I think if you have more than 2 pets when you move in, it's acceptable. But as they depart to pet heaven, you cannot replace them. When you are left with just one, then you may get another! :icon_wink:

ours goes in a carrier and whenever we stop take out one at a time and put in the litter on the floor in the back seat. let them eat and drink and they go back in their carrier, happy

Congratulations and welcome to TV. We made the trip down from MI with our cats. We also have a Van so could have a litter box. We used cat carriers to get them into the Van and always put them in the carriers whenever we stopped. Whole driving we let them roam and usually they would settle down in 30 min to an hour. We did get tranquilizers from our vet but did not need to use them. For several weeks before the trip we "acclimated" them to driving by taking them for increasingly longer drives (up to 30-40 minutes at a time). We also found that La Quinta Inns allows cats (and dogs) to stay free in your room including no deposit.

Good luck with your trip and safe travels.

:wave: Mollypeanut,

Don't have any cat tales but... I'm so excited for you. May the rest of your life be the best of your life!

:pepper2::pepper2::pepper2:

Mollypeanut, do a search for traveling with cats, and you should be able to find a lot of information in addition to what is posted here. We drove cross-country from Utah with our 2 cats, and it took us 6 days to get here. Baby Monroe started yowling when we hit the Wyoming border and didn't shut up until Kansas or Missouri. Tommy Boy had OCD and kept snagging the side of his carrier so it would make a dinging sound. Get yourself some of those nice foam earplugs, and forget about the books on tape you planned to listen to on the trip.

Somewhere around Kansas City we discovered McDonald's. If you buy your kitties plain McDonald's hamburgers (no pickle, not lettuce, no ketchup, no bread) and give them a half hour before you start traveling again, they will zonk out. I don't know what's in the hamburgers (and I haven't had one since the trip) but it knocks out the cats. They will act a little stupid, and then fall alseep for about 6 hours if you're lucky. It worked for us, so it might be worth a try?

The other advice I have is to check underneath the bed in the hotel before you let them out of the carrier. Some hotel beds have a box frame, so the cats can't hide under there. Some hotels don't, so you'll have to schedule in some cat roundup time the next morning.

Good luck with the trip! Welcome to The Villages!

I am getting some ideas for our trip down... But mostly.... It is going to be an Adventure!!!

So we will spray the carriers with some Lavender.... That sounds easy... McDonalds hamburgers.. I like that one!! I can see it now... I will be telling my husband we need to pull off because we need more burgers....My husband will probably eat them.. Allowing extra time to pry them out from under the bed in the morning.... Hummmmm that one did cross my mind... I know I will be trying all of these!!

But in the end.. it will all be worth it...

I think we should keep this thread going with our Cat Travel stories.. I have had a few good laughs... I bet there is a Book in here somewhere!! In about 2 weeks I will be able to add my story to the rest of them....:1rotfl:

If you'll all excuse me, I have to visit the ladies. Haven't laughed this much in a long time! But it sure won't be this funny when it's my turn in September!

Slightly off topic. My SIL was returning to Syracuse from Philadelphia with our three-year-old granddaughter. About a 3-4 hour trip. He looked ghastly! What's the matter? She never stopped talking! (reminded me of the kitties!)

Me Toooo! I am at work... Shaaaa.. (My last day at work is friday) I keep coming back,, to see if there is another story... I am lovin it... I just keep laughing!!!!!:a040:

We've just completed almost the same sort of move that you're anticipating. My wife was in the SUV with the dog and cat while I drove the moving van. Our solution was to put the cats oversized cage where she could see her Mom and her dog at the same time. The move went well with no tranquilizers. The cat did become upset on the second day but my wife finally figured out that she was hot and turned on the rear AC. After that the cat slept the rest of the way. Good luck on your travels!

Come on down, you will love it

Our cat travelled with us to The Villages from Canada for the past five years. Back and forth every year. 26 long hours in the car. We got her used to travelling by taking her to our cottage which is a couple of hours away. By the time our long Villages trek came, she realized she should just lie down and sleep. She would lie down in the backseat with our 10 lb dog and our 70 lb dog and sleep the hours away. We had a litter box for her, but she rarely ate, drank or used the litter box. She would do all that at night while we slept.

Red Roof Hotels are known for being pet friendly. And most have outside entrances that make it very convenient for walking dogs.

There is a covenant in TV that specifies two domestic pets per household. However cats are invisible and I know many people with multiple indoor cats.

PLEASE BE SURE YOU HAVE I.D. TAGS ON ALL YOUR PETS WHEN YOU TRAVEL. THE CATS CAN WEAR HARNESSES IF THEY'RE NOT CAGED.

Good luck MollyPeanut.

After reading your post ,I think Ill have my cat izzy,shipp:pepper2:ed down.

mollypeanut, I'm a wannabee, so I don't have any cat travel tips to share with you, but just wanted to wish you all safe travels to TV. Have fun settling in, and may you have many good times in TV! :wave: