13 Useful Road Travel Tips For Cats Before Travelling With A Cat In A Car

Just make sure you always fill the box with toys and treats! You’ll want to take short trips to get your kitten used to being in your car. Exercise: Once they agree that the carrier is nearby and even going into the carrier, practice closing the door and feeding treats to show them that it’s okay. As your cat feels comfortable in a closed carrier on the floor, you can practice picking him up by taking him around the room. Looking for a trip to the nearest pet store to get a new carrier?

It is best to keep the cat in a single room or small area until you are sure that the cat cannot get out. If the cat is an indoor/outdoor cat and you have moved, even if it is in the same city, keep your cat indoors for 14 days. If a cat has just moved or is in a new environment and goes outside for the first few days, it is very likely that it will get lost, disoriented, and perhaps be hit and killed by a car. As an informative online resource, Preventive Vet cannot and will not provide specific medical advice. A full physical examination, the patient’s history, and an established vet-patient-client relationship are required to provide specific medical advice.

This will encourage your cat to develop positive associations with the carrier and should make traveling much less stressful. Cats love comfortable, cozy and dark enclosed spaces, which is why you will find them hidden in paper bags, cardboard boxes, baskets and so on. When they are stressed or scared, they like to make themselves ‘invisible’. Choosing a carrier that offers all of the above will help your cat feel safe and secure while traveling. Before planning a trip with your cat, make sure the pet has a safe place to stay once it arrives at its destination. When staying in a hotel, even if you’ve stayed at the same hotel dozens of times, confirm each time you travel that they still accept pets.

With these must-have tips for traveling with a cat in your back pocket, you can leave stress in the rearview mirror. (Psst! We’re sure you’ll want some cute snaps with your pet, so if you need the perfect Instagram title, we’ve got you covered.) Don’t forget Fido! For nervous cats, it can help to spray the inside of the cat bed with a pheromone spray such as FELIWAY®. Spray 15 minutes before your cat travels and use it sparingly.

The pheromones in the spray, although synthetic, can help them feel safe. In addition to bedding, wear a familiar blanket or towel to cover the top of the carrier. If you visit the vet, your vet may want to use it to surround your cat during the examination.

Sometimes there is a quiet trip to the animal hospital, but during the return journey from a vet visit, one stressed cat may show aggression towards the other in the carrier. A cat that is the victim of an aggressive event in the carrier will find it much more difficult to get into the carrier Best Cat Food for Smelly Poop next time. After you eat it, give him another one, this time placing it closer to the entrance. Gradually reduce the distance until you need to reach your paw or head in the carrier to pick up the coveted treat. Encourage her to go deeper inside by throwing treats into the back of the wearer.

For many cats, the only trip they will make is the vet’s office. By making the carrier a safe haven away from home, your cat’s stress during their visit will be reduced. Having a towel on the bottom of the carrier creates familiar scents for your cat, along with giving them something cozy to rest and prevent them from slipping into the carrier. You can also calm cats down by spraying the bedding and carrier with a Feliway pheromone spray about 30 minutes before placing the cat in the carrier. Many people make the mistake of hiding the cat bed and picking it up only when the cat needs to travel to vets or a guest kennel. It is a much better idea to leave the carrier in a quiet and permanent place in the house that the cat has access to and make it as cozy as possible.