Can I take my cat on a 5 hour car journey?

jenh

jenh

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I'm planning on going home to visit my family for a week in the middle of November. I have a cat who absolutely thrives on attention and gets upset when I'm working a long day at work, and I'm worried that if I put her into a cattery for the week I'm away she won't get enough attention and will be unhappy. My parents have their own cat at home, but my brother says my cat can stay with him, but I'm just a bit concerned about the practicalities of the journey.

It will take me about 5 hours to get home, I normally make one fairly brief stop in the middle of it. My main questions are:

1. Is it OK to take her with me, or would it be better to put her in a cattery?

2. If I take her with me, what do I do about her toileting needs?

3. Is there anything I could give her to make her just sleep the whole journey?

Thanks for any advice!!
 
if your cat doesnt get car sick, she should be fine. you will just need stop once in a while to set up a litter box for her to go. if she won't go, stop again in an hour or so. i think she would be just fine though.
i considered sedatives for our dog when we moved across the country, but i only found negative things regarding it.
 
It would be better to take her with you. Cats don't like their routines interrupted, but it's going to be interrupted, so it's better that she is at least with you.

There are small disposable litter boxes that should fit on the floor of your car. You might consider getting one for each way.

Your vet can probably prescribe a light sedative to keep your cat calm/asleep for the duration of the trip.

And lastly, it's not a good idea to have your kitty loose in the car while your driving. She could get caught in something, or wiggle under the brake pedal. Consider keeping her in her carrier or a small cage during the trip.
 
Over the past 11+ years, I've taken my cat on several 2-3 day trips in the car and 4 airlane trips. I had a van, though, so I could let her roam a bit. Expect some meowing until your cat gets settled. She may not feel like eating or using the box, but offer it anyway. Talk to her and let her know you are near. If she's traveling in a carrier, wear an old shirt to sleep in the night before, then put it in the carrier with her. This seems to comfort my cat.

I HAVE used tranquilizers before when she flew, but she didn't sleep, was just mellow the whole time.
 
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