The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Pets & Working Animals => Cats => Topic started by: smallholder in the city on September 17, 2010, 05:14:50 pm
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Has anyone got any tips for transporting a cat in the car?
The furthest my Salem has gone in the car is 10 minutes to the cattery and even that gets him really stressed out. It seems to be the fact that he's moving but doesn't know how. I've tried putting his favourite blanket and treats in the cat basket as well as sitting next to it so he can see me (husband was doing the driving), nothing really makes a difference.
The reason I ask is because hopefully we'll be moving next year which is likely to involve at least a 2 hour drive to our new home and I'd like to make it as stress free as possible for him. It's not an immediate problem but if there are things I can try out beforehand it would be helpful.
(He obviously knows I'm talking about him because he's now trying to sit on the laptop whilst I type :D :cat: )
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You can get a prescribed sedative from the vet, but two hours to me is not worth medicating for. Just grin and bear it. When mine came from Halifax to Shetland..almost 24 hr journey, they were fine.We are probably more worked up for them.Try covering the basket so they are kept calm and dont panic at what they can see.
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thanks.
Husbands view is to grin and bear it, I'm such a big softy though when it comes to our chief mouser
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we moved 4 cats from london to worcestershire a few years ago, that was about 2 hours (actually longer because our sellers, bless them, hadnt' packed the removal van so we arrived to a house full of their furniture and had to wait ::) )
there was a fair bit of meowing but we did have to grin and bear it to be honest. best bit was when my ginger and white girl, molly, escaped and sat on hubby's foot while driving (!) scared the life out of him, well it was on the M5 - then she did a huge poo in the passenger footwell. I was following in the other car so was fume free ;D
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You can get stuff called Feliway that replicates the pheromone that happy cats secrete. It's supposed to help cats relax. You get it in a spray and a plug in. We used it when we moved our boys and they were fine - bit yowley but not too bad. Might be worth a try.
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Thanks guys.
my father in law has had a feline escapee during transit, the cat in question then decided to hide under the brake pedal !
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you can get feliway collars I'm sure... I know you can for dogs :)
our cat at my parents cries all the time she is in the car.... they cover her up like a budgie with a towel !
(and stay in the car til she can go straight in, as she disturbs all the others in the waiting room otherwise!)
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You can get something , tablets, from your vet caled Zylkene. Not exactly a sedative but having the effect of making less stressed. Used for travelling, fireworks etc. We had a lot of positive feedback about them at the vets where I worked. I think you have to give them for a few days or more before the stressful event.
Also make sure your carrier is completely escape proof, a cat doing a wall of death round a car may look funny but could cause a major pile up!! I have seen a cat choke to death by getting it's head out & stuck with one of those wicker baskets so don't use those. Sorry but after many years of vet nursing I have so many horror stories & am paranoid about safety!
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I would get the cat used to going in the car in his carrier without the car moving to start with then build it up to travelling for longer and longer. A cover over the carrier is good too.
Dorwest Herbs do a herbal calming solution called skullcap and valerian. They do it in a liquid form that can be given orally and placed on bedding. Works fantastically on dogs and a number of our customers have used it successfully on cats. Herbal makes it really safe.
Ian
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Whatever you do they will be fine and get over it. My two cats were shipped back from the USA. They had no sedation as it can make them worse. The driver who drove them from Heathrow to North Yorkshire said my little one meowed so much in the back he had to move her to the front seat! She still meowed though. I think it was a protest because the driver smelled a bit fruity to say the least. :D
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I let my cat out when she was a kitten doing a 3 hours journey - once she was on my lap or the parcel shelf she was fine. I wasnt driving obvously. Its not advised obviously.
The only thing I watch for with my lady now is not to let the vents blow into her. Despite the noise they are fine though!