Cats In The Car: Calm and Safe Ways to Travel

When you take your cat to the car, it’s usually because you need to. Maybe you have already heard the horror stories from other cat owners, or maybe you’ve already lived through a few of them yourself. Some cats handle the experience better than others, and there’s a lot you can do to make the trip a bit more pleasant for both of you when you have cats in the car.

Start Early When Having Cats In The Car

As a brand new cat mom, you can start almost immediately with making her future car rides easier. It’s kind of the same experience you’re going to have if you need to bathe your kitten at any point; the beginning is filled with anxiety and cries for help, but as she gets used to the pleasant feeling of the lukewarm water, she might even start to enjoy it.

Carry the same mindset about car rides by allowing her to enjoy short trips. It’s smart to do this while your kitten is still young and adaptable, around nine weeks old should be alright, and make sure to encourage those good vibes with a few cat treats as you go. It’s all about helping her with getting used to the experience and even connect the locked-up environment of your car with snacking on tasty treats.

That way, you plant the seeds of associating the car with something positive early on; rather than heading straight to the vet on your first car trip together – there will be no good vibes, whatsoever. This would help make that first cats in the car experience a better one.

The Preparations

These early rides are not only an excellent way for your kitty to get used to the car but also for you to monitor her behaviour. There are two likely ways it might behave; either with signs of motion sickness, such as drooling and vomiting or with hyperactivity. Heavy breathing, loud and prolonged meowing that pains your cat-loving heart, as well as general stress are good indicators that your cat goes a bit bonkers in the car.

Both of these conditions have solutions that you should discuss with your vet well in advance of the trip. Motion sickness medications are available for cats, as well as mild pills for sedation; this will make her travel a lot more pleasant, so remember to take advantage of these early trips to monitor and take care of your cat’s needs.

Have a leash ready for your cat to stretch her legs, if you are going on a long trip and need to make a couple of pit-stops, as well as a flea collar to keep any creatures from the bush at bay. Here are a few cat flea collar reviews you can read up on.

The Travel Carrier

To some cats, a travel carrier is a place of safety and comfort – and a place they will attempt to root themselves when it’s time for the cold veterinarian’s table. To others, the travel carrier is as dreadful as the car ride itself.

If you have ever put a box in the living room, you’ve probably noticed that your cat would like to live in it – so why can’t it be like this with the travel carrier? Leave it out in the living room a few days before the car ride. Given enough time and scents, the carrier will soon start to smell like you – which is a scent your cat simply loves. Have a look at this spray for the carrier, by the way, if you’re a bit late but would still like the carrier to smell lovely for your pet.

Your cat might never love those car rides, and it’s unlikely that you’re going to see her leap into the backseat, excited for the next family outing, like a puppy. You can help her with finding it a bit more bearable, though, and make it easier for her to trust the car – it will be easier on your heart, too, as you can watch her relax and doze off in the car. This will hopefully help your experience when traveling with cats in the car. Good luck!