By: Puneet Arora*
Every cat parent is faced with the decision of travelling with their feline or leaving her behind with their parents or at a boarding facility. Cats aren’t travel friendly and may associate road trips with negative feelings such as a visit to the vet. Whether you are looking forward to going on a road trip with kitty or are planning to relocate to another town, the following tips will help make your cat travel friendly.
Collars: Before hitting the road, don’t forget to invest in a good collar for your cat. Make your cat wear the collar just in case something comes up on the way and you need to step out with your pet.
Health check-up: Take your cat for a comprehensive check-up to the vet. Carry your kitty’s updated health information along with all her reports and make sure all her vaccinations are up to date. Emergencies happen and if at any point of time you’re required to take your cat to the vet, you must have everything ready. You should also make sure to keep the reports at a place from where they are easily accessible.
Treats: Carry your cat’s favourite treats while travelling. It not only peps them up but also helps them relax. Give them treats whenever you fell they are getting cranky.
Crate: Invest in a spacious crate for your cat since it might have to stay inside it for a long period of time. Throw in a blanket and some extra stuff to cover your cat. This will not only make it feel more secure but will also protect it from getting sunburn. Crates also ensure your cat’s safety and keep it confined to a specific area, thereby preventing it from roaming all over the place.
Personal Belongings: Cats are happier when you carry their stuff with familiar smells. Bring their toys, blankets and other items along. This will help calm your cat and enable you to focus on
the road.
Breaks: Take frequent breaks and let your cat out of the car. Give it the litter box and let it walk around for a while. Make sure you have a leash handy as frightened cats tend to run helter skelter. Let kitty stretch her legs and keep an extra blanket beneath the crate to absorb any messes or spills. Carry a bag for scooping poop and any pet waste.
Motion sickness: Take your cat on short distances to check for motion sickness. Your vet might prescribe a medication to prevent the cat from getting sick. Feed and give water well in advance before leaving and clean up any mess made by your cat immediately.
Cats tend to get restless while travelling. They might get vocal and start wailing or making a mess while travelling as they love to explore and climb. But the more trips you take them on the more likely they are to get comfortable and before you know, kitty will have become travel friendly.
Puneet Arora is an ardent animal lover and loves to write about pets.
