Start doing regular, short drives just around town with the cat, to get them used to the idea that a) a drive doesn’t mean anything bad happens to them, and b) driving is “normal.”

I have one kitty that HAS to be in a carrier. She doesn’t do well outside it. I have another who simply cannot be in a carrier during a car trip. I use it to get her to the car, but then let her out once inside. The first long trip I took with her in a carrier, she almost strangled herself. Since then, I Just let her…

is there alot of space in the car? my cat gets really stressed out by the cat carrier but not so much about the travelling. we ended up ditching the carrier and putting him in the back seat in a much bigger dog crate. there was room for a bed and a litter tray and he could see all around him. He went from a howling…

I moved cross country with my cats last year and I was a bit worried since one of them tends to practice soliloquies the entire way to the vet. And we’d brought just that one with us on a six hour drive before and she’d cried the entire way.

I know this sounds counter intuitive, but if your carrier isn’t already enclosed/dark on its own, try covering the carrier with a dark sheet (or something else that’s breathable) while you’re traveling. Many cats actually prefer to see less of what’s going on, contrary to our human thinking of “If they see what’s…

Let the cat out of the carrier, on a leash?

Cats can get motion sickness just like a person, but let them see where you’re going, and they’re probably OK.

Our vet suggested giving the cats half a tab of Pepsid when we moved cross country. It was a miracle. The cats were drowsy and calm, not carsick and crying, and not loopy. It’s definitely worth asking your vet about it before dosing, fwiw.

My sister travels with here 2 cats back and forth to my dads which is ~4 hours. One of them would wait about 30 to 45 minutes down the road and then poop. Never ever failed. I think now the cat doesn’t do it, kind of grew out of it I guess. She ended up making a little box out of a shoe box or something similar and…

You may have already done this, but one thing is to put the carrier in your living room or whatever so she can get used to it and even maybe make it her favorite spot. (You know how cats like to crawl into boxes and things.) That will eliminate some of the strangeness for her. It also helps to put a piece of your…

i moved my car-stress cat (and the 2 other chill ones) across the country last year, which took 5 days of driving 10 hours per day. under normal circumstances, she’d poop & pee in the carrier during a 30 min drive, so for the move we used a large dog crate and let her have a bed, litterbox, pheremones, food, water,…

My cats are completely fine with traveling if their carrier is open- they’ll just curl up in there and go to sleep for up to four hour drives. Close the door and it’s meow central though.

My stepmom gives my dog some childrens bendryl before long car rides to make him sleepy... She just crushes some up then takes her finger and rubs some of the dust in his mouth. I’ve done it to my cat before too... The vet said it was fine. She recommended about 1/4 of a pill for a cat. I’ve also heard that vets will…

I would honestly just leave the cat at home. Petsitter, if you’re going to be gone more than a day or two or the cat is a compulsive eater that will scarf down all its food in one sitting.

I drive with my cat all the time. She loves trips, but a I think it helps that we’ve made it easy for her.

Borrow or buy a bigger carrier. A small one is fine for the trip to the vet, but a larger one (say, small dog sized) will allow kitty to stand up, stretch her legs and shift positions. You’ll have room for a couple toys and treats in there.

Maybe take your cat on small little non-vet related trips to get it used to the car? When I got my cat (admittedly as a kitten) often took her on visits to my parents (45 minute drive) to get her used to cars and she loves them now.

Take kitty on small trips before the big trip. After each small trip provide a treat/positive interaction/play time. Rinse and repeat until the trip.

My two cats really don’t like the car, but one is particularly vocal. A loud meow every 2 seconds for 15 hours will drive you a little nuts, in my experience.

I’ve driven across the country with 2 cats. There really is no advice here, except I would recommend keeping the cat in the carrier. They seem to feel much more secure that way. (My smaller cat used to burrow behind the pedals in the foot well so braking would be . . . difficult. Do not recommend.)

Yes: Don’t do it. :(