Moving from NC to MO with cats. Need advice.

[Zantos]

I am going to be moving soon. Pretty simple. However, I have two cats. We plan to make a stop for the night at a hotel in Tennessee somewhere, but while on the trip is my concern. I would love some advice from people who have traveled with small pets that far without flying. What do you recommend my doing to help them out? How often should I feed them during the trip? Any advice is welcome.

[Deleted]

You should donate your cats to me, the move will probably be too traumatic for them and I'll take better care of them and love them forever okay. I have a cat called Katye West so if you have a girl cat she can be called Kitten Kardashian and they can get cat married okay and they will be fluffy together. Also one can be called Chairman Meow.

[Wyrt]

My brother moved from California to Texas with his cat. He said the cat was very upset until he positioned the cage so the cat could see out the window then it calmed down. He also got a harness and leash so he could let the cat wander around outside the cage when he stopped places.

[Zantos]

My brother moved from California to Texas with his cat. He said the cat was very upset until he positioned the cage so the cat could see out the window then it calmed down. He also got a harness and leash so he could let the cat wander around outside the cage when he stopped places.

I have a harness and leash. So that would work. Hopefully they actually move when its put on them. Typically when its on them, they sorta freeze.

[fengosa]

Cats get pretty stressed when they are out of their normal environment. There's a good chance they won't be interested in eating or using the litter box while on the road. Both of those activities make them susceptible to predators in their minds so they'll likely only feel comfortable doing so when you stop for the night. If your cats don't take to the leash normally I doubt they'll like it, I'd skip it.

In all honesty they're going to be miserable for a couple days, there's not too much you can do to avoid that. Even when they get to your new place they'll take a couple of days to get comfortable. Try to keep them in a single room at first so they don't get overwhelmed.

[Silver Forte]

I traveled by car from NH to NC with a cat once. My experience tells me that you're gonna have them piss in the car/carrier at least once. If your cat hates leashes and a lot of them do, you're gonna have a hard time dealing with this because you can't just leash them and let them go in the grass outside the vehicle. Maybe put a litter box in the floor of the car or in the trunk and let them go in it every few hours to prevent them from doodying up your car. Probably gonna be cleaning cat shit/piss out regardless. You gotta feed em, too, so it's not like you can just keep them on empty to avoid it. Cover the litter box with a trash bag to prevent the contents from flying out of the box.

Also, remember to not leave them in the car if it's hot out. Your car is gonna rise in temperature under the sun and with humidity (and it gets really warm over here in NC, even in TN). That on top of the animal's fur, it's going to basically cook them if it gets too warm. If you lower the window too much, they can get out. Any space a cat can fit its head, it can get through because it has no collar bones.

[Moralgy]

I am going to be moving soon. Pretty simple. However, I have two cats. We plan to make a stop for the night at a hotel in Tennessee somewhere, but while on the trip is my concern. I would love some advice from people who have traveled with small pets that far without flying. What do you recommend my doing to help them out? How often should I feed them during the trip? Any advice is welcome.

Get a cage/carrier and keep the thing near a human the kitties trust during the trip so they aren't as stressed. Then at the hotel, just don't tell them you are bringing your kitties in and sneak them in if the hotel isn't pet friendly. Keep food and water in a bowl for them the entire time if you can, it just needs to be as low stress and "normal" as possible is really all.

The kitties should be fine as long as they are given some sort of emotional support during the trip.

You should donate your cats to me, the move will probably be too traumatic for them and I'll take better care of them and love them forever okay. I have a cat called Katye West so if you have a girl cat she can be called Kitten Kardashian and they can get cat married okay and they will be fluffy together. Also one can be called Chairman Meow.

I like you lol

[Zantos]

Get a cage/carrier and keep the thing near a human the kitties trust during the trip so they aren't as stressed. Then at the hotel, just don't tell them you are bringing your kitties in and sneak them in if the hotel isn't pet friendly. Keep food and water in a bowl for them the entire time if you can, it just needs to be as low stress and "normal" as possible is really all.

I'm going to find a pet friendly one. Doesn't seem all that difficult to do honestly.

[Grapemask]

I drove from Nebraska to Georgia with two cats, and both were polar opposites. One cat absolutely needed to be in the smallest, darkest box; if she saw the outside or had too much room to move around, she flipped her shit. The other cat, on the other hand, needed free roam of the car or he flipped his shit, and then needed to lay in my lap (while driving).

On another, shorter move from Nebraska to Minnesota about a decade ago, I learned never to feed your cat fish within 24 hours of a car trip. The top of the other cat's head, and my car, smelled like salmon for weeks...

[Moralgy]

I'm going to find a pet friendly one. Doesn't seem all that difficult to do honestly.

That is good, shouldn't be too bad on them as long as they have the support of someone else. Mine just needs to be on my lap to travel, otherwise she just meows the entire time and is stressed to no end. So your kitties might be like that to, just pay attention to them while you travel.

[Kelimbror]

I know people are offering seemingly good advice, but traveling with cats across long distances is a serious thing. Unlike dogs, they are not well equipped to handle travel and it can have a harmful impact on their health.If you haven't done so already, you need to consult with your cats vet regarding the travel. While medication isn't the best solution, some cats may be so traumatized by their time in cages and in moving transport that it is more beneficial than just hoping they make it without issue.

You run into all sorts of risks by traveling with a caged feline, including urinary infections from not using the bathroom and digestive issues from not eating or simply getting sick. These problems can persist after the actual travel time which can pose complications.

As with any animal, you will know their behavior better than anyone. I have an extremely sensitive cat who becomes very upset just with travel to the vet, so I'm more prone to overcaution with her. Your vet will be able to provide you the proper medical advice of how to negate impacting your cat's health, but a lot of things you would expect will make the trip better as people have suggested.

Comfortable space, giving them attention, and closely monitoring their condition. While stopping and letting them out at a hotel may help, the hotel will be just as hostile and unfamiliar so the entire experience is likely to be stressful until a week or two after the permanent move once they've been allowed time to adjust to new surroundings.

[Dug]

My cats can't even handle a 5 minute drive to the vet. Good luck, you're gonna need it!

[Deleted]

Get a kitty box and get them used to it before the drive. Will save you a ton of hassle.

[the game]

You could probably get some sedatives from the vet to help keep the cats calm during the trip.