I've taken cats on long drives (moving) and had no problems
other than they tend to cry a lot.  Mine would eat a little but
not as much as usual and hence didn't need the litter as
often.  I'm not sure stopping frequently is the best idea
since it might tend to suggest to them that you've arrived
at your destination.

Maybe take some extra towels along in the car and if
either cat has an accident in their carrier, you can replace
the towel with a clean one.   When you stop (for food &
restroom), should be sufficient to let them have access
to the litter box, as well as some food & water.

Good luck!

Gail

Hi, I just moved from New Hampshire to Iowa (1200 miles) with my 2 cats,
and I must say it went REALLY smoothly!  Prior to that I had one cat
that rode well in the car, and another that howled and got himself
worked up to the point of vomiting (great, huh?).

Prior to the trip I took them on a few short drives, 15 minutes or so
and then home.  Beck still got himself all worked up so I just gave up
on that idea. Packing was the hardest, they were trying to help with
every box, and I really had to watch them with the door being open so
much going in and out.  Cats were packed last, their cat carriers
stacked on front seat along with cooler and such.  I got a cheap
rubbermaid storage container with a lid and used that as a temporary
litter box, food, water, and bowls were in a bag next to them on the
seat.  Every 2-3 hours I pulled over, offered them a tablespoon of dry
food then water, then litterbox.  Except for one howling session going
through PA, they just rode along fine.  By the end of the trip Id let
them out and they clambered over the luggage and went to sleep (Both
cats are on the large side and were pretty cramped in their cages and
previously always rode loose to the vets and such).

The worst part of teh whole trip was at the motel.  I brought everything
I needed in, locked door, checked room from top to bottom, let cats out.
 5 minutes later Bobby had found a crack in the bed frame and was stuck
under a king size bed.  I never knew I had the strength to lift a
kingsize bed up with one hand while fending off the other cat and
dragging him out.  After that, they spent the night locked in the
bathroom with a blanket in the bathtub as their bed.

Otherwise they handled it great, I had to stay at a friends for a week
while I worked out new place, and cats seemed happy and carefree at all
times.  They stayed at 4 places in a week and a half and never really
seemed stressed except for that one spot in pennsylvania where they both
howled nonstop for a half hour.

There was a $10 pet deposit at the hotel, but I asked the clerk if they
had any offers going, and ended up getting a $10 discount, so it all
evened out.

Good luck with your move!  With the current ice & snow, moving out of
Iowa sounds grand ;-)
Char

I drove cross country with a cat years ago.  but I was sharing the driving with
a friend so I was able to tend to the kitty more than you will be able to. My
cat didn't like the car either and she meowed for about 2 states, but then was
fine for the rest of the long trip.  We stopped nightly at motels and she
adapted well.  I would suggest getting harnesses and leashes for your cats so
that you can hold onto them better when you stop at rest stops. .  I would not
recommend giving sedatives.  If you want to calm the kitties, you might want to
try something without side effects such as Bach's Rescue Remedy.  

good luck,
Lauren
________
See my cats:  http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe
Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html
http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html
Declawing Info: http://www.wholecatjournal.com/articles/claws.htm

I have made numerous long trips with cats, and I have not had any problems.
None of my cats even wanted to eat or drink or use the litter box while we
were in the car, but they headed directly for food or the litter box as soon
as we settled in for the night.  I would suggest -- both for your sake and
the cats' -- that you reduce the length of time you plan to spend on the
road each day.  A 12-14 hour day is much too long; it would be preferable to
add an additional day of traveling, even though that means one more night in
a motel (and shifting everything from car to motel and back again).  Do be
sure to *check in advance* for motels where you can take your cats inside;
offer to pay a security deposit, if necessary.  I always kept a small litter
box behind the driver's seat for "emergencies," but it was never used.  In
your case, I suggest that you simply keep the carrier closed at all times
when the cats are in the car.  There are now some disposable litter boxes
available (complete with a small supply of litter).  That could probably be
placed into the carrier once or twice during the day if you are concerned,
but you will probably find that it will not be used.

You already know that one cat hates the car.  Therefore, I suggest that you
get a spray can of Feliway and spray some in the carrier about 30 minutes
before you place the cats in it in the morning.  (Do *not* spray it while
the cats are actually in the carrier!)  A sedative really should not be
necessary, and I would avoid it if at all possible.  Your cats may cry for
30-45 minutes, but then will probably be quiet for most of the day.  Be
*extremely* careful when opening the door in a motel room.  Cats can become
frightened in unfamiliar surroundsing, and one could panic and run out an
open door faster than I can describe it.

Good luck with your move.  I actually enjoyed traveling with my cats -- the
companionship was really pleasant.

MaryL

Good for you, driving with them.  The cats probably will be too excited to eat
or drink much, or use the sandbox. Nevertheless, you must provide everything in
abundance...and especially your voice and strokings as often as possible.
Sedatives are not a good idea. The cats need to be able to react to sudden
stops, for example. Cats are more resilient than we think and yours will
forgive you-eventually- for interrupting their routines. Bon voyage..and please
report how it went?!

www.mimiforsyth.com

Distract him with catnip? :)

I'd try to arrange some sort of cage where they could still be confined and
have access to their litter, food etc. I'd get one that was as big as the
floor of my space but maybe only 18 inches tall so I could put other luggage
on top of it. There are water dispensers that can hang on the wall of a
carrier or cage so they can always lick clean water.

