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Cats in the car for 12 hours


Peekaboo

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Can anyone answer a really silly question?  I have looked at advice re. what type of carrier to use in transporting two cats to France and today been out and bought my plastic coated metal cage with a shallow tray in the bottom.  It's not really deep enough to put a useful amount of cat litter in and the cats will be in this thing for a minimum of 12 hours. Do I starve them the day before in the hope they will not need to be too active in the toilet department or let them sit in it !!!! 

 

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I reduced the amount of food I would normally have given the cat, the day befire the journey. His box had no cat litter in it, just newspaper which I could have refreshed if neccessary.

As it turned out, there was no need, which amazed me as our journey was more like twenty hours.

He had a small amount of dried cat food, and some water at all times. He was fine.

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We've done it too fifteen hours with cats when we used to go down to Spain.  Cat litter might be a bit messy and uncomfortable for the cat.  In travel boxes, even for going to the vet etc., we now use those throw away things (I don't even know the name in English! alèzes in French), rectangular, you can buy in packets for people who are incontinent in bed.  I think they also exist for puppies.

They also say to put a wet towel on top their box if it's hot.

 

 

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It's amazing how cats can avoid the toilet  requirements when they are not available. We bought two on an eighteen hour journey in large travel cages with newspaper on the base. Only a little wee and no signs of stress.
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we built our cat an extension for pooing, enough to house a dirt tray.  After 24 hours and MUCH fuss,he did a small poo and was very pleased.  After that nothing.  36 hours later we arrived at our new home and he was as if nothing had happened at all.  Convinced they can hold it in if your journey is less than 2 days!  the dog was much more conventional!!

 

xxx K

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[quote user="Robbos"]

Convinced they can hold it in if your journey is less than 2 days!  the dog was much more conventional!!

 

xxx K

[/quote]

Very like my children then!  I know more about this than I thought.  My daughter refuses to use the loos in the Motorway picnic areas and my son will go anywhere !!!  I am sorted.  Thank you.

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It was just a thought but here you can buy cat harnesses to take them for walks etc (which a lot of Parisennes do). Wonder if you put one on your cat when making a stop on the side of the road and letting it get out and stretch its legs and go at the same time would work, its an idea surely?
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[quote user="Val_2"]It was just a thought but here you can buy cat harnesses to take them for walks etc (which a lot of Parisennes do). Wonder if you put one on your cat when making a stop on the side of the road and letting it get out and stretch its legs and go at the same time would work, its an idea surely?[/quote]

 

This might work if your cat was used to it but otherwise I think you'd end up with a fluffy, spitting yo yo! Even if used to it I doubt if they'd "go" on a lead as cats are often pretty secretive about bodily functions. I've heard good things about using Feliway to calm them down when travelling and wonder if anyone has used this. We were planning to take at least one overnight break in one of the motel chains where they could be let out of their box and have a tray put down. Obviously we weren't planning to leave them in the room (or open the window). Has anyone else done this?

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[quote user="KathyC"]This might work if your cat was used to it but otherwise I think you'd end up with a fluffy, spitting yo yo!

 [/quote]

It's a nice idea, but I think Kathy might be right. I wouldn't fancy trying to get the cat back in the box after giving it a taste of freedom. The first thing mine does when he's let out is run a mile, presumably to avoid a repeat of the experience.[:'(]

Ali had her cats in boxes waiting for the pet removal people, and they scarpered as soon as they attempted to transfer them into the pet movers cages!

Kathy I'm sorry I have never stayed overnight anywhere with a pet in tow, apart from on the ferry, so can't help you there.

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We've done it Kathy in a Campanile, there is a nice big bathroom at the rear of the room where we put the tray and food.

We never dared take our cats out of their boxes while travelling, it's easy to just change those throw away pad things by slightly opening the door with all the car doors shut.  Once when it was very hot we stopped and put their boxes out on the grass in the shade, but never opened them.  Always make sure that they are securely closed.  Once on the way home with a cat who had just been castrated at the vet's, there was a bang as he knocked his door open and the cat flew out on to the dashboard.  I had the window open, but not too much luckily.  The assistant had badly closed the two catches on the travel box door.  I usually always check them.

You can get those little drink dishes which clip on to the cage part (like for birds).

We were once called out to a petrol station on the main road back to Paris on a Sunday night.  They had found a black cat there.  Luckily he was tattooed and we found the owners who were back in Paris very worried about what had happened to their cat.  He was loose in the car instead of in a box and when they stopped for petrol in the dark he got out and they did not see.

Peekaboo (Danielle), if your cats are not yet used to travel boxes, it might be a good idea to slowly get them used to them by putting them in them for a short time, getting longer and longer, in the security of their home, so that it will not be such a big shock on "the day".

 

 

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Thank you.  I had thought of this and having now set the cage up will place it in the house for the cats to get used to along with the drinking bottle I have attached.  In fact the cats are off to the vets tomorrow so I might give it a proper trial.

Both the cats are used to a lead, being half Persian they are more like dogs anyway and very manageable.  The kids took them for walks around the garden from a very young age, although we no longer use the leads it wouldn't take much to reintroduce them, however, I wouldn't like to chance their escape during the journey to France.

Thanks again everyone.  Lots of ideas there.

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Have you taken your cats on a longish journey before ?

 

We have 3 from the same litter.  2 travel without any problems but the third has to have a small cat tray in his travelling box (considerably bigger than a normal cat box) for the regular 7 hour trek.

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Hi there.  No I haven't tried a long journey.  The most is 2 - 3 hours and they seemed very content.  They are very laid back by nature and affectionate with each other.  I am off to the vets today a one hour round trip so we can try the cage for size then. 

For the journey to France I think I will take a litter tray on the journey and give them access to it on a pit stop or two but enclosed in the boot space.  With that and a bed wet pad on the base of the cage I should have covered all angles. 

I am fussing more about the cats than the kids.

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I came with my cat on a 9 hour journey. She cried all the way. I used an incontinence sheet for adults in her box. They are very absorbent. I changed it three times, but she wasn't wet. She did do a poo on it too. What a smell ! I just wrapped the onconto sheet up and disposed of it, carefully.

 

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When we moved we had an 18 hour journey.  Cat, litter tray, water and food bowls - all went in.  The cat sat in its carboard box inside the bigger cage all the way, but as soon as he arrived at his new home, he ate the food and performed in his tray!  It was 3rd August, and we put a damp towel over the top of the box, except at the front.  It calmed him down.  At service areas we just opened the doors to get some fresh air into the car.  I still put the tray and food/water in, but he never uses the facilities, so have bought a small cooking tray just so it takes up lass space in his cage.  By the way, we have decided he has more space if the cage is sidewards - ie. his floor is really a side.  He doesn't need all the height they give him, but the extra depth/width means he can stretch out.
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