For most cat owners, traveling with cats, their feline friend, is not easy. Since cats and kittens do not speak our language, it is very hard to figure out their needs and how they’re feeling. To make it worse, cats (especially kittens) are scared of traveling. They become so stressed when placed on a moving vehicle. They can cry, make noises and soil, making traveling with cats stressful for cat owners. Therefore, you need to do plenty of preparations whenever you’re traveling with cats, especially during long trips and journeys.

Tips When Traveling with Cats

1. One tip to know when traveling with cats is if your cat is being hysterical even before traveling, consult a veterinarian.  Cats have the ability of sensing what’s going to happen. What you can do is conduct a trial run to gauge how travelling with cats is going to end up. If your cat is very stressed, you can ask your veterinarian to give your cat tranquilizers. This will help your cat in the long run.

2. When traveling with cats, make sure your cat carrier is big enough for your cat. Comfort while traveling with your cat is very important. Make it a point that  your cat will feel sheltered and safe while inside the carrier during the travel.

3. Like humans, most cats suffer from motion sickness. If this is true for your cat, it is better that you give his/her travel training. You will have to, slowly but surely, make her used to traveling, which would help you cats get desensitized from traveling phobia. You can start by making her sit in the car with the engine off, next with the engine on. After she gets used to it, take her on quick runs. After a while, when she gets used to the motion, you can try taking your cat on long journeys. Traveling with cats will be a breeze once your cat gets used to it.

4. When traveling with cats, safety first. Use seat belt. As with humans, you need to buckle up your cats with a seat belt to avoid any unpleasant incidents and accidents while traveling. If using a seat belt is not possible, make sure your pet carrier is secured and won’t wobble while the vehicle is in motion. Traveling with cats should be a safe experience.

5. Feed your cat at least 3 hours before your trip. The next step is to feed your cat with anti-motion sickness medications to avoid unnecessary roadblocks during the entire trip. Traveling with cats should not compensate your cat’s health.

6. Before traveling with cats, make sure your hotel allows pets. Most cat owners forget about this simple task. You can contact your hotel prior to the trip if they can make arrangements for your cats.

7. Make sure you bring your cat’s food and water. You will never be sure if you cat’s cat food will be available in your journey. Your cat shouldn’t be hungry while traveling.

8. Make sure that your cat doesn’t have access to the driver side floor near the gas pedals and brake. Make sure that your car’s dashboard is also out of your cat’s bounds for safety purposes.

9. Of course, do not leave your cat unattended or alone inside a locked car.

Traveling with cats would be a breeze if you follow the above tips. It would be easier to make a checklist of your cat’s needs, the dos and don’ts, to ensure that you won’t forget important items. Happy trip!