I would rent a van and a lot of cages. and many bags of kitty litter.

Leanne

Chain them to the bumper and let them run behind you for exercise.

As someone else suggested, a van seems the most logical solution. Be sure to
rent the type that has ventilation and air conditioning in the entire
interior, not just the driver's section; and look for one where you can turn
lights on in the interior even while you are driving because that will be a
long trip for the cats to make in an enclosed area. Most rental vans have
rails around the sides. Get the type of van where you can access all parts
of the van from the front, and do not open the back doors *at all.* Work on
the cages (sifting litter, replacing food and water, etc.) only when *all*
doors and windows are securely closed. Place the cages on heavy blankets or
other padding to cut down on noise, and secure the cages to the railings for
safety.

If your cats get along well and you know it is safe to place more than 1 cat
per kennel, I would get fairly large *dog* kennels (not small carriers) and
place 2 or 3 cats per kennel. The kennels need to be large enough to provide
space for litter boxes. Place the litter boxes at the *front* of the kennel
so the cats will move to the rear and you can scoop the litter boxes from
the front - thus reducing any possibility of a cat scrambling out while you
are working on the litter. Provide food and water only at night (or before
you start to drive in the morning). Most cats will not eat or drink while
the van is moving, and water is likely to spill if you try to keep water
containers available while moving.

You obviously will not be able to take 25 cats into a motel, and I would
never leave my cats alone at night. Therefore, I suggest that you take a
sleeping bag and comfortable pillows, and plan to sleep in the van with the
cats. I don't know which area of the east coast you are heading for, but I
would suggest that you take the most northerly route possible, even it that
adds some miles to your transport. Summer is here, and you will want to
decrease the likelihood of hot weather. It isn't safe to run the motor while
you are sleeping, so that is another reason to try to avoid hot
temperatures. There are some small battery-powered fans available. It would
be a good idea to take several of those with you. They are not very
efficient, but they do help. Amy's suggestion to avoid Boston and New York
during political convention times is excellent - in fact, I would avoid
large cities as much as possible anyway, but the route you need to follow
may not provide that luxury.

I hope some of this helps. I don't envy anyone making a major trip like this
with 25 cats, but you have my profound "thanks" and "good luck" for making
plans to take your cats to your new home. We have read too many horror
stories on these groups about people who treat their pets as disposable
objects and simply abandon them when they move.

MaryL
(take out the litter to reply)

Photos of Duffy and Holly:      >'o'<
http://tinyurl.com/8y54 (Introducing Duffy to Holly)
http://tinyurl.com/8y56 (Duffy and Holly "settle in")

WOW! My thinks to all of you that responded with useul ideas and
advice. I believe that we will be heading to Tennessee or near by that
area.

What is a James Marz??? Sick?

What about the idea of buying  a motorhome?  This would be the ideal thing
to use, to transport the cats. Then when you get to your destination, you
could sell it. Or you could rent one.

How about using the cats for snacks on that long roadtrip? Slice 'em
thin and make chips. You can always keep 2-3 for pets like a normal
person. You are a freak! 25 cats! hehehe

I think Continental (or is it Delta?) has a service to ship cats. You might be
able to get two of them in a carrier. You will need papers proving that they
have their rabies shots.

Dik

Don't you believe in desexing the cats?