Driving Cross Country: How Far per Day?

[blooey]

Hello all. We're moving from CA to OH with 3 cats and need some advice.

Because getting them in and out of the carrier is so traumatic we're wondering...

Question: With the 30+ hour drive, is it better to try and drive longer distances with fewer hotels stays OR shorter distances with more hotel stays? (And hence, more in and out of the carriers)

BTW: Rest stops are not realistic. It'll be the wife and I and all three of them in the cab of a fully loaded pickup. There's barely enough room for the carrier's behind our seats and they will be too nervous to pee or eat if we stopped anyways.

[Traci]

Please tell me this is an extended-cab pickup? If so, the carriers should fit with enough room between them and your other items so that air ventillation is sufficient. Plastic carriers get very warm inside, so please ensure they are warm and comfortable (but not too warm).

I would recommend longer driving times with fewer hotel stays. However, if it isn't feasible for some of those long hours, please check and call in advance for hotels that accept pets....some of them will, but will require a deposit. (Do NOT leave your pets outside in the truck while you are staying inside a hotel, this is too dangerous). If you are away from the truck while in a restaurant, etc...always crack your windows first to allow fresh air inside for the cats. If it is too hot, do not leave them unattended at all.

Never, ever, open your truck doors or open the windows without the cats being securely in their carriers. I would also recommend complete health certificates and proof of rabies certificates before you travel. If you don't carry these documents, if you are stopped by highway patrol, you could risk your pets being quarantined. You might also want to put temporary break-away collars and ID tags on them during the trip. The ID tags should include your new home phone number, your vet's number, their rabies tag number, and your new address.

If the cats must be confined in the carries while you're driving, consider puppy piddle pads for them to lay on, in case of urine or fecal accidents. These are easy to change and should be absorbent enough until you can stop and check them and their carriers. They should be given adequate food and water throughout the day, but don't be surprised if they don't eat much (motion sickness).

When you arrive at your destination, please find a vet as soon as possible to establish a new client/patient relationship. Watch your cats closely within the first 3 weeks or so after relocating to your new home for any signs of distress, such as decreased appetite, withdrawal, depression, lethargy, jaundice of the skin, vomiting, etc.....any of which will need to be addressed by your vet immediately. (liver disease/hepatic lipidosis occurs frequently in cats who are stressed during or after a move, this is a fatal condition if not detected and treated immediately at the onset of signs and symptoms as noted above)

Confine your cats to one room with litterboxes, food and water, toys, their favorite items, and keep the door closed while you are moving furniture and boxes inside. When it is quiet and safe, let them out to explore their new surroundings, but try to keep their environment quiet and relaxing as possible.

[blooey]

Thanks Traci.

Yes, it is an extended cab.

I know pretty much all the do's and dont's about travel except how long they can go. The cats are all Microchiped and the trip is being meticulously planned for pet friendly hotels, etc. New vet already lined up. I think we're more stressed planning for their comfort then they will be traveling.

I can drive 10-12 hour runs fairly easy. Can they?

[Traci]

Sounds like you have it under control

10-12 hours at a time should be ok.......but if one or more of the cats seems to be overly stressed, stop and offer attention, small amount of food, water and check for urine or stool in the carrier. If vomiting, withhold food, but do offer water.

[blooey]

Sounds like you have it under control

10-12 hours at a time should be ok......

Hmmm. Just called a few vets. They're all saying 6-8 hours. Ack!

[Traci]

In an ideal situation, yes, 6-8 hours or less of course. But relocation and travelling are not always ideal situations.

The best thing to do is play it by ear, during your first half-day of travelling, you'll find out how your cats fair. The important thing is that they are safe, comfortable, are offered water and food and that their carriers are kept clean and dry.

[E's]

Re number of hours traveling cats should ride without a motel break: IMO vets, like most everyone else, sometimes feel the need to cover their rears. From personal experience in driving long distances with cats in carriers, I can definitely state that the advisement of a 6 - 8 hour limitation is unrealistic to the point of being hogwash. On the 'Super Slab' these days, drivers can't set their pace properly if they keep stopping every few hours, and this in turn tends to make long trips even more stressful for all concerned - people and pets alike.

A trip I've made several times with cats in carriers is the run between New Orleans and Austin; it's around 9 hours depending on Houston trafffic (if you tried to go around the Big H, you'd end up in Shreveport ) which means the cat(s) remaining in carrier(s) at least 10 hours. A cat I had years ago was a complainer - yowled most of the way, even going a few blocks to the vet, but even she came through just fine. Extreme examples: 1. August 2003 a blowout just west of Baton Rouge totalled my car; neither dog, cat nor I were injured, but the way things worked out, by the time I could get him back here to his vet, the cat had spent 24 hours in a carrier... a blood panel showed his glucose level was temporarily quite high (this is how a cat's metabolism reacts to stress) but other than that he was fine. 2. Last fall my son's cat was also unavoidably in her carrier nearly 24 hours: we ran from Hurricane Ivan and there were NO motels or inns of any kind available, even in Houston, so we went on to relatives some 40 miles west of San Antonio... both these cats HATE their carriers but adjusted and came through all right. Of course I don't advise 24 hour stints, but IMO you would do better to plan your stop-overs around your own comfort and safety levels, then follow the other travel precautions already discussed here, and let the cats adapt to the conditions: you can still alter the schedule if necessary.

As you may know, the Holiday Inn chain has a good record for taking in pets without advance reservations.

One last tip which comes from the days when our ancestors moved beloved housecats to new homesteads in horsedrawn wagons: butter or cream on its front paws will help keep a cat occupied and reduce stress

[Guest]

Definitely not ideal.

Thanks to you both for the input.

I knew Motel6 accepts pets (although it sounds like they have a limit of one), I did not know that about Holiday Inn.