cat in a car question

[delsur]

Hello everyone,

I will spend the next two weeks at a friend's (empty) home. Normally when I go away I make arrangements for someone to come feed her daily. Given the covid19 situation in my city, this has become more challenging although not impossible.

Two questions for experienced cat owners:

  1. Can cats handle +2 hours in the car? Mine has only ever gone to the vet, 15 minutes away, and she hates it. If I were to take her, would she be better in a carrier (that she associates with the vet) or on my lap?

  2. Is it a terrible idea to take the cat for only two weeks? My cat hates to be alone but she also gets very stressed about change.

I'm trying to weigh the pros and cons of leaving the cat alone with minimal care and taking her with me but on a stressful car ride and new environment for only two weeks.

Thank you for your input!

[eigen]

We did 5 days across country last move with ours, and had done several multi-day trips before that.

My experience has been carrier+cover. The thing that seems to bother them most is seeing things moving rapidly out the windows. At least mine.

We did get "cat-sacks" for the cross country move, and did ours in the lap with those some of the time, but they didn't seem any happier there.

[clean]

You do not want a cat in your lap while you drive for 2 hours.
Get a formal crate.
Ask the vet for something to help with anxiety (or help kitty sleep through the experience) 

Alternatively, board the kitty with the vet. 

[Catherder]

I used to take my cat on 2-day trips every spring, returning in late summer. She was fine in a carrier.  But cats usually won't eat or drink while the car is moving, so you might want to stop at intervals and give yours a break.

One tip: put some cat treats in her drinking water. That might take care of both needs until you get to your destination.

[the_geneticist]

I moved across the country twice with my Buddycat and then a few other shorter trips.  I put him in a carrier and buckled it in to the passenger seat so he could have air conditioning.  He cried for the first hour or so and then was fine.  Basically decided it was better to just nap all day.  He ate and drank and used the litter box when I stopped for the night.
Pro tip: bring along your kitty's normal litter box with some used litter in it.  It sounds a bit gross, but that way she will know it's hers.  She won't need it for the car ride, just set it up when you arrive.

[Parasaurolophus]

Yes, cats can spend significant time in the car (I once drove one for twelve hours, but he was on opioids at the time). Or plane, for that matter (ours flew across the country with us). But they should spend that time in a carrier of some sort, because it's not very safe for anyone to have them roaming the car freely.

I'd recommend asking the vet for a non-paralytic anti-anxiety drug, however, to make sure that their experience is more bearable. Something which won't leave them "locked-in" (apparently you have to be very careful about that with anti-anxiety meds for pets). Ours recommended Gabapentin, and it seems to work well on them. They certainly don't seem to mind it at all, although it does leave them slightly less coordinated than usual. They mostly just get a little lethargic, and sleep it off.

EDIT: Two weeks is relatively short, but it's also probably OK. You know your cat best, but my experience of moving with cats (every year for five years) is that the stress dissipates after the first few days, especially with some familiar objects nearby (e.g. favourite basket, ottoman, etc.). And if it's an environment without much in the way of sudden sounds, or dog-sounds, then they tend to adjust pretty quickly.

[OneMoreYear]

I've moved across country several times with cats in the car in carriers. My fluffy calico was an escape artist, and managed to get out of several types of carriers during the trip. One time she decided that the best place to go after she left the carrier was next to the pedals while I was driving!  I'm guessing the problem was that we were using old cheap carriers, but none of my other cats ever escaped!

I do recommend trying out any calming medications prior to giving them to your cat the morning of the trip (if your vet will give you enough).  My grey tuxedo kitty had a paradoxical reaction to one of them and became violently agitated, such that we had to delay the trip until he calmed down enough to be handled.  He then appeared petrified the whole time in the car (luckily this was not one of the multi-day treks).

Umm, but I'm sure your trip will go fine!

[Hegemony]

You do NOT want a cat loose in a car. They will try to go into the low dark places where they think they can hide. One of these low dark places that will appeal to them is down by the pedals. May in fact be under the pedals. Incidentally, in many cars — in fact in my own car — way down under the steering wheel, up above the pedals, is a space that connects with the engine. A small creature, like a cat, can actually climb down there and start crawling into the engine. You do not want this to happen at any time, but especially while you are on a fast highway.

The cat will also not stay in your lap. In an unfamiliar environment, it will be freaked out. You do not want this to happen while you are trying to keep the cat on your lap while you are driving.

