Cats and Car Trips

Cats and Car Trips

Cats and car trips can be like oil and water, and can end up as much of an ordeal for you as for your feline friend.

Do you or your cat STRESS OUT over travel to the vets? There are now guidelines to help you make the process more Cat Friendly, to which Dr Kim has also some very good ideas.

Have a try of these: The favourite, of course, is leave the carrier in the house (not the garage) with a blanket it there, so your kitty can snuggle in. Keeping it high up in a sunny spot is, of course, a favourite tip. However, as soon as you make your booking, your cat is going to KNOW something is up and The Carrier may instantly become The Intruder. So really, the question is – how do you get a recalcitrant cat into a safe container? The answer is – a pillow case! Better than a towel, you can usually bundle a cat up into a pillow case and then either open the top or tip the end of the carrier up so you can lower your cat into the carrier. Close the door and away you go.

Even without a carrier, if you tie the top of the pillowcase with string or a rubber band, you can then sit your fractious feline (on a towel in case of accidents) in a box, on your passenger’s lap or in the footwell of your car. Surprisingly, very few felines transported in this way defaecate or urinate when confined in this way. Similarly, they do seem to do better in the fabric ‘squashy bags’ which are hugged to your side so there is less sway and instability. Obviously, there is less protection if there is a car crash.

The other thing is for you to stay calm during the process! Otherwise your cat is definitely going to try to get away from the carrier that is clearly scaring you!

Dr. Kim has a detailed page with photos and instructions on Eliminating Cat Travel Anxiety From Your Veterinary (and any other) road trips.