My Kitty

[lgg 2]

Hi there.

I as thinking the other day, my cat who's about 16 and the biggest sweetie-pie ever is obviously moving to the US with me. How did you all do it? We're most likely going to be driving for about 8-9 hours with a truck with my stuff in it.

Did you sedate your pets? Did they freak the hell out? I'm a little worried about my fur-headed friend.

[Emancipation 2]

16 yrs... holy flip your kitty is a geriatric!

[Kathryn41 3,205]

I moved with my 6 cats to the US on a two day trip. It will be a long day for your kitty. Don't sedate her, especially at 16 - that is a good age for a cat and the sedation may cause additional problems. I will say that the trip and the move will be stressful on her regardless of what you do. You will need to keep the cat in her carrier with you in the cab - she can't be in the truck body. Plan on 'rest stops' every 4 hours or so where you can let the cat use a litter box ( you may need to have something small and portable you can keep with you - don't open the doors of the vehicle for any reason while your cat is out of the carrier! See if your fiancee can have a room set up before you arrive with the cat that has a litter box with litter already in it. Your cat will be very stressed by the move and may retreat under a bed for several days. Also, have a good complete vet check for her before you go and address any medical problems then. As well, keep an eye on her after you arrive because stress can also cause medical problems and you may need to have vet treatment afterwards.

My 15 year old was very stressed during the trip down and developed a urinary tract infection from the stress. She stopped eating and no matter what I could do I couldn't get her to start again. I force fed her and eventually did IV fluid drips with her but eventually she passed from hepatic lipidosis - initiated by the stress of the move. My other 5 cats did fine although it took them some time to adapt.

One of my cats meowed the whole time - two days worth of driving! The others were intermittant. I covered their carriers with towels because everytime a transport truck roared by us they 'cringed' from the shadow moving over them. If you can keep your cat's carrier on your lap (I know that is a long time to do so) and talk to her and reach in and pet her it will go a long way to making her trip easier on her. And at 16, she does need babying.

[trailmix 77]

Hi there.

I as thinking the other day, my cat who's about 16 and the biggest sweetie-pie ever is obviously moving to the US with me. How did you all do it? We're most likely going to be driving for about 8-9 hours with a truck with my stuff in it.

Did you sedate your pets? Did they freak the hell out? I'm a little worried about my fur-headed friend.

Obviously our cat travelled all the way from Calgary to Florida with us and will travel back to Calgary with us next week!

She did freak out initially, then we bought Feliway - be sure to get some, it does not sedate them, it just calms them.

Just make sure she has a bit of food and water in her kennel and a nice comfy spot to sleep in there. We bought a dog sized kennel, because it is a long trip.

One other thing you may want to do is get her a collar, even if she doesn't normally wear one, just for the trip. Any time you are going to open her kennel ensure she has her collar on with contact information.

Edited July 21, 2009 by trailmix

[lgg 2]

Seriously though? You wouldn't know it by looking at her --she's a chubby, fluffy teddy bear. Odd cat, she... never wanted to go out, never asked, just wants to hang out sleeping. Can't even get her to catch a fly.

She's a good old lady though.

16 yrs... holy flip your kitty is a geriatric!

[lgg 2]

Hey Kathryn...

6 cats??? wow! I know, she's going to be a spaz, she doesn't even like it when I move her from the couch to the chair so I can sit down. Really, really good advice, thank you. She's been such a good friend to me and so chill, I'm hoping I can make her feel not so scared. Oh and I know she'll hide for days after this, it's her way as I've moved apartment with her before. Id' never put her in the back, either -- she's up in the cab with us most likely mewling the entire way.

sorry your older kitty passed away -- that's sad. Heartbreaking. I'll be all broken up if/when my teddy cat goes.

Thanks for your advice.

I moved with my 6 cats to the US on a two day trip. It will be a long day for your kitty. Don't sedate her, especially at 16 - that is a good age for a cat and the sedation may cause additional problems. I will say that the trip and the move will be stressful on her regardless of what you do. You will need to keep the cat in her carrier with you in the cab - she can't be in the truck body. Plan on 'rest stops' every 4 hours or so where you can let the cat use a litter box ( you may need to have something small and portable you can keep with you - don't open the doors of the vehicle for any reason while your cat is out of the carrier! See if your fiancee can have a room set up before you arrive with the cat that has a litter box with litter already in it. Your cat will be very stressed by the move and may retreat under a bed for several days. Also, have a good complete vet check for her before you go and address any medical problems then. As well, keep an eye on her after you arrive because stress can also cause medical problems and you may need to have vet treatment afterwards.