A couple of years ago I drove cross-country with three cats. It was even more miserable than predicted, but they all stayed in their carriers (except for the incident of trying to crawl into the engine), and even preferred it that way. What I found out is that if a cat howls continuously for more than four or five hours, it gets so hoarse that the howls no longer make any sound.

Line the carrier with those pee pads you can get for dogs, because even if you set up their litter box all nice and comfy, and stop and try to put them in it, they may well be so freaked out they won't use it.

If your cat is anxious when you are away from home, you might as well try it. I'm assuming you don't have anyone back at home to feed the cat while you're gone. In the new place, the cat will take 3-4 days to start to adjust — meanwhile they will take refuge under a bed or sofa. They'll be starting to adjust and feel at home just when it's time to leave again.

[the_geneticist]

I second the idea of testing out any medications on the cat before you travel.  But be prepared for a weird reaction in transit even if it goes well at home.  I tested out the meds on Buddycat at home (gave him the smallest dose), he didn't seem to even notice and just took a nap on the couch.  But when I gave him the same dose the morning we left, Buddycat had a paradoxical reaction to the sedative - he was less coordinated, but terrified, his 3rd eyelid closed almost all the way and he cried and thrashed around in the carrier for hours.  It was awful for both of us.

[Thursday's_Child]

If you're going to be in the new house most of the time, take the cat - unless your friend is either allergic or has a house full of expensive breakables, of course.

As you've noticed from reading the responses, cats really vary in their response to travel.  A relatively few freak out and are miserable companions the whole way; most eventually accept the 'new normal' and do lots of sleeping.  If you've only taken 15 minute trips - well, you'll know what to expect on the way back home.

Travel the cat in a carrier with an absorbent pad/towel.  For a mere two hours, don't worry about providing food or water - in fact, don't give cat access to food for about 12 hours before you leave - this will limit (but not completely remove) the possibility of stress-barfing.  Take a mix of favorite things to make your cat feel at home.

Exactly what you do when you get there is highly variable.  You might, once you are all unloaded and ready to settle in, let cat out of carrier into a closed room with you, litter box, water bowl, and all favorite things.  Once the room is completely explored & cat seems settled, open the door and carry on as is normal.  You could also just let the cat out with access to the full house and just keep an eye out for misbehavior.

Once a cat knows where to find all the normal necessities, my experience is that they usually settle into a new place within 1-3 days.  You being there is a big part of this.

[delsur]

Thank you, everyone, for your responses! I now have a far better idea of what to do.

[cathwen]

Your cat will be fine in the car on a 2+ hour drive.  She probably won't even need tranquilizers.  I put mine in a carrier, buckled into the back seat, and after a few mournful meows, she is fine.  She'll be fine without food, water, or litter on a short trip like that until you get to your destination.  Be ready to set up the litter box and food and water dishes promptly after arrival.

I strongly agree--no cats on the loose in the car!  Make sure your carrier is secure.

What I would like to know from other people who have made multi-day trips with cats:  What happens when you stop at a motel?  Does your cat hide under the bed?  That is my nightmare--that although my cat is fine in the car, once we stop somewhere, she'll be difficult to catch again.  How do you handle that?  I declined the opportunity to follow my husband to a temporary job on the other side of the country two years ago because I was anxious about the cat in motels.  Catching her to put in the carrier is...quite an experience.  I might be facing a similar situation in the next year. 

[Volhiker78]

I've only done one multi-day trip with a cat but our experience was that our cat was much happier in the motel than in the car.  Once she knew where her litter box and food was, and  had investigated the entire room and bathroom, she relaxed and found spots to relax and sleep. She had much more stress in the car. 

[OneMoreYear]

What I would like to know from other people who have made multi-day trips with cats:  What happens when you stop at a motel?  Does your cat hide under the bed? 

Fluffy Calico, she of escape the carrier while you are driving fame, initially explored hotel rooms warily, then recognized the concept of "bed," jumped up, and took a nap. Grey tuxedo kitty skulked along the edges of the hotel room until he located the piece of furniture that would be the most difficult to drag him out from under in the morning and stayed under there. Despite this, we were successful at putting him back in the carrier the next day and continued on.
Neither ate or drank much during the moving experience (car ride and hotel stays), but both were back to their normal selves after a couple days in the new place.

[spork]

Since it's only two weeks, I would leave the cat where it is and arrange for someone to come by every few days to refill the food and water supply and scoop cat litter. The cat will be fine.