Travelling with cats

Re: Travelling with cats

Heidi Young — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 16:15:53 GMT

Hi all,

Just to let you know I have very sensibly purchased a cat harness (with help from xxxcatxxx) for any future trips down south, so no more sitting on my lap whilst driving - however I hav'nt broken the news to him yet!?

Hope I've put your minds at rest

Re: Travelling with cats

Heidi Young — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 13:53:50 GMT

Thats genius! Sydney would love that!

I cant figure out how to PM you to find out where you got it?!

Re: Travelling with cats

xXx Cat xXx — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 19:48:03 GMT

Toby has a car harness.

It plugs into the seatbelt and he cant get on me or under my feet and if i break hard he does not go flying.

PM me if u want to know where I got it from.

xXx

Re: Travelling with cats

Shelly vn — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 14:08:08 GMT

[quote user="Jo Mackenzie"]

Has anybody used Royal Canin's new Calm diet yet? Would use it for travelling but haven't heard much about it yet from people who've actually used it, just from reps!

[/quote]

We've tried it a few times on dogs and cats without too much success i'm afraid. We seem to get better results from zylkene

Re: Travelling with cats

Jo Mackenzie — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 16:25:38 GMT

Has anybody used Royal Canin's new Calm diet yet? Would use it for travelling but haven't heard much about it yet from people who've actually used it, just from reps!

Re: Travelling with cats

Diane Westwood — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 11:45:37 GMT

I would worry about having an RTA and cat ending up on the motorway.

Re: Travelling with cats

Kerry Spain — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 23:00:38 GMT

We had a client at my last place of work who had a motorbike and he used to zip the cat up in his leather jacket and bike it over for his appointment!! He would sit in the waiting room with a 'bulge' in his leather jacket and the odd meow emanating from it!! I can see the look on the other clients' faces

Re: Travelling with cats

loopylou711 — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 22:45:42 GMT

[quote user="Vicky SVN"]

I would be concerned about an RTA...him going through the windscreen, or hitting one of you in the head and it killing you with the force. Ok not likely, but still! Yep, you can get car harnesses...made for dogs, but we had a client with a persian she used to bring in on a car harness. It plugged into the seat belt clip.

[/quote]

Not that unlikely Vicky, the cat could end up flying round the car if it crashed and cause some damage!

Yeah I'd say get a car harness or keep him in the box!! Ilegal and dangerous, for everybody!!

Re: Travelling with cats

Vicky RVN — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 21:24:59 GMT

Re: Travelling with cats

Heidi Young — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 15:38:13 GMT

Car Harness?

Does such a thing exist?

Re: Travelling with cats

Heidi Young — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 15:35:35 GMT

I know its dangerous and I should know better, but he is only ever allowed out if there are 2 of us in the car so my partner can grab him if a car back fires or something?!

We did it once and he was so good that you kind of forget that it could be dangerous - however I would never forgive myself if I had to push the break with him under it.

Slap wrist.

Re: Travelling with cats

Vicky RVN — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 15:12:57 GMT

[quote user="Heidi Young"]he sits and sleeps on my lap all the way down the motorway (highly illegal I know![/quote]

Illegal because it's dangerous! Could you not get a car harness for him? I would personally follow the law for the sake of safety.

Re: Travelling with cats

Doolally — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 13:58:08 GMT

When the breeder of my cats takes her cats to shows she has a big kennel/crate in the back of her car and has 2 or 3 cats in with a litter tray. She dropped my cats off to me on her way to a show, so had my 2 in a crate on the back seat (folded down) and 3 kittens in a crate in a boot. They all travelled very well, it was the kittens 1st journey and only the 2nd or 3rd journey for my boy cat as he hated showing

Re: Travelling with cats

Heidi Young — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 12:18:13 GMT

I travel with my cat all the time from Perth in Scotland to Milton Keynes, about a 7 or 8 hour drive.

Cats generally wont eat or poo on a journey, they just kind of shut down a bit. Always desperate for a wee when we arrive though!

I started it when he was about 6 months old, and it was really just repetition and now he sits and sleeps on my lap all the way down the motorway (highly illegal I know!) and finds the movement of the car quite hypnotic.

I think practice runs is the only way forward with a cat, they're hard to comfort so as long as he knows there's always a happy ending to the journey, i.e. treats, he will get used to it in time.

Making their carrier a place of safety is a good idea too. Put some trteats in it or something, and make it so he can just walk in and out.

Hope this helps xxx

Re: Travelling with cats

kaz84 — Fri, 28 May 2010 11:01:21 GMT

we never recommend sedating cats for travel, even in short flights ( most carriers in australia dont recommend it). some cats just dont tolerate these drugs, they hypersalivate and become hypersensitive to sound and to light and some drugs even lower their BP and are at risk of becoming dehydrated during their journey. we usually recommend homopet anxiety drops. these calm the animal and dont sedate the pets. if not your just better covering their cage with a light sheet and providing a favourite blanket or toys in their carrier during the journey to provide some form of comfort. or prior to leaving just leave their carriers out in your lounge room for them to get use to and adapt to, before you just toss them into the car and go. good luck.. ahh love cats such complex creatures

Re: Travelling with cats

Sam Leeks — Thu, 27 May 2010 20:16:31 GMT

Hi have you thought about using Zylkene? It wont sedate but will calm them. I wouldnt want to have them sedated unsupervised and hate using any sedatives for journeys etc, but certainly worth trialling on shorted journeys to see if it helps.