How to travel with your animals? HELP!!!?
Question by Sandy: How to travel with your animals? HELP!!!?
Okay I am moving from Wisconsin to Arizona in September and I am trying to get everything planned!! I am going to be taking my two cats and my dog (chihuahua) down there. Its going to be a over a 25 hr drive. So how do I travel with cats? If I put a litter box in the car that would mean they would have to be loose, which with my cats isn’t a very safe idea. They will have to be in kennels and they are not going to go to the bathroom outside on a leash like a dog. And I don’t know where we are going to stay because I can’t imagine a hotel renting a room to a person with 3 animals. So do you think I should ship them down there? Or how would you attempt to travel with your cats? I am guessing its going to take 2 1/2 days to get there and me and my bf are going to be in different vehicles so we can’t swich on and off and drive straight through!
Best answer:
Answer by timesdragonfly
you may get some better answeres if you move your question into the CATS section! That aside. I would travel with them in their crates. Some hotels will allow pets. You just need to make some phone calls. You can also look into camping if you are the type that camps. If I were you, I would line the cat carriers with some old towels and leave the cats in there. Offer them pleanty of food and water. If they mess in the crates. pull over and change the towels, bag or toss the dirty ones. When you do stop for the night, let them have some time in the back seat/ hotel room/ tent with the litter box. It won’t be a pleasant trip for them, but it will be better than shipping them. You may also want to ask your vet about sedatives… that way they can nap the trip away. Good luck
btw, I’m not a cat person. This is just what I would do.
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Instead of shipping them, I think it’s better for you to just drive with them. But try to use the leash for all your animals. I’m sure some local hotel/motel/Inn wouldn’t mind taking you with small animals. (Hopefully)
Good luck!
I would NEVER send my pets via air or train without my own personal supervision. That is dangerous and stressful for the animals.
I drove all over with my Siamese cat. She hated the kennel and did best loose in the car (as long as she wasn’t under my feet!). I put the litter box on the floor of the back seat and made sure she knew it was there. I had her own blanket spread out nearby and she slept most of the way.
Marriott Residence Inns are pet friendly…get on the Marriott website and check out where they are along your route. There are other pet-friendly chains…most Drury Inns will accept pets. Some of them charge a deposit and some don’t .
The dog will need to make pitstops every 2-3 hours…plan on it. Use the highway rest stops and while you’re out walking the dog, let the kitties out of their kennels to do their wandering and business in their litterbox. Offer all the animals water before you start off again. The main danger with moving pets is dehydration. They will all be a bit discombobulated for a couple of weeks after you settle into your new place. Be patient. They’ll come around.
Good luck.
there are a great many hotel/motels that take animals so i would first do a search for some along your route.also,i would crate all of them and .when you stop for meals i would let them out out for a little exercise and potty time,just make sure you have them on a leash (they sell cat harnesses).please remember to never leave them alone in a closed car or truck as they get very hot very fast and your pets can die very quickly from over-heating.good luck
You might consider buying a BIG plastic dog crate (maybe a 500 size), in which they can both ride, and in which you can put a small litter box. Even a large tupperware container will do. They can stay in the crate until you arrive in Arizona — if you can park in front of your hotel room (and the temperatures permit), you can keep an eye on them in the car. Otherwise, the crate can come into the room.
If your cats are buddies, being together may help with stress, too…of course, if they aren’t, it might only create more.
I’ve never met a cat who enjoyed riding in a car. I suppose you could ship them, but that will likely stress them out just as much…so I guess it’s up to you whether you want to be around for the stress, or not!
Good luck!
I know either super 8 or motel 8 allows pets..just call and make sure..I know people leash cats and take them for a walk to so when you stop to take the dog for a walk maybe u can take the cats as well.
There are TONS of hotels that take animals nowadays! With some extra planning ahead, you can make this trip a piece of cake!
I would put the cats in a big dog kennel together with a small litter box in there….just like Loki (above) said. You can supply constant fresh water with a water bottle (like a rabbit’s: http://www.rabbitstop.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=GB32&Category_Code=2WaterBottles&Product_Count=4 ) so that it doesn’t spill all over…they’ll figure it out if they’re thirsty. Give them a nice cat bed in there and a toy or two for boredom. Secure the kennel well in the car so they’re not jostled around.
Be sure to bring some extra towels and stuff for accidents, spill, and/or upset tummies. You should exercise all of the animals if you can realistically just before the trip.
Big dog kennels can be expensive, so if you don’t have one, you can try looking on Craigslist.com (or other classifieds) for a cheap, used one, or you can go to your local Humane Society…they often have extras that they sell for pretty cheap! If there’s time, you can search garage sales. You can donate it when you get there, keep it, or sell it!
I would NOT ship them. Too many horror stories about airline handling of animals. I highly recommend walkie-talkies for the drive so that you can communicate between cars!!
For your dog, I’d use her kennel that she feels safe in. I’ve also filled a laundry basket with pillows (I also have a Chi), topped it with her favorite blankies, and lined the rim with toys and belt that to the seat. It’s a nice high-up comfy bed that she can go to. …I know, it’s bad advice because ideally, she’d be secured in a kennel. Remember to stop for food, water, and plenty of potty breaks on a leash on the way with her. Watch out for stray or other big dogs at rest stops when stopping for a break!
What I’d do for the dog (if in the kennel, then use the water bottle like the cats) is bring a bottle of water (you’ll probably have a cooler with drinks & food for yourself, so just keep it in there) and a small dish. Pour small amounts in the dish and offer it to him/her often during the trip.
The more you plan ahead, the more smoothly the trip will go, so plan where/when you’ll stop for the night, etc… You don’t have to stick to it in the end, but it will give you a good guideline to keep things running smoothly.
There are plenty of places that will allow pets. While camping is a great alternative to a hotel – cheaper and more fun – there’s a lot of extra packing and work involved there. Below are some links to lists of hotels that accept pets. Be sure to call ahead to some of your choices and make sure they still have a pet-friendly policy! :
Good luck on your move! I’m in MN and SO Jealous!!
I for one, would also like to commend you for planning for your pets when making the big move!! We need more people like you in the world! SO MANY people just move away and don’t plan for their pets and just get rid of them before they go…often even waiting until the last minute when relinquishment to a pound or abandonment is what they think they have to. As if they couldn’t find a place that they could move to with their animals with a little extra effort…I mean a few minutes out of their day to google “pet friendly housing”. I wouldn’t even LOOK at a place that wouldn’t let me bring my dog!