Tips for traveling with cats?

Feliway!

It's expensive, but it works wonders. It's basically the calming hormone cats release when they rub. You can get it in spray form and in atomizer that you can plug into the walls.

If you can go to your new place ahead of time, plan to put some of the plug ins into the wall sockets so the place smells calming when you all arrive.

And spray the carrier at about head rub level with the spray bottle. Just a few spritzes. You don't smell it, but they will.

It's not perfect, but it does help quite a bit.

a reply to: fiendchikx138

It worked brilliantly when driving from San fran to LA with my 2 cats.

I even left the front of their boxes open placed on top of all my boxes, & covered the top with a dark blanket.

They sat inside, half in half out of their crates, staring over my shoulder the whole time, & pulling over to set them into a conveniently enclosed & trash bag attached litter box left me with little worry.

Don't.

No one grudges like a cat.

When you get to your destination - never fall asleep again.

Just took my cats to the vet the other day by car..

Some pointers:

To get them into their carriers (should have one for each cat), stuff them into a big pillowcase first then put them into the carrier. Cats are good at preventing you from getting them into the carrier by blocking with their feet.

Take them somewhere on a drive to get them used to the idea.

I second the cover with a blanket idea, though maybe not being able to see the movement outside can cause car sickness like with humans (?); though not sure with cats.

Don't let them out in the car or truck while driving. I let my cat out to see what he would do and he hid under my seat in a really tight space. It was tough getting him out and I had to risk opening the car door while he was still loose.

Figure out how to give them water during the trip.

a reply to: nOraKat

Whether or not you need a separate carrier depends on the cats.

We moved a pair of cats who were like brothers. Their mothers had had their litters in the same place, so the two had basically grown up together every day of their lives, been abandoned together, adopted together and were tight. We bought them a big carrier more for a medium sized dog, and they wedged themselves tight together in the back of it. We never heard a peep out of it the whole trip, and when we got to the new place, they reassured each other during the acclimation process.