[fizzbyn]

We've been to TV, wined and dined, bought a house (the fun part) and now... how to get there :dontknow:. We have an 86-year-old mother and a 15-year old-cat who will make the 2000 mile move with us. We've thought of flying, but the cat will howl the whole way unless drugged heavily. We've thought of driving, but that's ugly too. I'd like to hear of any experiences you guys have had which might help make up our minds. Thanks.

[redwitch]

I drove from the Bay Area to here with a 20 year old and 3 cats. I did sedate the cats the first day of the trip, nothing after that. I was the only driver as I rented a car for the drive -- wanted something a tad larger than a Miata for this trek. It really wasn't a bad trip. Actually, it was fun -- we meandered a bit to stop where we wanted, when we wanted. The only proviso was that we had to be in TV the morning the mover arrived (we made it, barely).

However, everyone was relatively young and healthy for this jaunt. Would it be possible for your mother to fly alone after you arrived here? Have her stay with friends who could put her on the plane and you pick her up? I agree that cats and planes don't mix well -- plus I hate the idea of animals being in holds .. just too many risks and I don't think there is any airline that will allow you to take a pet into the body of the plane anymore.

If you decide to drive, you might want to check out www.petswelcome.com -- they have a list of hotels/motels/b&bs that allow pets.

[swrinfla]

carizona5:

I agree with redwitch. I strongly suggest that Mom fly, and only after you're at least somewhat settled here. I 'm pretty sure that I'd even pay for a companion to travel with her, should you think that necessary.

Get a small cage from PetsMart or similar. One that has enough room for Cat, a small litter box and a water dish. Put the cage as near as possible to you in your car (I wrestled with the seats in my mini-van to give extra room), preferably close enough so that you can reach out and skritch an ear or whatever will calm The Cat.

My Cat survived two days this way. On the first day, he complained vocally for about the first 30 minutes, then slept. If a big 18-wheeler zoomed by, he might complain again, but even those became unnoticed after a couple-three hundred miles.

Select Red Roof Inns or other pet-friendly motels along the way. Be sure to research where they are before you set out - best, even, to make reservations. And, of course, minimize the time you leave The Cat in the car at rest stops, lunch stops and such. And, don't put him/her in the motel room, loose, while you go to dinner, either. Carry the cage in and leave him/her in it, until you're back from dinner.

Caution, always, to keep the critter from bolting away!

After a week here, everyone will be cool, calm and collected all over again! The Cat will undoubtedly love lounging on the lanai, and Mom will be happy making new friends everywhere she goes!

SWR

[pm10]

We will also be traveling, from Minnesota to TV, with 2 cats - next year. This is the one thing I worry about, when it comes to the move. Thanks for the great imput on traveling with cats.

I, too, would suggest - if possible, have your mom fly. If that's not possible, maybe you can cover shorter distances each day, so she doesn't have to be sitting in the car for so many hours. And when you stop for lunch/gas, be sure to have her get up and walk a little. Another option could be to rent a motorhome. If you had the money, that would make traveling much easier for everyone!

Good luck! And congrats on your new home!!!!
Marcia

[dalecrenshaw]

I agree with the previous post "Do not leave you cat in a motel/hotel room" without first putting the cat in a cat carrier or cage! I learned that lesson the hard way, when I put our cat in the bathroom when we went out to dinner. One of the hotel employees went into our room, when we were out, and out shot the cat!

[travelstiles]

All very good suggestions.
We drove this past December from NY with 2 cats in a Mini Cooper. We had gotten sedatives from the vet prior to our trip, but never needed to use them. Thought for a while hubby would need them, not the cats ;D
The cats complained for about 15 minutes, then slept.
We used our 2 large cat carriers with wee wee pads in the bottom and stopped every few hours to place food and water in the carriers.
We stayed at Comfort Inns along the way (2 nights over 1100 miles), and when we left the room put the Do Not Disturb sign on the door so no one would enter.
Both cats did amazingly well, and the older one is about 12.
As far as Mom, I had taken my parents on trips when they were in their 80s, but they really couldn't take more than 5 hrs a day riding in the car, with several stops along the way. You could do this if you have the time to make it a relaxing ride, as Red suggested.
I personally would find a plane trip more aggravating than a few extra nights on the road, especially with how the airlines are now, and particularly for an older person. The cost of the flight is probably more than a room at a motel and a nice dinner.
Good luck and enjoy your trip!

[MSNPA]

We did not have the distance you will have. Our trip was a little over 900 miles. We drove straight through with two cats; each one in a carrier. Prior to the trip I received sedatives for my cats, however only used one half a pill on each cat. I had the bottom of their cages covered with "pee pads", however only had to change once for one cat. The trip went better than we ever expected. We had more problems upon arrival. My cats would not come out from under the bed except to eat and use the litter boxes. Fortunately after a few months they adapted are now very happy.

