Juggling Cats

A fellow traveler, Beth, sent the following tips about how she travels alone with her cats. Personally, we don't follow all of Beth's suggestion (e.g., we've never tried using any drops in RC's water), but different perspectives are always valuable. Beth has some great suggestions, so in her own words...

All of my car trips with my cats have been solo - no human passengers.

First of all, the question about whether or not the cat should be in a carrier in the car. Like you, I've broken my own rule in the past, but I am now adamant that all cats remain in their carriers while in the car. Not only because a cat on the loose can *cause* accidents by interfering with the driver; but it is also far more likely to be injured in an accident if loose, not to mention more likely to escape from the car if an accident should occur. Also, having traveled with multiple cats (up to three at a time) - don't ever, ever, ever, drive with multiple cats unless all of them are in carriers.

Secondly, did you know that AAA now has a guide to pet-friendly hotels and motels across the US? It's called the Pet Book (or Pet Guide - I can never remember which). It's a very handy resource.

As far as the travel routine I've developed: When I am going somewhere it's almost always a "get from point A to point B as quickly as possible" kind of trip rather than a vacation/sightseeing trip, so my routine has developed accordingly.

• I never drive for more than 10 hours in one day, and I prefer to limit myself to 8 hours.

• None of my cats have ever shown an interest in eating, drinking or using a litterbox while in the car, so I don't even bother with that anymore. Instead I put the pedal to the metal and keep going with as few stops as possible until the day's destination is reached and the cats can be released into their motel room with food, water and litter. My usual routine is: depart as early in the morning as possible, usually by 7:00 a.m. I always travel with an ice chest and I eat my breakfast in the room with the cats before leaving. Lunch is eaten out of the cooler or sometimes out of a drive-through or quick stop at a deli somewhere. (Thank god for Balance Bars, bananas and juice boxes!) Arrival at the day's destination usually comes by 3 or 4 p.m. Cats and cat accessories are unloaded from the car first and they are settled in, fed and watered and littered before anything else happens. Then after my own stuff is taken care of and I know the cats are comfortable, I will, if I want to, take off for late-afternoon sightseeing or other activities. Sometimes I'll eat dinner out, but more often I'll make a grocery store run and get something to eat back at the motel with the cats and will also get whatever fresh food items I'll want for the following day's breakfast and lunch.
• The longest I will ever leave the cats alone in the car during the day is long enough to make a five-minute run into a restroom at a rest stop, or into a store to buy some food or beverages.
• Like you, I am always concerned about the cats overheating when driving in hot weather. Because my car has air-conditioning, it's not a huge issue for me, but there have been times when I have done this in non-air-conditioned cars, and I have had to change my routine accordingly. If driving in a car without air-conditioning in warm or hot weather, I recommend arranging the itinerary so as to do the driving during the cooler hours of the morning or evening. In cases like this, I will arrange in advance for early check-in at the places where I plan to stay overnight, and will make sure they have air-conditioned rooms. I will then do my driving in the morning, e.g. from 5:00 a.m. till 1:00 p.m. That way the cats are protected from the heat during the hottest part of the day.
• After having used disposable litter boxes, I now have gone back to using a regular litter box and liners. I use a medium-sized unlidded box and during the day in the car it's packed with all of the cats' stuff - litter, dry cat food, food and water bowls, box of liners, etc. Once at the motel for the night, just unpack the stuff from the box, pop in a liner, add some cat litter and you're set. In the morning, toss the liner and used litter, give the box a quick rinse in the bathtub, and re-pack it.
• I *always* bring enough bottled water to last the cats for the whole trip, that way they don't have to drink tap water out of motel bathroom taps. I also always bring a bottle of Bach's Rescue Remedy and add a few drops of R.R. to their drinking water each evening to help them cope with the stress of traveling.

Thanks, Beth, for the great tips! Copyright © 2002 The Special-Needs Pets Web Site