Re: Anyone have experience traveling/moving with a sugar cat
our road trips to our children's homes are generally anywhere between 8 and 12 hours from home. we've always driven straight through just because it's easier doing everything once when traveling with our four cats. here's our car right before leaving... packed and prior to covering the crates with a sheet:
2 cats to a dog crate. i'm able to immobilize the crates by strapping them to the built-in hooks on the walls in the back of the SUV. the crates are big enough to place a small disposable litterbox in each. plastic water dishes attach to the side of the crates. i place old quilts and towels underneath, between, and on the sides of the crates to absorb any vibrations and a sheet to cover provides protection from the sun. one of mine used to get car sick before i started covering the crate with a sheet. although, i do leave a section open so i can see into the crates from the front seat.
the two natural remedies i found helpful while traveling are
Rescue Remedy and
Hyland's Calms. i spray Rescue Remedy in the cage and place drops on the top of their paws and the back of their ears the morning of the trip. they each get a Hyland's Calms pill the night before (crushed in food) and the morning of the trip. I've found feeding about an hour to an hour and a half before leaving has eliminated problems associated with traveling on a full tummy.
i do carry food & water in the event we're stuck on the road, but usually my kitties won't eat during the trip. the only time i give alex insulin while traveling is if her numbers are high. since our trips are a maximum of 12 hours it means only skipping a single shot. as soon as we get where we're going she gets her shot. if she does get insulin before getting on the road i'll test her and give her a couple of snacks at Rest stops along the Interstate. We park away from everyone else and i do not remove her from the crate.
we also carry plastic bags, a litter scoop, a roll of paper towels, and some baby wipes. when we arrive at our destination we use a small soft-sided cat carrier to transfer the cats (one at a time) into the house. when possible, we'll put the car in the garage and shut the garage door prior to taking the cats out of the crates.
hope this helps... good luck!
