Comments | traceroo: Best Way to Move Cats Across Country

traceroo

Best Way to Move Cats Across Country

Mar 07, 2010 20:14

Our next move will take us at least 1,000 miles from our present home in Austin. Ian and I are debating the best way to transport our two cats. Do any of you have experience moving cats - not dogs; they're really quite different, cats - across country? How did you do it, and do you have any advice to offer?

Trace

kittens, austin

Comments 26

embermwe March 8 2010, 02:22:55 UTC

I would crate them and drive them.
1000 miles is 12 hours give or take and you have 2 cars to transport too. I have heard some horror stories of animals flying in cargo...

Drive v. Fly traceroo March 8 2010, 02:28:52 UTC

Ian thinks flying will be less horrible for the cats; I think flying will be about the most horrible option imaginable for all life forms involved!

Still, there's a lot of complexities involved in driving what will most likely be multiple days with two cats. I'm hoping I know someone who's done this before and has some great advice waiting out here!

Your icon made me stop typing the preceding sentence and make a really embarrassingly girly squeal!

Trace

Re: Drive v. Fly embermwe March 8 2010, 02:49:55 UTC

http://www.helpinganimals.com/Travel_cargo.asp

Re: Drive v. Fly traceroo March 8 2010, 03:00:07 UTC

Oh gosh, I only got a few paragraphs into that before I groaned and couldn't read any further!

Fortunately our cats (and their carriers) are small enough to fit under the seat -- if the airline allows it, and we'd only book if they did. Still, I wonder. I can only imagine the poor cats for X number of hours on the plane... mau mau mau mauuuuuu! We'd have a riot on our hands.

Then flying or driving, there is the option of tranquilizing them... Yuck. I plan to speak to their vet. If she tells me that it is genuinely in the cats' best interest -- much like drugging me out of my senses when I have to go to the dentist -- then I'll consider it. I won't do it just for human convenience, however. Poor babies!

But my little babies in a cold cargo compartment, scared and alone in a plane? Uh-uh. No way. No day. Not happening!

Thanks for the article!

Trace

Thread 8

samiraalthores March 8 2010, 03:42:24 UTC

When I moved, I had both cats in the same carrier with a smelly old t-shirt of mine for a familiar odor. I wrapped the carrier loosely in a blanket.

My vet said that warm & dark triggers calmness and sleep in cats.

The trip was about 4 hours. They settled down about 30 minutes into the trip.

od0_ital March 8 2010, 04:31:24 UTC

My ex-roommate used kittie tranquilizers on her two cats when she had to drive from Austin, TX to Santa Monica, CA. She told her vet what she was doin', the vet gave her some pills to try out, to work out the dosage needed.

Must fun I've had watchin' those cats ever, when one of 'em was immediately stoned, the other messin' with her because she had more weight, and wasn't as affected.

silencebreaking March 8 2010, 04:48:21 UTC

I drove from San Diego, CA to Elkhart, IN five years ago, with Trouble ( ... )

POWER WINDOWS! traceroo March 8 2010, 15:30:27 UTC

Oh, Sweet Jesus, I never would have thought of the power windows! THANK YOU! My SUV has locks on them, so I can do just as you advise. Oh my goodness -- and that little rascal Holmes would be just the one to do that sort of thing, too!

This sounds like the plan I've been thinking of. I'm wondering how they'd do with the run of the SUV rather than cooped up in carriers which I KNOW they wouldn't like.

Did your cat ever use the litter box in the car, may I ask? And did you keep some water and/or food open in the car for Trouble, or just take snack breaks?

Thanks much for the detail -- this is just what I'm looking for.

Trace

Re: POWER WINDOWS! silencebreaking March 8 2010, 16:50:15 UTC

Trouble never used the box in the car, at least that I remember. I DO remember her having HORRIBLE gas at one point, to where I stopped thinking that she had pooped in her carrier (I took the door off the carrier, which meant that she happily climbed in there to sleep on my towel ( ... )

Re: POWER WINDOWS! traceroo March 8 2010, 18:01:43 UTC

Ian and I own two cars, so we'd each be driving separately and alone, thus complicating the whole process.

I suspect our cats could get under my cat seats with effort -- but that's what bothers me; how easily could they get out?

Trace

kajivar March 8 2010, 06:15:31 UTC

I emailed you!

I went from Minnesota to California with three cats, California to Minnesota two years later with three cats, Boston to Atlanta with Tris and Xena, Atlanta to Boston with Tris. They may yowl a bit, but they'll be OK. :)