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Traveling by car
- Thread starter EJKumba24
- Start date
While there is no guarantee that your cat will ever enjoy riding in a car, you should start by putting him in a crate for short rides and gradually increase the time.
As Witchy says, if it is an issue with every time you take your kitty to the vet he howls the entire short trip...then doing a gradual process with treats or play at the end of each time and extend the time bit by bit works well.
If you are contemplating a long trip and worried about howling, "most" kitties tend to whine for the first half hour or hour then settle down and nap mostly. For long trips I make sure they have a crate large enough for a pet bed and small litterbox as sometimes the reason they get upset is the need to toilet... and I pack a small cleanup kit of doggy waste bags, wet wipes and paper towels too!
If you are contemplating a long trip and worried about howling, "most" kitties tend to whine for the first half hour or hour then settle down and nap mostly. For long trips I make sure they have a crate large enough for a pet bed and small litterbox as sometimes the reason they get upset is the need to toilet... and I pack a small cleanup kit of doggy waste bags, wet wipes and paper towels too!
kokogal
Site Supporter
One of my kitties in particular hates car rides. I had to sit in the backseat and hold his paw through the crate or he would howl the entire trip no matter how long. We got the sleepy pod crate for him and since then car trips have been much easier. He used the bottom portion as a bed in the house for a couple weeks before we went on any trips which I think helped. I just wish there was a bigger version so one of his siblings could ride with him for extra comfort and snuggles.
SavannahLuv
Site Supporter
Shango will howl very, very loudly if I put him in a small carrier. On short trips, he never stopped and on long trips he would stop for 30 minutes or so, but then he'd start right back up again and continuing howling off & on the entire trip. I ended up getting the Sturdi double car go carrier with a hammock inside and he is now the best travel companion I could ask for. He naps in his hammock pretty much the entire way whether it's a 5 minute drive or a 5+ hour drive. On long trips I keep a litter box on the floorboard and let him out occasionally, but to this day he has never used his litter box in the car. He always holds it until we've arrived at our destination.... I still put in in there since I figured the one time I don't is when he will actually decide to go potty while in the car. He also refuses to eat/drink while traveling... but he does make a mess splashing water all over my car when offered to him. I highly recommend getting a very large carrier like the sturdi double car-go carrier. It's made traveling with Shango 100% better. The last long trip he went on with me was about 10 hours of driving and he only whined/howled once because he wanted out to sit on my lap and get petted for about 20-30 minutes, then he actually got back in his carrier on his own and went back to sleep.
You might also look into felaway spray and spray some inside his carrier to help make the trip less stressful. I personally haven't tried it yet, but plan to the next time I take Shango to the vet.
You might also look into felaway spray and spray some inside his carrier to help make the trip less stressful. I personally haven't tried it yet, but plan to the next time I take Shango to the vet.
SavannahLuv
Site Supporter
Renee
Savannah Super Cat
Start early with the car rides on short trips. It will make it easier. Loki hated the car at first and now it's second nature. Take him when you need to make a quick run to the gas station and give him a treat.
Also, the cat pheromone they sell at Pet smart actually helps. Don't feed him and get in the car. Make sure there is plenty of time for his belly to settle or he and you will be unhappy...
Also, the cat pheromone they sell at Pet smart actually helps. Don't feed him and get in the car. Make sure there is plenty of time for his belly to settle or he and you will be unhappy...
Jan
Savannah Kitten
I once moved from Dallas TX to Las Vegas NV and carried 3 large pet carriers with 3 cats in the back of my PT Cruiser. We found that placing towels over the carriers did help. One of my cats developed diabetes 6 months later, and I thought it might have been brought on by the stress of the long drive and moving to a much smaller place. Who knows if they were related, though. But the best advice is to start traveling with them when they are young. My in-laws had a cat that went RV-adventuring with them when they retired and they had no problems with her. She loved to ride in the car when she was a kitten.