[Bonanza]

Please don't even think about tranquilizing your cat.

We drove over 2,500 miles with our cats and stayed overnight for 4 nights.
Cats prefer to be enclosed so don't put her in a wire cage unless you cover it.
Have some plastc bags handy for poop, pee and puke problems and also a container of wipes (good for everyone).
We did not feed or water our cats in the car. They ate when we stopped and got settled in a motel.
Bring a yard stick and spray bottle (for water), in case your kitty won't come out from under a bed when you stay overnight. We also brought a brush and dust pan along to sweep up around the litter box.

What you imagine is much worse than the reality of the trip. Relax!
It will all go pretty smoothly.