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#1
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Long Road Trip
"Brandy Alexandre" wrote in message ... I've made the decision that Kami and I will drive to the new destination instead of fly. Flying and shipping the car just aren't in the budget. Any good suggestions for us? I'm already preparing some "get used to it" short trips, and I was thinking that since she probably won't want to eat or drink, that I should have her sub-q'd before we go, or learn to do it and give it to her for a couple of days regardless. I'm also going to get some Feliway. Any further thoughts (from those who actually contribute, not the diaper brigade)? -- Brandy Alexandre® How long is the trip? I know you posted the information, but I don't recall the specifics. If it is overnight, travel with a supply of motel directories. They will indicate whether small pets are permitted. Don't wait until the last minute to get a room because it is sometimes difficult to find accomodations that permit pets. Phone ahead and make reservations. I always travel with water and extra food. However, I don't get out the food until we reach the motel, and none of my cats have wanted water while they were in the car. Still, you want to be prepared. I also keep an open litter box (fresh litter!!) on the floor in the back seat. Again, none of my cats used it until we reached a motel; but at least it is available. Keep Kami on a harness and leash at all times if she is not in a carrier. Don't take any chances that she might panic and jump out of the car. This especially includes stops at toll booths, drive-through eating, or any other place where you have to open the window. I never leave my cats alone in the car except for the very shortest of restroom stops. This means that I use drive-through for lunch and eat in the car. My cats have never caused any type of damage in a motel room, but I do travel with a small hand-held vacuum cleaner and vacuum up any signs of cat litter outside the box. I also leave an extra tip for the maid. MaryL (take out the litter to reply) |
#2
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"Brandy Alexandre" wrote in message ... I've made the decision that Kami and I will drive to the new destination instead of fly. Flying and shipping the car just aren't in the budget. Any good suggestions for us? I'm already preparing some "get used to it" short trips, and I was thinking that since she probably won't want to eat or drink, that I should have her sub-q'd before we go, or learn to do it and give it to her for a couple of days regardless. I'm also going to get some Feliway. Any further thoughts (from those who actually contribute, not the diaper brigade)? -- Brandy Alexandre® How long is the trip? I know you posted the information, but I don't recall the specifics. If it is overnight, travel with a supply of motel directories. They will indicate whether small pets are permitted. Don't wait until the last minute to get a room because it is sometimes difficult to find accomodations that permit pets. Phone ahead and make reservations. I always travel with water and extra food. However, I don't get out the food until we reach the motel, and none of my cats have wanted water while they were in the car. Still, you want to be prepared. I also keep an open litter box (fresh litter!!) on the floor in the back seat. Again, none of my cats used it until we reached a motel; but at least it is available. Keep Kami on a harness and leash at all times if she is not in a carrier. Don't take any chances that she might panic and jump out of the car. This especially includes stops at toll booths, drive-through eating, or any other place where you have to open the window. I never leave my cats alone in the car except for the very shortest of restroom stops. This means that I use drive-through for lunch and eat in the car. My cats have never caused any type of damage in a motel room, but I do travel with a small hand-held vacuum cleaner and vacuum up any signs of cat litter outside the box. I also leave an extra tip for the maid. MaryL (take out the litter to reply) |
#3
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"Brandy Alexandre" wrote in message ... I've made the decision that Kami and I will drive to the new destination instead of fly. Flying and shipping the car just aren't in the budget. Any good suggestions for us? I'm already preparing some "get used to it" short trips, and I was thinking that since she probably won't want to eat or drink, that I should have her sub-q'd before we go, or learn to do it and give it to her for a couple of days regardless. I'm also going to get some Feliway. Any further thoughts (from those who actually contribute, not the diaper brigade)? -- Brandy Alexandre® In addition to my last post: Get a health certificate and keep it with you if you are going to cross state lines. I have never had anyone ask for mine, but some states do require the certificate and proof of rabies vaccination -- "better safe than sorry." MaryL |
#4
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"Brandy Alexandre" wrote in message ... I've made the decision that Kami and I will drive to the new destination instead of fly. Flying and shipping the car just aren't in the budget. Any good suggestions for us? I'm already preparing some "get used to it" short trips, and I was thinking that since she probably won't want to eat or drink, that I should have her sub-q'd before we go, or learn to do it and give it to her for a couple of days regardless. I'm also going to get some Feliway. Any further thoughts (from those who actually contribute, not the diaper brigade)? -- Brandy Alexandre® In addition to my last post: Get a health certificate and keep it with you if you are going to cross state lines. I have never had anyone ask for mine, but some states do require the certificate and proof of rabies vaccination -- "better safe than sorry." MaryL |
