Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi everyone,

I soon may be moving to AZ from MN and am wondering what I should do with my cat. He is 9 and has always lived in the same house. He's not very attached to the other cats here. Actually, they kind of pick on him.

He's not big on carriers or car trips. On that note, he's only been to and from the vet which is a 10 minute trip!

He has a loud howl and I am not sure if I could deal with that for the entire journey (which would be two days by car.) I've already decided that if I take him I am going by car and not flying.

Also, we would be traveling with my roommate's cat whom he has never met.

I don't want him to die or anything if he goes on the journey. (Obviously!) I want to do what's best for him and will take any idea/s suggestions.

Thank you in advance for your advice!!!

KN

The cat is going to have to adjust to a new home no matter what happens - you wouldn't just abandon him, would you? If you don't feel he can withstand the trip and you can find him a good home where he'll be loved and cared for, this may be a viable solution. However, it is probably best to take your cat with you, even if he does howl a lot! He'll need to be put in a separate carrier from your roommate's cat. Wherever you stay overnight, you'll probably need to separate the two cats - put the quiet one in the bathroom for instance - to avoid stressing him out further.

Good luck!
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Smile, it will make them wonder what you are up to!

Thanks for your reply!

Yeah, he lives in my parents' house right now and always has. So either way he'd have a good home. I'm leaning towards taking him with me, though.

Thanks again!!!

KN

Wow! Two days? I traveled with my two cats for 8 hours. They'd only been as far as the vet, as well. I dont know if I should have kept them in a carrier, but since I had room in the car, I just let them run free. As long as they didnt go towards the drivers seat, they were okay.

It's really hard to determine how your cat will react to a trip like that. My girls didn't eat, drink or use the restroom the entire way. The moment we got to the new place and they were situated, they were fine.

If the trip is anything like mine, they will meow for the first little while seeing as they're not used to being in the car for such an extended period of time. Once they realize that they will be in the car for awhile, they will get used to it and be relaxed.

If you're going to keep them in a carrier, I would suggest letting them look out the windows. That seems to help my two girls whenever I take them somewhere.

Dont be suprised if any of this occurs during your trip. I wish you luck and I hope you drive safely.