When you have a cat, there will come a time when you have to take your cat on a journey in the car, if only to take it to the vet. I know from personal experience how much cats hate journeys in the car and have tried different methods to help them relax during the journey. Cats like things to always remain the same and can easily become confused and frightened if there is any deviation from a set routine.
If you are taking a cat on a car journey, you must ensure that it is not loose in the car, and always kept in a carrier for the duration of the trip. You must not remove the cat from the crate, even if you become upset that the journey may be so distressing for it.
Your cat must always be kept in a carrier
When travelling with your cat in the car, the cat should not be loose – if the cat was loose, it could run away if a noise spooked it, or it could climb somewhere that could be dangerous for it, such as under the brake pedal, where it could become trapped. It could also escape through a window if the car windows are open.
Many different noises emanating from the car could spook your cat – even the sound of the horn could scare it.
If, when you arrive at your destination, you open the car door, in that split second your cat can make a run for it, and it is entirely possible that it will, unfortunately, never come back, and I would hate to think that a cat was lost in this fashion. Please be extra careful if you choose to keep your cat loose in the car.
Although there is the concern that your cat will escape if it is loose, another possibility is that it will scratch you because it is so confused and scared by its new surroundings. You must ensure that your cat cannot distract you whilst you are driving, and the best way of doing that is to keep the cat in a carrier.
You could try to cover the crate with a towel whilst you take it to the car so that your cat does not become scared by being in unfamiliar surroundings. Once you have placed the carrier in the car, you can remove the towel.
The crate should be made as secure as possible – it is best to secure the crate with a seat belt. It should be kept on a flat area so that it does not sway in the car, making the cat feel even worse. It is best to put a towel or cloth in the bottom of the carrier to make the cat feel more comfortable and sense familiar smells.
Do not be tempted to place your cat in the boot – it will become scared by the motion of the car, and will not have access to air or light. Your cat will be much more comfortable if the carrier is placed on a seat.
You must be patient with your cat when you are placing it in the carrier – going into the carrier is always an unpleasant experience for your cat, so talk reassuringly to it and give it a treat to help coax it into the carrier. You must not become agitated or upset with your cat – this will just make it feel even more unsettled and confused as to why you are becoming angry with it.
Choose the best carrier for your needs
You must ensure that the crate is big enough for your cat to turn around comfortably. The crate must not be so big, however, that your cat becomes uncomfortable whilst inside it, and made to feel more insecure.
The crate should be ventilated so that your cat has enough air and should be made of plastic or wire if you wish to purchase a hard carrier, or cloth or mesh if you wish to purchase a softer carrier.
Another thing you must bear in mind is to ensure that the carrier, whichever one you decide to purchase, is easy to clean just in case your cat urinates in it. In addition, you could place a towel under the carrier just in case.
If you do not have a carrier, you must not be tempted to place your cat into a normal cardboard box because this could easily fall apart if your cat urinates in it, and your cat would then become loose in the car, which is a scenario you are trying to avoid.
Give your cat time to become used to the carrier
It is prudent to help your cat to become used to the carrier in advance of your journey so that there is a greater possibility that it will be happier and more relaxed. This could be utilised by leaving the carrier on the floor so that your cat can sniff around it and maybe even climb inside it.
Placing some of its favourite toys inside the carrier could also help your cat to become better acclimatised to the crate.
Taking your cat on a longer journey
It is best to take your cat on several shorter journeys to begin with so that it can become used to the car and its new surroundings. You should then gradually increase the amount of time you are travelling for.
You should plan to make several stops when you are going on a longer journey with a cat – you may be able to tolerate travelling for long periods, but your cat will not be able to.
It is prudent to give treats to your cat during the journey – this may help to make the cat feel more relaxed.
If your cat is out of its carrier at any time, or you decide that you do not want to place your cat in a carrier, it is best to place a harness on your cat so that you can grab it if it decides to make a run for it at any point.
If your cat has a harness on, you can put it on a leash and take it for walks every so often so that it has a chance to walk around, and you can be safe in the knowledge that it will not be able to run away, which is especially helpful if you are going on a longer journey.
You should also place the litter box in the car, and give your cat frequent chances to use it.
If you have more than one cat, you should keep the cats in separate crates. Although your cats may get on with each other at home with no problems, being in a confined space may make a difference, with them both becoming stressed, and they could become agitated with each other.
