Are you planning on taking a road trip soon? If you are a cat person, you might be hesitant to take off on a trip without your cat. Why not bring your cat along on the road trip with you? You can! Not sure what a road trip with a cat would look like? It can be so much fun and absolutely well worth the adventure. If you are worried that your sweet pet wouldn’t do too well on the road, here are six cat road trip tips for bringing your cat along on your adventure with you!
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Introduce Your Cat to Your Vehicle
Well before your trip, be sure to introduce your cat to your vehicle and allow it time to get comfortable in it. To start this process, take your cat out to your car in your driveway and just hang out in it for a while. Bring some toys out and let the cat have fun and feel safe inside of this space.
Once you have taken them out and let them play in the car multiple times, it’s time to take them for a drive. Drive around the block a few times, and the next time, do a trip to the next town, etc. The goal here is to get your cat comfortable in the vehicle and comfortable with the moving vehicle.
Feed and Water the Cat Before You Leave on Your Road Trip
Give your cat plenty of time to eat and drink before you get in the car and head out.
In addition, be sure to give the cat time to use the litter box before you go too. The only exception to that is if your cat is prone to motion sickness, it’s best to withhold food roughly 8 hours or so before the trip.
Keep Your Cat in a Travel Pet Carrier
It is not safe for your cat to be free to roam around your car while you are driving. Not only can they get hurt, but they can also create a dangerous situation for you by running under your feet and impairing your driving.
In the event of an accident, a cat who is roaming freely through a vehicle could be seriously injured or even killed. Keeping them in a carrier is a way to keep them safe and comfortable.
Be Proactive and Prepare for Messes During Your Road Trip
There is a high likelihood that you will have to deal with some messiness along the way. Maybe your cat will get motion sickness. Maybe they will simply have a nervous tummy. Whatever the reason, you’ll want to be prepared for this by preparing the carrier with a disposable liner or old towels.
Also, be sure to bring some trash bags along with you.
Update Your Cat’s ID and Microchip
Before starting your road trip planning, be sure to take your cat to the vet and get a health check. While you are there, be sure that your cat’s microchip information is up to date.
Also, be sure to get an updated ID tag for their collar too. In the case that your cat was to get lost, whoever might find them can contact you.
Schedule Pit Stops for Your Traveling Feline
Pit stops are necessary on any road trip for any living being; cats are no exception. Be sure to schedule pit stops into your trip for your cat to stop to eat, drink and have litter box breaks.
A good idea for these pit stops is to keep your cat on a leash and harness so that they don’t get spooked and run away. If the leash and harness are new to your cat, be sure to test it out at home first.
The Benefits of Bringing Your Cat Along with You
While it may seem that bringing your cat along with you adds extra work to your trip, there really are many benefits to bringing your cat along with you on your road trip.
Your cat won’t worry about you not being there or dealing with separation anxiety, both of which can often lead to destructive behavior.
Final Thoughts on Cat Road Trip Tips
If you’re looking to hit the road with your feline friend, following these cat road trip tips will ensure a safe and fun journey for both of you. From preparing your cat’s carrier to keeping them entertained in the car, a little planning ahead goes a long way when traveling with cats. So what are you waiting for? Get packing (and don’t forget the kitty litter)!
Can you share any other cat road trip tips with us?
These are good tips. I did do a few of them before we moved from IL to Florida. We moved 3 cats and 2 dogs. We had a cat playpen for each cat; a double bowl set, and a throw away litter pan. We put a blanket in each playpen of theirs and we added all of the rest of the items in there too. We added water and their food in their double bowl set and cat litter in their throw away litter boxes. We got to Florida in 2 1/2 days. We stopped for one night. We let the cats out of their playpens and let them run around to the next morning when we had to leave. Of course, we brought their litter boxes in the rooms. They were used to using them. They each slept almost all the way there. We gave them treats. One of the cats, we gave a little bit of Benadryl to settle her down. We made it with no incidents and all the pets still alive.
That was a nice trek with your cats! I love your tips. We will be doing something similar when we move from Texas to Kentucky with 4 cats and 2 dogs next summer. Wish me luck!
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