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Hey everyone! My partner and I are moving with our two cats from Louisville KY to Sacramento CA in January '14. I would love any advice you have on moving so far across the country, traveling with pets, driving that far, etc. We will be driving my 2007 Nissan Versa with the cats and having the few belongings we're taking with us shipped via U-Box by U-Haul.
I have never had a road trip more than 5 hours and I have never travelled west of Bowling Green KY so driving advice and advice about the West would be great. We are thinking of taking Hwy-80 most of the way but I'm not sure how that road is in January since we'd pass through southern Nebraska, Wyoming, northern Nevada, and Utah.
Any advice you could give would be much appreciated! THANKS!
Why would you take the northern route in January? I suggest you take the southern route, then go north once you get to CA. That would be 40, if I remember correctly. Then take I-5 north.
When you get to your hotel, check for cat hazards and hiding places before you let your cats out of the carriers, or you may have to take the bed apart in the morning. I once found a hole in the wall (for plumbing maintenance) that a cat could have squeezed through. Imagine trying to leave in the morning and realizing your cat is in the wall somewhere! (I covered it before letting the cats out.) Take tape and cardboard in case you need to cover any hiding places.
Even in January, it might be too warm to leave cats in the car, so don't plan on leisurely restaurant lunches. For your cats' sake, get from hotel to hotel as quickly as possible.
Get your cats used to being in the carrier and in the car driving before the long trip. Mine did fine. I put on relaxing music during the trip and talked to them a lot, too. We started hotel looking though by 4 p just to get them, and us, settled in. That decreased their stress and ours. We went cross country w/ them.
Thanks everyone! The southern route is the way to go then. I don't know why I would think the northern one would be okay in January but I've never been that far north before so who knows.
@sll3454 - thanks so much for the hotel tips! I've never had them in a hotel room but I have a very tiny little girl cat who would just love to hole herself up somewhere! We'll probably be doing a lot of fast-food drive thrus instead of restaurants too, I don't want kitties in the car any longer than necessary.
@Upstate Nancy - I was thinking of getting the kitties used to the car by doing some little around-town trips in the crate we'll be using over the next couple months and then maybe doing one overnight visit to my grandparents so they have a night's experience in a new room. Would that be too much you think?
Louisville transplant, now in the SF East Bay Area .... Trying to get back to Louiville.
You do want to take the Southern route for sure! Start mapping out your hotels .... thank goodness a ton more hotels now allow pets!! You might find the cats howling while in the carrier, and you say to heck with it, and let them out to relax in the car. Just make sure you get them back in the carrier before opening the car door, so they can't get out!
Have fun on your drive, and welcome to CA!
HUGz! Jules
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