Relocating With a Cat (EEKK!) (where to stay, fit in, transport company)

[nevermohr]

I'm moving to Nashville from NYC and have a cat. My friend and I are deciding if we want to rent a Uhaul and drive there ourselves or fly down and hire a moving company. Somewhere in this equation, my huge 6 year old spoiled tempermental cat has to fit in. Does anyone have any suggestions on what would be a safe and comfortable solution to transport my furball?

Thanks much!

[kar]

Originally Posted by nevermohr

I'm moving to Nashville from NYC and have a cat. My friend and I are deciding if we want to rent a Uhaul and drive there ourselves or fly down and hire a moving company. Somewhere in this equation, my huge 6 year old spoiled tempermental cat has to fit in. Does anyone have any suggestions on what would be a safe and comfortable solution to transport my furball?

Thanks much!

If cost is not an issue I would fly down and hire a moving company as well as a car transport company for your cars. The airlines are pretty good with animals. Please remember if you move in the summer the airlines will not allow pets underneath the plane because of the hot weather. Some airlines will allow you to bring your animal on board with you if it can fit under the seat in a carrier. This way, the time of year is not a concern.

[alleycat]

My cat would hate either one. She especially does not like to go for a drive. She probably won't like be on an airplane either.

I think (but I'm not sure) that a vet can give you some mild tranquilizers for your cat for situations like this. They would just be to keep the cat "out of it" and napping during the move.

If that was the case, then you could chose whichever moving option works best for you overall.

[LeapingFaith]

wow thinking about the same thing with my dog. He gets car sick I am definately speaking with the Vet about the best way to transport him.

[Queen1972]

When I moved to MN from FL, it took us 2 and half days. My dad drove the truck, and i drove the car. I have 2 cats. I bought a huge pet carrier for lg dogs, so that they would have some room to move and stand up. They did ok throughout the trip. When we were driving and would stop for meals and gas, i would offer the litter box and such. They were not interested in it and did not eat or drink much. When we were at the hotels then they would do there thing, ate and drank. I think one may have had an little accident on the way there (urinated) but overall they survived. However if you think your cat will not handle the car or plane or even going into a pet carrier, tranquilizers may help. The other suggestion I did and also read in books to do, was to take the cats out on short drives prior to leaving so they would adapt to being in the carrier and car. A good book to get is from AAA. Its called, "travelling with pets". They offer all kinds of info on what to do, where to stay while traveling. You can get it from a local AAA office. Its good the know where you are going to stay if you are staying over night somewhere because not all hotels take animals and this can be a problem if you don't plan ahead ( which I found out ). Many of the hotels get booked pretty fast, so call ahead. Feel free to ask me any more questions. I am going to be moving to TN this year sometime so I kind of know what to expect ( at least it won't be as far ).

[alleycat]

Another option if you know anyone in Nashville, ship the cat by air and let your friend pick it up, while you drive the U-Haul. It would mean a much shorter trip for the kitty.

[Kirim]

Originally Posted by nevermohr

I'm moving to Nashville from NYC and have a cat. My friend and I are deciding if we want to rent a Uhaul and drive there ourselves or fly down and hire a moving company. Somewhere in this equation, my huge 6 year old spoiled tempermental cat has to fit in. Does anyone have any suggestions on what would be a safe and comfortable solution to transport my furball?

Thanks much!

Oh God. I am also moving from Florida to middle Tennessee in the summer and don't know what to do with my cat. I loose sleep at nights thinking about it. I will be driving for 14 hours + since I would have to stop to eat something and restroom trips.
My cat hates to go in the car, to her is same as going to the vet because that is all why she gets in the car for.
I really don't know what to do

[Queen1972]

Originally Posted by Kirim

Oh God. I am also moving from Florida to middle Tennessee in the summer and don't know what to do with my cat. I loose sleep at nights thinking about it. I will be driving for 14 hours + since I would have to stop to eat something and restroom trips.
My cat hates to go in the car, to her is same as going to the vet because that is all why she gets in the car for.
I really don't know what to do

Hi, you should read what I wrote earlier in this thread. Before I moved, the only reason I would take my cats in the car was to the vet. So the first thing I did was leave the carrier out in the open like the living room or near the area they like to be. This way they could go in and out at their leisure and get used to just being in it. Than what I did and what books suggested was to take the cats in the carrier on short trips around town and then each time go a longer distance, so they get used to being in the car and not just going to the vets. Whatever you do, DO NOT LET the cat run loose in the vehicle while driving, it could cause a lot of pain to the cat and to you! You may need to get a tranquilizer if this doesn't help. Please read my post for more info. Any more questions, you can PM me.

[alleycat]

Originally Posted by Queen1972

Hi, you should read what I wrote earlier in this thread. Before I moved, the only reason I would take my cats in the car was to the vet. So the first thing I did was leave the carrier out in the open like the living room or near the area they like to be. This way they could go in and out at their leisure and get used to just being in it. Than what I did and what books suggested was to take the cats in the carrier on short trips around town and then each time go a longer distance, so they get used to being in the car and not just going to the vets. Whatever you do, DO NOT LET the cat run loose in the vehicle while driving, it could cause a lot of pain to the cat and to you! You may need to get a tranquilizer if this doesn't help. Please read my post for more info. Any more questions, you can PM me.

Those are pretty good ideas. I'd also add not to let comforting your cat distracting you from driving.

Really, if I had to take my kitty any distance, I'll certainly look into getting some mild tranquilizers. They should be relatively safe and it would make the journey a lot easier for both of you.

[Queen1972]

Originally Posted by alleycat

Those are pretty good ideas. I'd also add not to let comforting your cat distracting you from driving.

Really, if I had to take my kitty any distance, I'll certainly look into getting some mild tranquilizers. They should be relatively safe and it would make the journey a lot easier for both of you.

Yeah, i agree with that, plus the vet would know what would work for your cat as well. Also, not allowing yourself to get distracted by comforting your cat, very true. And to this, what I did, was kept the carrier in a position where the cats could see me, which helped a lot. They didn't meow much. One more thing I did think of, was that if you are going to be making a 14+ hr driving trip, I would HIGHLY suggest making it a 2 day trip. This way the cat isn't cooped up as long. 14+ is a long time for cats/person to be driving in a vehicle in one day. They may not handle this well. Cats need to eat/drink/eliminate etc. My cats refrained from eating (they did have a little water) while on the road, even though they had food and water in carrier. They waited to use litter box until we got to a hotel. SO I would definitely make it a 2 day trip if possible. Also, when you do get to hotel, cats will do their business and eat/drink when they are ready to! If any issues arise, know where the ER vets are located. You can also get this from the book I previously recomended, or google it or mapquest it.