It is imperative that you do not get cross with your cat if it does its business in the carrier. The journey is bound to make your cat feel uncomfortable and anxious, so it may do things it would not normally do. If this were to happen, it is a good idea to take wipes and bin liners with you so that you can cope with this kind of occurrence.
When you travel with your cat, if your car does not have air conditioning, you should always ensure that a window is open, especially on a hot day. This is especially important if you stop anywhere for a break, and leave your cat in the car because the air conditioning will not work whilst the engine is switched off.
It would be completely wrong to leave your cat in the car without having a window open. You do not want any harm to come to your cat, and if you leave the doors and windows shut, your cat could begin to suffer from heat stroke, which could have disastrous consequences for it – PLEASE DO NOT DO IT!!
Think about getting your cat a collar
Even if you do not normally place a collar on your cat, it is important that you place one around your cat’s neck if you are going on a long journey giving details of your telephone number and home and destination addresses just in case the worst happened and you and your cat were inadvertently separated.
Another option would be to ensure that your cat is microchipped. This microchip is a small computer chip that gives your cat a unique identification number so that you can be reunited with your cat if you were ever separated. The microchip can be scanned and can bring up details of your contact information, which you gave to the vet when your cat was originally microchipped.
Give your cat food and water a few hours before the journey
Before you take your cat on a journey, you must ensure that it has complete access to its litter box. It is best if your cat eats a few hours before travelling rather than just before the journey so that it does not urinate or defecate in your car. There is also less likelihood of your cat becoming sick.
You must ensure, especially if going on a long journey, that your cat has access to food and water at least every eight hours. You should always keep water in the car to give to your cat during the ride, especially if it a long journey.
Try playing music softly – it may help your cat to relax
Some cats are soothed by music in the car as it helps to drown out the noise created by the car and passing traffic, especially on a hot day when the windows are open, but you should not play the music too loudly, or your cat could become spooked and/or you could become distracted.
Talk gently to your cat to reassure it
If your cat is showing signs of distress, as my cat Bess does by meowing plaintively, you should make reassuring noises and talk gently to it to reassure it.
Drive as carefully as possible
You should always try and ensure that your cat is disturbed as little as possible during the journey, which means trying to ensure that the journey is a smooth one by braking gently and trying to avoid the many potholes on the road.
Place your cat’s scent in the car before your journey
If you want to try to make your cat more relaxed during the journey, you could try placing the cat’s blanket inside the car on the back seat so that its scent is already in the car, helping your cat to feel safer. This will help to make the cat feel more relaxed during the journey.
How do I determine if being in the car makes my cat feel ill?
Do not be surprised if your cat meows loudly whilst on the journey – it is simply voicing its disgust that it is in a strange contraption and confined in a cat carrier. As the journey progresses, you may find that the cat settles down or even falls asleep.
If your cat becomes sick in the car, it could be suffering from motion sickness. If your cat suffers from this condition, it will meow continuously whilst in the car, not just for the first few minutes, urinate, vomit or become completely immobile.
If you feel your cat suffers from any of these conditions, it is best to ask your vet the best course of action to take.
My cat will not settle down
Another option to help your cat to keep calm during a car ride is to give it sedatives for a few days before the trip. Please bear in mind that this method should be utilised with caution because some of these drugs may have side effects for your cat.
If you give your cat sedatives a few days before your journey, you have time to see if they have an adverse effect on your cat and can ask your veterinarian to prescribe other medication. Giving your cat sedatives means that it is more relaxed so can take the journey much more easily.
If you wish to see if the medication is working before embarking on a long journey, it is best to take your cat on a trial journey to see how it reacts. Your cat should still be aware of its location even after taking the medication.
If you feel that your cat cannot become used to being in the car even if you have tried giving it some form of sedation, another option, but this method should only be used if all other options have failed, is to give your cat tranquilisers to help to calm it down before the journey. If you wish to utilise this method, you should always consult your veterinarian first, who will know the best tranquiliser to prescribe, and may give you advice on this topic.
Conclusion
Although this article has mentioned several problems that can occur whilst you are travelling with a cat in a car, some of these occurrences are rare, and apart from some complaining from your cat, the journey will be undertaken without any major incident occurring!!
Do not be surprised, however, if your cat immediately runs and hides as soon as it is out of the carrier when you have arrived at your destination!! This is completely normal – give it time to calm down and then give it plenty of attention and treats – it deserves it!!