{"id":7858,"date":"2024-10-07T21:05:11","date_gmt":"2024-10-08T01:05:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/?p=7858"},"modified":"2024-10-25T15:48:38","modified_gmt":"2024-10-25T19:48:38","slug":"tips-for-traveling-with-a-cat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/tips-for-traveling-with-a-cat\/","title":{"rendered":"Tips for Traveling With a Cat"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\"Shalee\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n

\n\t\tTips for Traveling With a Cat\n\t<\/h1>\n\t

October 8th, 2024<\/p>\n\t

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Traveling with a cat can be a lot more stressful than traveling with a dog, especially if your cat is not used to car rides or does not do well in changed environments.\u00a0<\/p>\n

If you plan to travel with a cat, whether once for a cross-country move or full-time in an RV, there are very specific details that will make your time on the road a lot more comfortable for both you and your furry friend.\u00a0<\/p>\n

We’ve been traveling with two cats since 2017 and added a third cat to our pack in early 2024. Traveling with three cats, sometimes for weeks at a time, can be a handful. We’ve learned all the lessons of traveling with cats. Cat sickness, litter boxes, cat farts, rest stops…we’ve been through it all.<\/p>\n

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Tips for Traveling With a Cat<\/b><\/h2>\n

1. Take a Trial Ride\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

The first step to traveling with cats is figuring out how well your cat does in the car. Take them out for a ride. How did they do? Are they comfortable in the car? Did they sh*t their pants out of fear? These are some big details to figure out before traveling with your cat.\u00a0<\/p>\n

If you have the time, start taking them on short car rides a few times a week. If they are kittens, they should adapt to the road fairly quickly. Adult cats might take some more care and love. I started training our newest cat, Tortilla, by bringing him with me to go grab coffee a couple of times a week.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/a>2. Buy Calming Gummies\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

If your cat does well traveling, you likely won’t need calming gummies. But if your cat is having a hard time adjusting or gets car sick, buy some calming gummies<\/a>. I always keep these ones on hand, even if we rarely need them for our cats. Cats can also get car sick! The first time it happened to one of our cats, I was worried they somehow got into a poisonous plant or something because it looked like he was foaming at the mouth. It turns out that car sickness can do that to cats! And it sometimes hits suddenly on a road they’ve been on dozens of times before, so always keep something on hand.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Cats don’t like sudden change, so if you need to travel with them quickly without training, calming gummies will be essentially for both your sanity and your cat’s sanity.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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3. Get a Tractive Collar<\/b><\/h3>\n

I’m sure your cat is part of your family, and you hate to think about that worst-case scenario. What if they jump out at a rest stop? What if I can’t find them at camp? That’s why a Tractive Collar<\/a> is one of my top recommendations for traveling with cats. It’s a GPS tracker that attaches directly to their collar. If something does happen, you’ll be able to see their exact location via GPS on the app and find them without worry.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Tractive works as long as you have cell phone service, so we also use Tile if we are camping out of service. It doesn’t have GPS and is a little harder to track, but it rings their collar and tracks them in a similar way to the Tractive even when off-the-grid.\u00a0<\/p>\n

4. Reward Trips with Treats\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

If trying to train your cats for road trips or traveling, you’ll need to focus on positive reinforcement. After every car ride or trip, reward your cat with a treat. Our cats love Temptations lickables<\/a>. We only give them the lickables when traveling or rewarding them for positive behavior. Your cat will start associating car rides with treats, which can help train them to do better in the car.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Another great way to get your cat excited about the car is pup cups! Or grab a bag of cat treats to leave with your local drive-through. When you come through, your cat will receive a treat from the window, and they will start associating car rides with treats.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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5. Figure Out a Litter Box Solution\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

This is probably one of the biggest logistical issues when it comes to traveling with cats. Unlike dogs, which can easily be trained to go to the bathroom outside on a leash, cats are a little more difficult. When it comes to a litter box, I have a few key points:\u00a0<\/p>\n