#5
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In article ,
"BrandyÂ*Alexandre" Â* wrote: I've made the decision that Kami and I will drive to the new destination instead of fly. Flying and shipping the car just aren't in the budget. Any good suggestions for us? I'm already preparing some "get used to it" short trips, and I was thinking that since she probably won't want to eat or drink, that I should have her sub-q'd before we go, or learn to do it and give it to her for a couple of days regardless. I'm also going to get some Feliway. Any further thoughts (from those who actually contribute, not the diaper brigade)? I can see disaster brewing. You're going to give a cat subcutaneous fluids then close it in a travel carrier for hours? Yikes! When I moved across country I offered water and a litterbox every 3-4 hours, driving 10 hours a day. They refused both, and Hektor peed himself in the carrier every day, having to sit miserably in it. Tips One and Two: Drive eight hours or less, and line the carriers with disposable diapers. My boys were already accustomed to two feedings per day, mostly of canned food. They continued with this habit during the trip. I'm sure this helped their hydration. Tip Three: bring paper plates for the cat to eat off of and a fork to dish the food out with. My AC went out during a heat wave through the middle of the country. Before transferring the boys to the airconditioned moving van my husband was driving, I spritzed them frequently with water. This kept their temperatures down and was probably another good source of moisture as they groomed it off themselves. Although if you're moving soon you probably won't hit any heat waves, that's Tip Four: keep a spray bottle of potable water on hand. Enjoy your trip. -Alison in OH |
#6
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In article ,
"BrandyÂ*Alexandre" Â* wrote: I've made the decision that Kami and I will drive to the new destination instead of fly. Flying and shipping the car just aren't in the budget. Any good suggestions for us? I'm already preparing some "get used to it" short trips, and I was thinking that since she probably won't want to eat or drink, that I should have her sub-q'd before we go, or learn to do it and give it to her for a couple of days regardless. I'm also going to get some Feliway. Any further thoughts (from those who actually contribute, not the diaper brigade)? I can see disaster brewing. You're going to give a cat subcutaneous fluids then close it in a travel carrier for hours? Yikes! When I moved across country I offered water and a litterbox every 3-4 hours, driving 10 hours a day. They refused both, and Hektor peed himself in the carrier every day, having to sit miserably in it. Tips One and Two: Drive eight hours or less, and line the carriers with disposable diapers. My boys were already accustomed to two feedings per day, mostly of canned food. They continued with this habit during the trip. I'm sure this helped their hydration. Tip Three: bring paper plates for the cat to eat off of and a fork to dish the food out with. My AC went out during a heat wave through the middle of the country. Before transferring the boys to the airconditioned moving van my husband was driving, I spritzed them frequently with water. This kept their temperatures down and was probably another good source of moisture as they groomed it off themselves. Although if you're moving soon you probably won't hit any heat waves, that's Tip Four: keep a spray bottle of potable water on hand. Enjoy your trip. -Alison in OH |
#7
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In article ,
"MaryL" -OUT-THE-LITTER wrote: "Brandy Alexandre" wrote in message ... I've made the decision that Kami and I will drive to the new destination instead of fly. Flying and shipping the car just aren't in the budget. Any good suggestions for us? I'm already preparing some "get used to it" short trips, and I was thinking that since she probably won't want to eat or drink, that I should have her sub-q'd before we go, or learn to do it and give it to her for a couple of days regardless. I'm also going to get some Feliway. Any further thoughts (from those who actually contribute, not the diaper brigade)? -- Brandy Alexandre® How long is the trip? I know you posted the information, but I don't recall the specifics. If it is overnight, travel with a supply of motel directories. They will indicate whether small pets are permitted. Don't wait until the last minute to get a room because it is sometimes difficult to find accomodations that permit pets. Phone ahead and make reservations. I always travel with water and extra food. However, I don't get out the food until we reach the motel, and none of my cats have wanted water while they were in the car. Still, you want to be prepared. I also keep an open litter box (fresh litter!!) on the floor in the back seat. Again, none of my cats used it until we reached a motel; but at least it is available. Keep Kami on a harness and leash at all times if she is not in a carrier. Don't take any chances that she might panic and jump out of the car. This especially includes stops at toll booths, drive-through eating, or any other place where you have to open the window. I never leave my cats alone in the car except for the very shortest of restroom stops. This means that I use drive-through for lunch and eat in the car. My cats have never caused any type of damage in a motel room, but I do travel with a small hand-held vacuum cleaner and vacuum up any signs of cat litter outside the box. I also leave an extra tip for the maid. I don't advocate leaving a cat loose in the car while you drive. Besides the risk of the cat being thrown forward in the slightest fender-bender or even an abrupt stop, they can distract the driver and cause a serious accident. I do want to emphasize your point that the leash and harness should be on when the cat is OUT of the carrier. On my trip I tried to leave a harness on my boys so they'd have ID in case of disaster, and Otis got it caught in his mouth. No harnesses in carriers for my guys after that. I used a AAA guidebook that indicated if pets were allowed. I think Motel 6 and Super 8 have chain-wide policies to allow at least a single small pet. So, I was able to drive a certain number of hours and get as far as I could in the time alloted, because there always seemed to be a motel for one of these chains near the freeway when I was ready to stop. I did have trouble finding rooms after, say, 8pm. So stop early in the evening if you're not going to have reservations. -Alison in OH |
