Road Trip Ready: Getting Your Cat Prepared For a Long Drive
Before Space Cat Academy, I lived in New Jersey. Since most of my family still lives there, we make the trek from Wisconsin to New Jersey a couple of times a year. The drive takes about fifteen hours with stops. A few years ago we decided to bring Peach and our dog Niki with us. Niki is used to traveling in the car and has experience with long trips.
We decided to bring them because Peach is very social with us and we would be gone for a week. The ideal situation would be to leave her at home and have someone come in, but we felt she wouldn’t be okay with that amount of alone time in between pet sitter visits. We felt boarding her would be more stressful than the drive since she was used to being in the car. Consider your cat’s personality before you choose a road trip, boarding, or having someone come into your home. The best situation is to keep them as comfortable as possible when traveling.
Getting Used to the Car
Peach was only about seven months old for the first trip. From the time that we found Peach, we trained her that riding in the car didn’t always mean going to the vet. We would bring her on short trips to get take out, to the park to adventure, around the neighborhood, or even for a while to run errands when the weather was nice. She has always been used to riding in the car. When we decided to bring her, we started taking longer trips with her. So we would take a joy ride around Madison for an hour or two. If you’re taking your cat on a long drive it’s very helpful to take rides varying in distance before the big trip.
Exercising Your Cat Before You Leave
My cats can have the energy of working border collies at times, so it can be hard for them to sit still for an extended period. Exercising your cat before you leave is a great way to burn physical and mental exercise so that they can ride calmly in the car without having pent up energy.
After playing I give my cats a small meal or a snack to initiate the cycle of hunt, eat, groom, sleep. This helps to send them to the groom and sleep parts of the cycle so they settle in the car.
Before you leave, it is important to give your cat enough playtime they need to be satisfied. The general rule of thumb is that the average house cat needs at least 15 minutes of play. For my cats, I need to do three sessions of 15 minutes spread out throughout the day for them to be satisfied. Keep this in mind as you prepare for your trip and ask yourself how much time will your cat needs to be exercised properly.
Supplies for Traveling
Similar to traveling with a baby, cats can require a bunch of supplies for long trips. I make sure to bring a backpack or tote bag to contain all of the cat stuff.
The Essentials
Depending on how long your trip is, your cat may need to eat meals on the go. Be sure to pack a water bowl and food bowl.
We feed raw, so when we travel we either bring a cooler or use freeze-dried raw. For raw meals, I use disposable, biodegradable plates and I bring a regular bowl for water. You’ll want to bring enough food for the trip and a few days into your destination. If you are going to a place that doesn’t carry your brand of food, you may need to pack enough for the entire trip. It helps to have it portioned out beforehand since there’s limited room in the car to prepare their meals.
Offer your cat water each time you stop to make sure that they’re staying hydrated. Some cats are picky about their water preferences so if your cat tends to be picky then bring a container of water from home. I use bottled water to prevent any gastrointestinal issues. Treats are also an essential item to bring to reward good behavior as you travel or at the destination.
Don’t forget any medications that you will need for the trip and a little extra in case you can’t get back in time.
Identification
One thing that I never travel without is two forms of identification on my cats. The first is a microchip. Before you leave, you’ll want to have it checked by your vet to make sure it is still readable and hasn’t migrated. The other form is collar identification. I keep breakaway collars on my cats at all times, especially when traveling.
Feeling Calm
Puzzle toys are a lifesaver! We recommend Doc and Phoebe’s no bowl or another fairly stable puzzle toy to bring along. Puzzles are a great way to keep busy on your trip while they get a meal or snacks.
Feliway is a synthetic pheromone spray that is designed to calm cats. Humans can’t smell it so you don’t need to worry about it scenting your car. You’ll spray it inside of the carrier about 15-20 minutes before you leave. Some cats will respond well to Feliway and others you may not notice a difference. Either way, it’s not super expensive, it’s over the counter, and it’s safe. If your cat doesn’t respond to it and is still stressed in the car, talk to your vet about anxiety medications.
Sometimes over the counter medications are ineffective for cats.
Cats that are prone to stress in the carrier or the car may need extra help for longer trips. Anxiety medications can be very helpful for cats. In our latest trip, we talked to our vet about something to help Peach as she has nausea and some anxiety (potentially due to nausea) in the car. We gave her an anxiolytic and she was calm, confident, and quiet for hours.
Cerenia is a great medication to keep on hand while traveling. This is an anti-nausea medication that helps with car sickness. This medication can be helpful if they go off food while you're traveling.
Towels or blankets that smell like home are nice to bring along. Cats use familiar scent to feel comfortable and they can cuddle up in it.
Toys are a great thing to keep busy at your destination. Depending on the length of your trip, your cat may benefit from playtime at rest stops for exercise.
The Carrier
It can be tempting to allow your cat to roam free in the car while you travel. However, in case of an emergency, your cat may be injured or escape out of the car. Not to mention, they can create blind spots or be distracting if they’re active. It’s recommended that your cat is secured while they ride in the car.
If your cat is stressed in the carrier, plastic carriers are the safest as they can’t claw their way out and if you have enough time, it is best to work on their fear of carriers before you leave. We offer a course on making carriers less scary.
Litter box and Favorite Litter
If you’re going for a long trip, you’ll want to pack a litter box so that they can relieve themselves. If the cat is forced to hold it, it is not only unhealthy for them but it can add to their stress level. Allow access to the litter box every few hours when you stop to rest.
Some cats will use the litter box in the car and others refuse to use it. It’s best to still offer the litter box in case your cat changes their mind. Cats feel best in situations that they are used to, so it can be stressful to change the type of litter for a trip.
Try to keep the same litter and litter box from home if you can or get your cat used to the new box before you leave. Using the same litter that they’re used to can help them feel more comfortable.
Harness and Leash
Harness trained cats that are comfortable walking on leash can stretch their legs inside or outside of the car. Just be aware that rest stops tend to be noisy and it may be too much for your cat outside. In case of an emergency, there’s another level of safety when your cat is in their harness and leash. Depending on your destination, your cat may enjoy exploring on vacation.
First aid
Accidents happen so it’s always better to be ahead of any issues. You can either make a first aid kit or purchase one. Check out our article on cat first aid!