Everything You Need to Know About Cats and Car Travel
Everything You Need to Know About Cats and Car Travel
Anyone who’s ever travelled with their pet knows how quickly it can turn into a living nightmare if you haven’t prepared properly. Most dogs are actually quite fond of car rides, but this, of course, doesn’t apply to every single member of the entire dog species. The same can be said about cats and although most of them tend to dislike car rides in general, there are steps you can take to ensure that your favourite pet won’t have a rough time during your travels. Let’s go over some of the most important aspects every cat owner should know when travelling with their favourite pet.
Start of early
Traveling with your cat can be a rather tedious task. Cats are notorious for their dislike of car rides and one of the best ways of avoiding any future mishaps is to start preparing them as early as you can. Instead of simply stuffing your cat into a carrier only when you have to take it on a trip, you should start sensitizing your cat to car rides while it’s still a kitten. That way, you will prevent any travel-related issues from occurring down the road (pun intended).
You should start taking your kitten on short rides around the neighbourhood as soon as you get it and allow it to ease into the whole car riding experience. The best time to start doing this is before your cat reaches nine weeks of age and although it may never get completely used to car rides, it will definitely tolerate them more easily.
Get your cat acquainted with the carrier
One of the biggest issues cat owners experience is their cat’s unwillingness to get inside the carrier and remain there without making a commotion. Avoiding this is as simple as giving your cat the chance to explore the carrier all by itself. One of the best pieces of advice you’ll ever get regarding this topic is to take the carrier out at least a week before your travels, wipe any dust and dirt using a wet cloth and letting it sit in your living area. This allows your cat to freely explore the carrier on its own accord and since the carrier is basically a large plastic box, your cat won’t hesitate to get in once it’s gotten used to it.
Prepare the necessities
Every parent knows that travelling with a baby requires bringing along a significant amount of equipment, including spare binkies, blankets, diapers and food bottles. Although it’s far from a human baby, your cat does require you to bring along similar things. First and foremost, make sure your cat has its ID tag on, in case the worst happens and you end up losing it during your travels.
We already mentioned the cat carrier, but have in mind that your cat will feel far more comfortable during the ride if the carrier contains its favourite bedding and a couple of toys to keep itself occupied while you drive. You don’t have to carry the litter box per se, but bringing along the usual litter you use can really help your little pet feel more relaxed during the whole experience.
When it comes to food, a rule of thumb is to bring more than your cat would normally eat at home. The reason behind this is that long car rides can not only be stressful but rather tiring for your pet, so make sure you have enough to make it through the journey. There are a lot of good brands currently available on the market, but black hawk cat food has been proven to be one of the best choices, both regarding the price and the overall quality. It’s filled with all the vitamins and minerals your cat might need, which tend to drop significantly during long and often stressful car rides. Finally, cats can get car-sick just like we do, so don’t forget to pack some anti-motion-sickness medication just in case.
As you can see, travelling with your cat is really not that big of a deal once you realize that your cat needs to same care your fellow passengers would. Start with car rides while your cat is still a kitten and slowly ease it into the whole car riding experience. Even if your cat doesn’t wear an ID tag, you should at least get one while you’re travelling. Make sure you’ve brought enough food and toys for your cat to play with and try to take frequent breaks to let your cat out for a quick stretch.
