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Juggling Cats
A fellow traveler,
Beth, sent the
following tips about how she travels alone with her cats.
Personally, we don't follow all of Beth's suggestion (e.g., we've never tried
using any drops in RC's water), but different perspectives are always valuable.
Beth has some great suggestions, so in her own words...
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All of my car trips with my cats have been solo - no human passengers.
First of all, the question about whether or not the cat should be in a
carrier in the car. Like you, I've broken my own rule in the past, but I am
now adamant that all cats remain in their carriers while in the car. Not
only because a cat on the loose can *cause* accidents by interfering with
the driver; but it is also far more likely to be injured in an accident if
loose, not to mention more likely to escape from the car if an accident
should occur. Also, having traveled with multiple cats (up to three at a
time) - don't ever, ever, ever, drive with multiple cats unless all of them
are in carriers.
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Secondly, did you know that AAA now has
a guide to pet-friendly hotels and
motels across the US? It's called the Pet Book (or Pet Guide - I can never
remember which). It's a very handy resource.
As far as the travel routine I've developed: When I am going somewhere it's
almost always a "get from point A to point B as quickly as possible" kind of
trip rather than a vacation/sightseeing trip, so my routine has developed
accordingly.
- I never drive for more than 10 hours in one day, and I prefer to limit myself to 8 hours.
- None of my cats have ever shown an interest in eating, drinking or using a
litterbox while in the car, so I don't even bother with that anymore.
Instead I put the pedal to the metal and keep going with as few stops as
possible until the day's destination is reached and the cats can be released
into their motel room with food, water and litter. My usual routine is:
depart as early in the morning as possible, usually by 7:00 a.m. I always
travel with an ice chest and I eat my breakfast in the room with the cats
before leaving. Lunch is eaten out of the cooler or sometimes out of a
drive-through or quick stop at a deli somewhere. (Thank god for Balance
Bars, bananas and juice boxes!) Arrival at the day's destination usually
comes by 3 or 4 p.m. Cats and cat accessories are unloaded from the car
first and they are settled in, fed and watered and littered before anything
else happens. Then after my own stuff is taken care of and I know the cats
are comfortable, I will, if I want to, take off for late-afternoon
sightseeing or other activities. Sometimes I'll eat dinner out, but more
often I'll make a grocery store run and get something to eat back at the
motel with the cats and will also get whatever fresh food items I'll want
for the following day's breakfast and lunch.
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- The longest I will ever leave the cats alone in the car during the day is
long enough to make a five-minute run into a restroom at a rest stop, or
into a store to buy some food or beverages.
- Like you, I am always concerned about the cats overheating when driving in
hot weather. Because my car has air-conditioning, it's not a huge issue for
me, but there have been times when I have done this in non-air-conditioned
cars, and I have had to change my routine accordingly. If driving in a car
without air-conditioning in warm or hot weather, I recommend arranging the
itinerary so as to do the driving during the cooler hours of the morning or
evening. In cases like this, I will arrange in advance for early check-in
at the places where I plan to stay overnight, and will make sure they have
air-conditioned rooms. I will then do my driving in the morning, e.g. from
5:00 a.m. till 1:00 p.m. That way the cats are protected from the heat
during the hottest part of the day.
- After having used disposable litter boxes, I now have gone back to using a
regular litter box and liners. I use a medium-sized unlidded box and during
the day in the car it's packed with all of the cats' stuff - litter, dry cat
food, food and water bowls, box of liners, etc. Once at the motel for the
night, just unpack the stuff from the box, pop in a liner, add some cat
litter and you're set. In the morning, toss the liner and used litter, give
the box a quick rinse in the bathtub, and re-pack it.
- I *always* bring enough bottled water to last the cats for the whole trip,
that way they don't have to drink tap water out of motel bathroom taps. I
also always bring a bottle of
Bach's Rescue Remedy
and add a few drops of R.R. to their
drinking water each evening to help them cope with the stress of traveling.
Thanks, Beth, for the great tips!
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