Margaret
who once spent a lot of money advertising for a cat that bolted during a
rest stop -- got him back, tho

-> I will be moving to Oregon next week from Iowa, and I'm bringing my 2
-> cats with me.  I am planning to drive as much as I can before stopping
-> for the night (12-14 hours).  I'm worried about how the cats will fare
-> for such a long trip.  One of my cats hates the car, and I do have a
-> sedative from the vet, but I'd like to avoid using it if possible.  I'm
-> mostly concerned about how the cats will eat, drink, and use the litter
-> box.  I will be driving alone so I must keep them confined to a carrier
-> (large enough for both cats), and they won't have access to a litter
-> box.  I will stop every few hours and let them use one if they are
-> willing - is this reasonable?.  Has anyone had experience driving
-> long-distance with cats? Any tips?

Put a thick towel in the carrier, and bring extra towels
so that you can change them if necessary. (When you stop for
the night.)

I would avoid stopping just to let them use the litterbox. You
could risk having them escape. And make sure they are both
wearing collars with ID tags on them. If you don't have a phone
number where you can be reached, then use a phone number for a
relative who you can trust to react if the cats escape and are
found. If they're not microchipped, now would be a good time to
do that.

Have a litterbox and food/water ready for when you stop for
the night. Let them eat and drink once you are secured inside
your room, and give them free access to the litterbox. (I'd
buy a couple of those disposable litter boxes for the occasion.)

I travelled from NC to Texas with five cats. We did fine. They
were uncomfortable, of course, but that couldn't be helped.

I hope you have a pleasant and uneventful trip.

If you can, train your cats to a leash and harness - it will make
travelling with them a whole lot easier!  Avoid the sedative if
possible, especially if it's ACP.  Valium, IMHO, is better for just
'taking the edge off' without making them so dopey they have no idea
what's going on.

If there's room in the carrier, put a small plastic container in there
for litter.  You won't have to worry about your vehicle getting too
warm inside, else I'd suggest a cage fan from Drs Foster and Smith.

Your cats probably would not eat and drink in the carrier, even if you
provide stuff.  Meep is an experienced traveller, and will only drink
when we're stopped (and only if it's warm or hot out).  She won't eat
at all, unless we're stopped for a long time.

Hit the bookstore and get a book on travelling with pets, so you can
find accomodation easily.  It's no fun stopping at multiple no-pet
hotels.

If possible, pick a hotel with doors that face into corridors - not
motels with doors that face outside.  A chain is best because the
rooms are all pretty much the same, and your cats will know what to
expect.

Bring your cat's absolute favorite treats, because if they can get
under the bed, you'll be trying to coax them out in the morning.  You
may find yourself using an umbrella or stick to persuade them to come
out if the treats don't work ...

Never, ever let the cats loose in the vehicle while you are driving.
It's very dangerous, even assuming they behave and don't try to crawl
under the gas pedal, and if you were to be involved in an accident,
they'd become furry projectiles and could be injured or killed in even
a minor accident.  Make sure their boxes are tied down, for the same
reason.

When you get to your hotel, use this routine:  Leave the cats in the
cage.   Carefully inspect the room for places the cats may try to hide
( under the bed, in the bedframe, inside or under the couch, a hole
behind the sink in the bathroom).  Look very, very carefully, and
think like a cat!  Block up any possible problems if you can.  If you
can't, you have two choices:  Ask for another room, or make the cats
sleep in the bathroom (if that's been determined cat-safe).  

Set out the food, water, and litterbox, and a bed if you're using one.
Always set them out in as close to the same spots each night as
possible.  Meep knows to expect the litterbox in the bathroom,
possibly in the tub if there's no room on the floor.

Pick up one cat at a time from the carrier, show them where their
things are, then let them explore.  Leave the carrier open, and
available, they may find it a safe haven compared to the new, scary
hotel room.  Make sure your demeanor is calm and quiet, "this is
perfectly normal, there's nothing to be afraid of".

With my cat, I find it best to "ignore" her while she finds the safest
place and cowers there for a while.  Once she's sure it's safe, she
comes out and joins us on the bed.

I think the trick to successfully travelling with a cat is routine.  I
try to do things pretty much the same way every time.  Meep's
travelled all over Scotland with us, and travelled cross-country from
Seattle to NY to WDC during a very hot summer, with no ill effects.
We don't travel with her as much now, as places in Britain are
becoming increasingly pet-unfriendly (no pets, or large non-refundable
pet deposits), and it's now less expensive to put her up in the local
very good cattery, rather than take her with us.

Good luck!

jmc
usenet [at] jodi [dit] ws
Any day you learn something isn't a total waste.

I've driven cross-country with cats many times, including one move
from IL to CA. I always just toss the cats into their carriers and
leave them in there until we reach the destination for that day. I've
only had one cat have an "accident" and that happened within the first
hour of the trip; I stopped, cleaned out her cage with paper towels,
and she was fine for the rest of the trip.

My family has done it a couple times. First was Seattle, WA to
Decorah, IA. Then the reverse 4 years later.

The first trip had 2 cats and 3 dogs. The trip back had 4 cats and 2
dogs. There was a lot of meowing, but other than that, it was fine.

We used a larger case, a metal dog cage for the cats. That allowed us
to put a small kitty litter pan and some food and water in with them
the whole time. If you can't do that, than get some of those wee-wee
pads from the pet store. It's like a diaper pad for housetraining dogs
I believe. But that would fit fine in the bottom of a cat cage, and
you can toss them when they get dirty. So, accidents are easily
covered, and you don't have to haul a smelly mess.

Also have plenty of good music to listen to. You'll want to drown out
the meowing :)