I had a "small dog" crate which we'd purchased to keep one of two (then) cats from wandering around after leg surgery - she was in a cast and not supposed to jump up or do much of anything for almost ten days.
Put my one cat (by then) in this crate, squeezed between the front seats in my mini-van. After the first hour or so, during which he was obviously most terrified by the monster 18-wheelers roaring by on the Interstate, he settled down and rode well over two days. Every now and then, I would reach down and skritch his ears.
The crate was small enough that I could carry the whole thing, complete with The Cat, into my overnight motel (I used Red Roof Inns). Once I was also settled for the night, I let him out; he spent the night next to me on the bed, and I had little trouble getting him back into the crate next morning.
Once in our new house (the first three nights with only a bed and one chair), he spent several hours exploring every nook and cranny, then decided that the lanai was a Good Thing!
My vet gave me some sedatives for The Cat, but hoped I wouldn't use them. And, I didn't.
IMVHO do NOT repeat NOT "ship" your pet by cargo.
SWR