[Williesmom]

We don't live at TV yet, but we did relocate our 16 year old cat about 3 years ago, moving from Connecticut to North Carolina and then back to Connecticut again. She was 12 the firest time in the car and even though we had tranquilizers for her, we never used them because we discovered that she loved to ride in the car! We had a very big carrier for her (I think it was probably meant for a small/medium dog) and it had open cage type sides and top so she could see everything. She slept a lot and once in a while would just sit and watch traffic go by. She was a great little traveler and I think a lot of that was due to the fact that she had a very roomy "condo" to sit and sleep in while traveling.

Sadly, our beloved cat died a few months ago and we are going to wait until after we move before we get a new cat(s). I sure hope we are able to move soon because I already miss having a fur ball around the house!!

Good luck!

[ouma1938]

Williesmom, I hope the Topicop doesn't get me for this but I just wanted to send my sympathies on the lose of your 18-19? year old cat. We lost our 18 year old cat the day after Christmas last year and I couldn't believe that I would ever have another cat. Then my daughter rescued 4 abandoned kittens, found homes for three of them and arrived at our house with most tiny, timid and shy kitten. She said that she needed a special home because she was so tiny and shy. Now we cannot imagine life without our tiny Bailey. We will never stop loving and missing Bonnie but Bailey sure helps fill some of the empty space in our hearts

[chuckinca]

You can take cats in the airplane cabin with you if they are in a soft walled carrier that will fit under the seat in front of you (we recently bought one at a local cat show). When we were flying out of Orlando in February, a lady on our flight had her cat. The airlines charge about $80 for the cat but you might take a chance and sneak it on (as told to us by the cat carrying lady on our flight - she paid but said many people don't) and if you get caught you are still out the $80 as it could be too late to toss you overboard. We have been training our 10 yo cat by putting her in the carrier and driving her around in the car when we go to the mall etc. She didn't like it at first but now it is no big deal to her and she is usually quiet.

If your mom flys, make sure it is a direct flight with no stops (eliminates Southwest) and that she walks around the cabin for a few minutes each hour to keep her blood circulating.

[redwitch]

Chuck, what airlines allow you to fly with pets? Last time I checked, I couldn't find one, especially cats. Northwest did allow dogs but said no to cats due to too many people having allergies to their dander. Haven't been able to find anything in the past year or so.

[Lil Dancer]

We took a long distance trip with our cat. We had a litter box on the floor in the back seat, which he used. He was pretty scared at first, but after awhile he came up front and sat on my husband's lap. We had a harness on him and took him out for short walks at rest areas. I think it depends on the personality of the cat as far as how they'll adjust . Our cat passed away 3 or 4 years ago, and like ouma1938, I couldn't think of getting a new pet. My sympathies on the loss of your old cat and glad to hear you have a new baby!

[chuckinca]

Originally Posted by redwitch

Chuck, what airlines allow you to fly with pets? Last time I checked, I couldn't find one, especially cats. Northwest did allow dogs but said no to cats due to too many people having allergies to their dander. Haven't been able to find anything in the past year or so.

http://www.united.com/page/article/0,6722,51255,00.html

[fizzbyn]

Wow, thank you all for the replies. They will be helpful for making this decision. I know that US Airways flies from Phoenix to Orlando non-stop and will take cats for $80. I can't imagine that he'd be quiet for all that time unless extremely drugged. I like the idea of training him by sticking his carrier under the car seat and driving around. He'd hate it, though. Four years ago we drove nine hours from California to Tucson with our two cats. We rented a van especially for them to have room in the back and for their litter box and food. They spent the first hour howling (from under the seat) and the next eight hours silent (still under the seat). No one ate, no one used the litter box.
williesmom and ouma1938.... we too lost our little girl kitty last October. It was incredibly sad, especially since she was our little "people cat". However since she's been gone, our male cat is now a "people cat" and is with us all the time. As we've seen in cat ads... Best if Only Cat.

[graciegirl]

I have resurrected this old thread for the new person who asked for help on moving with cats.

We bought a soft sided zip up cage from Walmart..not expensive. We put the cats in there when we were out of the car and at the beginning. There was a whole lot of yelling going on at first but when we were on the road for awhile we let them out with their leash and harness dragging and soon they sought our laps. We had two extra laps other than the driver so that worked out. The driver doesn't need a lap kitty.

We had a litter box and we also took old damp and dry rags in case of their car sickness. We took this trip MANY times with them and one of them always threw up. They probably WON'T be hungry, but take their favorite food and offer it to them anyway. It will make YOU feel better.

It may be very noisy and they may calm down on your lap but they will SHED so wear something kitty colored so people don't give you double takes when you stop for food, etc.

The whole process is a little like child birth. Worth the prize at the end.

Welcome home!