and have to wait for the movers to unpack you.

Agreed. The vet should have some good ideas. I'd keep them in a room away from the movers until everything has been put in place.

Quote from: smallcleanrat on July 23, 2023, 03:48:40 PMLooking for advice on the best way to relocate a couple of cats a couple thousand miles.

SO and I are planning to move in a few months, and are discussing whether flying or driving is the safest, least stressful way to move the cats. We have been harness training them to get them accustomed to being on leashes.

Driving would take several days, requiring the kitties to spend long hours each day in their carriers. Each day would also require a stop at a pet-friendly motel and every transfer from car to outdoors to building and back again seems to me an opportunity for a potential escape.

Flying would mean that transport is completed in a single day, reducing the amount of stress-inducing carrier time. SO, however, thinks this has more potential problems. Our cats are large, so their carriers may not fit under the seats. SO also thinks the airport will make us take off their harnesses to go through the security checkpoint, risking an escape. Does this match anyone else's experience?

Once in the new place, what can we do to help them adjust to their new home?

Unless your cats are really comfy being in carriers in the car and being in new places, I would vote for flying, but ONLY if you can make it a non-stop flight (just got back 24 hours late from a trip because of flight cancelations and delays- you don't want that happening I the middle of a trip with cats). It is stressful no matter how you do it, but getting it over quickly is probably easiest on the cats.

You must get airline approved carriers (there will be information on the airline website)-- these will have the right dimensions to go under the seats. You just remove them from the carriers to go through security, but not from their harnesses- they will have you carry them through in the harness with the leash attached so they can't escape, and then you can put them immediately back into the carriers.

You can also have the cats flown on the plane & pick them up at the airport.  You don't personally have to fly with them.

Not sure about the price, needs some paperwork (e.g. proof of vaccination), and an airline approved carrier.  I think you could put 2 cats in 1 carrier if you think they are OK being together.

I've done several long moves in the car with a cat.  #1 rule is KEEP THEM IN THE CARRIER.  A free-roaming kitty in a car is likely to wedge themself somewhere unsafe like under a seat or even under a brake pedal. 

Also, if you or your SO is the type of person that wants to "go sightseeing", that is NOT a possibility.  You cannot leave kitties in the car unattended!  Not even just to have a meal or get gas.  If kitty is in the car, a person must be in the car & the AC turned on.  Heat is deadly.

Adjusting to the new home is pretty easy.  You can try confining them to a room that is "theirs" for a few days.  Put their litter box, food, water, bedding in there.  Then, leave the door propped open & let them out.  Most cats are happy to explore & claim their new kingdom.

I've done several moves with a cat in the car. I was worried about it the first time, too. My vet suggested taking drives around town before the long trip (several thousands of miles) to let my cat adjust to the car. Given that my cat yowled loudly on the trips to the vet...I wasn't willing to spend hours driving around town just so that he could practice some more. Particularly since I was already stressed about finishing my dissertation! In this case, I can personally verify the_geneticist's comment that a freely wandering cat is likely to end-up someplace bad, like under the brake pedal while traveling through a construction zone. We survived...and he eventually found a place to curl up quietly for most of the trip.

It is possible to do some sightseeing along the way, but not with the cat in the car. One of my moves included transit through extremely picturesque areas. I simply booked the hotel for two nights and left my cat in the hotel room while I went to the tourist spots. Do keep the a/c on and the car at a comfortable temperature when you have the cats in the car. Your cats are wearing fur coats!

In terms of the new place, I usually start with the cat in the bathroom (with all their needs and some toys) just to keep them confined while adjusting furniture and unpacking. After it is less dangerous (i.e., less likely that a cat will be underfoot when moving heavy furniture), I let the cat out to explore the new space. I have had no problems with this approach. And, despite the howls while being confined to small spaces while in transit, my cats have always forgiven me, eventually.

ETA: One piece of advice from a friend before my first trip: don't use clumping litter for the days in transit. Your stressed-out cat will sweat a little more and clumping litter is difficult to remove from their fur coats!

Quote from: evil_physics_witchcraft on July 24, 2023, 06:39:39 AMWe're taking the plunge and bringing another cat into the evil household. He's an orange tabby cat (I haven't had an orange cat since I was a kid!), about 5 months old and needs a name!!! Very sweet. Any ideas?

Orange cats are great!  Is it a male?  Interesting genetics in orange cats result in them being predominately male.  Magnus is a famous warlock if you have a male. 

Quote from: Volhiker78 on July 25, 2023, 06:37:00 AM

Quote from: evil_physics_witchcraft on July 24, 2023, 06:39:39 AMWe're taking the plunge and bringing another cat into the evil household. He's an orange tabby cat (I haven't had an orange cat since I was a kid!), about 5 months old and needs a name!!! Very sweet. Any ideas?

Orange cats are great!  Is it a male?  Interesting genetics in orange cats result in them being predominately male.  Magnus is a famous warlock if you have a male. 

Congratulations on the new Evil family member! I've always found I needed to wait a bit and see what name fit the cat. I'm sure he'll name himself when he's ready!

Quote from: Puget on July 25, 2023, 06:41:39 AM

Quote from: Volhiker78 on July 25, 2023, 06:37:00 AM

Quote from: evil_physics_witchcraft on July 24, 2023, 06:39:39 AMWe're taking the plunge and bringing another cat into the evil household. He's an orange tabby cat (I haven't had an orange cat since I was a kid!), about 5 months old and needs a name!!! Very sweet. Any ideas?

Orange cats are great!  Is it a male?  Interesting genetics in orange cats result in them being predominately male.  Magnus is a famous warlock if you have a male. 

Congratulations on the new Evil family member! I've always found I needed to wait a bit and see what name fit the cat. I'm sure he'll name himself when he's ready!

Yep. It's a boy!

Awww, orange boys tend to be such sweetie pies!  My childhood cat was an orange tabby so I have quite the soft spot for them.

Food-themed name ideas:
Sweet potato? Pumpkin? Cheddar? Macaroni? Cheez-it? Cheeto? Mango? Sweetie pie?

Historical/literary figure name ideas:
Hector? Thor? Eric (the red)? Vincent (Van Gough)?

El Tigre

OrangeGuy says congratulations EPW on being adopted by an orange tabby. He says they're the best!