My 15 year old was very stressed during the trip down and developed a urinary tract infection from the stress. She stopped eating and no matter what I could do I couldn't get her to start again. I force fed her and eventually did IV fluid drips with her but eventually she passed from hepatic lipidosis - initiated by the stress of the move. My other 5 cats did fine although it took them some time to adapt.

One of my cats meowed the whole time - two days worth of driving! The others were intermittant. I covered their carriers with towels because everytime a transport truck roared by us they 'cringed' from the shadow moving over them. If you can keep your cat's carrier on your lap (I know that is a long time to do so) and talk to her and reach in and pet her it will go a long way to making her trip easier on her. And at 16, she does need babying.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Thanks for your kind thoughts - yeah, it was hard when Kirsty passed. She made it 6 weeks.

I will really second Trailmix's suggestion for Feliway spray - you can spray the carrier before she goes in and it will help calm her. You might also have your fiance purchase a Feliway room atomizer here in the US, as well - you plug it in and it releases positive pheromones into the room - and have it already operating in the room where your kitty will come when you move. You don't smell it but the cat sure does and it helps to keep them calm. It is very expensive in Canada - cheaper here because you can buy it on line (also available at PetSmart, Petco, etc.) but well worth the investment. I keep a plug in active by the back windows all the time because that is where my cats see outdoor cats - and it helps keep them relaxed.

[OBX 51]

I will really second Trailmix's suggestion for Feliway spray

I covered their carriers with towels because everytime a transport truck roared by us they 'cringed' from the shadow moving over them. I

Thanks for the great tips! I will be returning to Canada next week to close my house and bring my two cats back with me. I purchased a couple of bottles of Feliway after it was discussed a while back in another thread. I forgot about covering the carriers, thanks for the reminder!

Did you find your cats were comfortable using the litter in the car when you stopped for breaks? I am afraid that if I let them out their carriers I'll never be able to get them back in. I have about a 7 - 8 hour drive.

[ashenflowers 5]

wow, thanks for that info on Feliway! And for the feedback that it works! lol! My cat, love her, is a HUGE SPAZ! This put my mind (and hopefully hers) at ease a bit, knowing there might be a solution!

[Kathryn41 3,205]

The cats had no trouble using the litter box along the way - I had it on the floor and put them on it and they used it. And, they were very happy to get back into their carriers - it was hard to keep them out of the carriers as that felt more secure in them than 'out in the van we rented. They also were willing to eat and drink during the day as well.

Edited July 21, 2009 by Kathryn41

[Malrothien 6]

When my aunt moved from FL to WA a few years back, she had both her cats loose in her van. She had food, water, and a litter box for them to use whenever they needed.

We have two cats that will be joining us in FL. We will probably leave them with my aunt in WA until she can fly down to FL later in the year. She'll take them both as carry-ons.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

You might have a problem if your aunt is travelling by herself and carrying on two cats. Each cat is supposed to have its own carrier and the carrier needs to fit underneath the seat. They also only allow one cat a person and often limit the number of animals on each flight.

Edited July 22, 2009 by Kathryn41

[Malrothien 6]

You might have a problem if your aunt is travelling by herself and carrying on two cats. Each cat is supposed to have its own carrier and the carrier needs to fit underneath the seat. They also only allow one cat a person and often limit the number of animals on each flight.

She isn't traveling by herself. I have flown with cats before, so I know the routine.

[winifredbee 1]

We flew with our 3 month old kitten in March. She did great! No meds needed. I was worried at first but she just watched people and stared at me when she could. With an older cat in a car I would think it would fine but you could get the medication to help her sleep and only use it if you need to. Good Luck! You can see a pic of our Mini on my profile.

[lgg 2]

Oh man, a bouncy kitten at that! Even when my cat was a kitten she was so freaking chilled out I couldn't believe it. She's like little Zen cat. Oohmmmmm. Well, make that Fat Zen Cat...

We flew with our 3 month old kitten in March. She did great! No meds needed. I was worried at first but she just watched people and stared at me when she could. With an older cat in a car I would think it would fine but you could get the medication to help her sleep and only use it if you need to. Good Luck! You can see a pic of our Mini on my profile.