4 Tips for Traveling in the Car With Your Cat

If you are planning on a long-distance move or going on a road trip, you might need to bring your cat with you. This requires taking some preparation steps to make the trip enjoyable for both you and your beloved pet. Here are some tips to follow when you are planning on traveling with your cat.

Speak to Your Veterinarian

Before you take a long car ride with your cat, you should first speak to your veterinarian. You want to know your cat is in good physical and emotional health, which your vet can help determine for you with veterinary consultations. If your cat is suffering from an illness, it might not be well enough to handle a long trip. Your vet can also help provide medications that relax the cat during tense moments of the trip and give you advice for what to do if it gets carsick.

Bring Along Proper Identification

While you can't imagine a scenario where your cat gets out and runs out, it does happen. It is best that you take all the necessary precautions to ensure you don't lose your cat when you are on your trip. Start by always keeping a collar on the cat with a nametag. Make sure your cell phone number is printed on the tag so if someone finds the cat they can get a hold of you right away. It is also a good idea to have your cat microchipped. If you lose the cat, you can use the microchip information to track it down and get it back safely.

Take the Cat on Short Road Trips

To prepare your cat for a long road trip, start introducing it to the car early. You should not have a two-week trip in the car be the first time your cat has been in the car with you aside from going to the vet. This can be very stressful when it doesn't know what to expect. If you have a few months to plan ahead, start bringing your cat on short trips in the car, extending the amount of time it is in the car with each short trip you take. By the time you go on the long trip, it should be more accustomed to what it's like being in the car.

Bring the Necessary Supplies

When you travel in the car with a cat, it should remain in a cat carrier. You don't want the cat jumping around your car when you are trying to drive. It is dangerous for the cat and for you. Also bring along plenty of water and bowls, food, and disposable litter trays with cat litter. Bringing some toys for your cat to have in the carrier is also a good idea.

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