Is it finally the time when you can throw all the boredom of your busy life high in the air and enjoy yourself for a while until that trash comes back to the ground?
Are you finally thinking of heading up to some dream destination of yours where you can take a breath of fresh air?
Well, that’s great news, but did you notice that there’s a small cute little feline fellow in your house confused over all the excitement going around the house?
You are extremely wrong if you think it’s just an animal, and you won’t have to look much into it! If you didn’t take that cat seriously, it could ruin your entire trip!
So here’s everything you need to know about traveling with your cat.
Is It An Extra Effort To Travel With A Cat?
Cats might make your vacation a lot better by just being there, but they can ruin them if you take the whole idea of traveling with cats lightly.
You would have a lot to look after while traveling with a cat. Its safety would be the primary factor above everything else that you can consider.
Safety doesn’t necessarily mean preventing your cat from getting injuries or any other external issue, but from mental discomfort, which is equal, if not more of a problem, to physical injuries.
For example, if you’re planning to head on a road trip and your cat has next to no experience of a car ride, then things could get problematic, ultimately ruining your trip.
“Motion Sickness” is a medical condition in which your brain cannot understand the motion captured from your eyes, audio recorded by your ears, or any incoming signal from your body.
It is quite common in cats, and the primary reason for it to appear is the anxiety of traveling that your cat possesses. Your cat would start meowing loudly, vomiting, or drooling excessively, indicating Motion Sickness.
If you want zero fair shares of that kind of trouble, then helping your cat adapt to a car ride would be a very good solution, but this will not be as easy as it seems.
This would consume some of your time. It might take several days or weeks for your cat to get comfortable with car rides.
Once you’re done with that, you’ve sorted out a big problem, but there’s still much more to figure out. Getting to know everything about your cat should be your next stop.
Getting To Know Your Cat!
To learn about your cat, visiting a vet would be a good idea. Your veterinarian would inform you regarding every medical problem your cat could face while traveling.
This way, you will not be surprised if your cat ends up getting sick, and you will certainly know what to do as your vet would have advised you on the correct medications and treatment procedures.
People who are less familiar with road trips often underestimate all these factors. They don’t consider their cat another member of the journey and end up going through cat problems which only ruin their trip.
Your cat might be just an animal at the end of the day, but it is like a family member. Unlike you, it cannot think for itself, so you must take care of its needs, even if it’s a bitter pill to swallow.
Just like you and your family, you would also need to do proper packing for your cat. You must have several things in your bag for your cat throughout the trip.
In case you’re wondering what would your cat essentially require during traveling, then here are some reasonable suggestions you should take into consideration:
What To Pack For Your Cat?
Packing for your cat is a lot easier than packing for yourself. When it comes to your cat’s luggage, it’s certainly not anything like clothes, mobile accessories, or cosmetics; instead, it refers to:
Medications
Medications are the must-keep part of your cat’s luggage. Its health is the most important factor you would need to take care of throughout your trip. Pack every medicine your vet prescribes you, so you’re always ready to handle an intense situation if it arrives.
Cleaning Accessories
Cats are well known for making a lot of mess. Since you won’t have much room to afford this mess while traveling, you can’t just go without taking some cleaning supplies with you. Pack some wipes, napkins, and odor-neutralizers to take care of such situations.
Treats and Toys
Everyone loves to have their favorite snacks while traveling, and so does your cat. Providing it some of its favorite treats every once in a while would keep it in a good mental state. Something else that would do the same favor is toys, not just any toy but the ones that your cat loves and always plays with.
Litter Box
A litter Box, just like medications, is a must-keep item. You must ensure that you carry the same litter box that your cat usually uses so that it can feel at home while traveling. Little attention to detail like this is vital in keeping your cat happy during your trip.
Where Will Your Cat Live For The Entire Trip?
There needs to be a temporary home for your cat throughout your vacation. Using a “Carrier” in this situation is the best option, but it doesn’t work so simply. This will be executed similarly, just like how you made your cat comfortable with a car ride.
You cannot just shove it down your cat’s throat as its new home for the vacation as it would only ruin the situation further, doing no good to your cat. You will need to condition your cat in a way that it starts considering it as home.
A few weeks before leaving for the tour, but the Carrier in your home. Make sure to place it near where your cat usually hangs out. The next step would be to lure your cat into the Carrier somehow. There are several ways you can do that job.
Placing treats, toys, or soft blankets that your cat lays down on in the Carrier would make it work. Using a synthetic feline pheromone spray would remove the atmosphere of anxiety in the cat’s Carrier. As a result, it won’t hinder your cat from entering.
Patience is usually the key to success in these scenarios. Don’t force your cat to stay in the Carrier; otherwise, it might get suspicious and would start to purposefully avoid going in it (reverse psychology), making the situation worse.
Keep the Carrier clean, wash it properly (once it gets dirty) without delaying much, and place clean and fluffy blankets inside it as they remind cats of their mother’s skin when they were young so it would feel like home.
Some Extra Precautions To Consider!
With everything now finally sorted out and you and your family looking forward to the trip, here are some last suggestions that you should keep in mind to ensure an untroubled journey:
Leaving Your Cat In The Car
In the case of an airplane, you won’t need to worry about it, but if you’re traveling by car, whenever you leave the car for a while, do not leave your cat inside if the weather’s hot. Cats can’t sweat like us, which would get them into trouble.
Covering The Carrier
Keep the Carrier covered with clothes to block the outside world’s view. This way, your cat will not get anxious with the changing surroundings again and again.
Keeping The Carrier Open While Driving
Setting your cat free while driving could be a bad idea due to the danger involved. If your cat becomes anxious or stressed, or Motion Sickness kicks in, then your cat might create a mess in the car. Worst case scenario, it could even somehow distract the driver putting everyone’s life at risk.
Leaving It With Its Disliked Fellows
If you have more than one pet that will likely join you on your trip alongside your cat, you will need to check a few things. If your pets do not get along well, you should keep them separated and far from each other throughout the trip, as it will only increase your cat’s stress and anxiety.
Conclusion
Now that you’re well aware of everything you would need to be aware of, you can pack your bag and leave without worrying much.
It could become your best trip alongside your cat if you take all the shots in the right direction. Make sure to show your cat what foreign cats are like!
This wraps up our article about “How to travel with your Cat!” or you can say, “How not to travel with your Cat!”. Hopefully, it was of great help!
Wait, What??? You got a dog too! Well, looks like we got our next article to work on; reschedule your trip plans, and stay tuned for our next guide!