circa Mon, 21 Jun 2004 17:21:35 GMT, in alt.cats, Jake Blues
(5htp@earthlink.net) said,

Tranks were the biggest mistake I ever made, and I only did it once.
I was moving 800 miles with four cats. Two couldn't be tranquilized
because of health issues; two could.

One of the two who could be tranked is the gentlest, sweetest cat
I've ever known.

The entire trip, he would *NOT* ride anywhere but in my *lap*. If I
tried to move him, he growled and hissed. I had never even heard him
growl before, and he was eleven or twelve years old at the time. He
wouldn't stay in a carrier. He wouldn't sleep on the floor or the
passenger seat. He would *only* calm down if he was in my lap, and
he'd periodically drunkenly get up and shuffle positions, nearly
falling on the floor or the door or whatever else when he did so.
Each time it scared the bejeebies out of me.

The other tranked cat howled the entire way.

You're probably better off just putting them in carriers that you
lightly cover with sheets so that they don't really see out but still
get air flow. They'll howl for a while, but they *will* eventually
chill out and are likely to fall asleep.

As far as litterboxes, cats will hold their waste for a looong time.
When I made that move, not a one of 'em would use the litterbox no
matter how many times I stopped at rest areas to let them loose in
the car to do so.

On the other hand, when I had to take just one of the cats back over
that 800 mile trip and then back home again (he had a feeding tube in
and I couldn't leave him with a catsitter, but I was in a wedding, so
I brought him with me), he actually got quite mellow about riding in
the car and had no qualms about pushing open his carrier door and
going over to dirty the box whenever he felt like it.

Laura

We just went through the same sort of trip from Jersey to Florida ( day
trip) with out 17 year old cat.  He previously has had a only short trips &
one longer trip of 250 miles.  On the Fl trip we set up a litter box behind
the rear seat for his use.  He only used it once in the car during the trip
(diarrhea) & would drink any water until we stopped at night.  He made most
of the trip just sleeping in his carry box on the back seat. He would drink,
eat & use the litter box only at night in the motels.  I would avoid using
tranquilizers unless it's the only way to keep him calm.  Most of the time
they settle down after a while & sleep during the trip.