#8
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In article ,
"MaryL" -OUT-THE-LITTER wrote: "Brandy Alexandre" wrote in message ... I've made the decision that Kami and I will drive to the new destination instead of fly. Flying and shipping the car just aren't in the budget. Any good suggestions for us? I'm already preparing some "get used to it" short trips, and I was thinking that since she probably won't want to eat or drink, that I should have her sub-q'd before we go, or learn to do it and give it to her for a couple of days regardless. I'm also going to get some Feliway. Any further thoughts (from those who actually contribute, not the diaper brigade)? -- Brandy Alexandre® How long is the trip? I know you posted the information, but I don't recall the specifics. If it is overnight, travel with a supply of motel directories. They will indicate whether small pets are permitted. Don't wait until the last minute to get a room because it is sometimes difficult to find accomodations that permit pets. Phone ahead and make reservations. I always travel with water and extra food. However, I don't get out the food until we reach the motel, and none of my cats have wanted water while they were in the car. Still, you want to be prepared. I also keep an open litter box (fresh litter!!) on the floor in the back seat. Again, none of my cats used it until we reached a motel; but at least it is available. Keep Kami on a harness and leash at all times if she is not in a carrier. Don't take any chances that she might panic and jump out of the car. This especially includes stops at toll booths, drive-through eating, or any other place where you have to open the window. I never leave my cats alone in the car except for the very shortest of restroom stops. This means that I use drive-through for lunch and eat in the car. My cats have never caused any type of damage in a motel room, but I do travel with a small hand-held vacuum cleaner and vacuum up any signs of cat litter outside the box. I also leave an extra tip for the maid. I don't advocate leaving a cat loose in the car while you drive. Besides the risk of the cat being thrown forward in the slightest fender-bender or even an abrupt stop, they can distract the driver and cause a serious accident. I do want to emphasize your point that the leash and harness should be on when the cat is OUT of the carrier. On my trip I tried to leave a harness on my boys so they'd have ID in case of disaster, and Otis got it caught in his mouth. No harnesses in carriers for my guys after that. I used a AAA guidebook that indicated if pets were allowed. I think Motel 6 and Super 8 have chain-wide policies to allow at least a single small pet. So, I was able to drive a certain number of hours and get as far as I could in the time alloted, because there always seemed to be a motel for one of these chains near the freeway when I was ready to stop. I did have trouble finding rooms after, say, 8pm. So stop early in the evening if you're not going to have reservations. -Alison in OH |
#9
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Brandy Alexandre wrote:
Alison Perera wrote in rec.pets.cats.health+behav: I don't advocate leaving a cat loose in the car while you drive. Besides the risk of the cat being thrown forward in the slightest fender-bender or even an abrupt stop, they can distract the driver and cause a serious accident. I agree. She's very unpredictable, even though once she settles she usually stays in the carrier even if the door is open. The seatbelt pulls around it quite nicely I do want to emphasize your point that the leash and harness should be on when the cat is OUT of the carrier. On my trip I tried to leave a harness on my boys so they'd have ID in case of disaster, and Otis got it caught in his mouth. No harnesses in carriers for my guys after that. I should probably start getting her used to a harness again. She wore one all the time when she was little. I've seen some that look much easier to work with than those old buckles. I used a AAA guidebook that indicated if pets were allowed. I think Motel 6 and Super 8 have chain-wide policies to allow at least a single small pet. So, I was able to drive a certain number of hours and get as far as I could in the time alloted, because there always seemed to be a motel for one of these chains near the freeway when I was ready to stop. Yeah, I don't need anything fancy. We'll only have one night in a motel. I'm trying to determine the halfway point to see what's around there. There are two possible routes and the halfway of one is smack in the middle of a large city, but I was told that the other route is faster even if it is longer. So I'll have to see. One night in a motel and you put "long road trip" in the subject line! 2 days on the road hardly qualifies as a long trip. -- "Its the bugs that keep it running." -Joe Canuck |
#10
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Brandy Alexandre wrote:
Alison Perera wrote in rec.pets.cats.health+behav: I don't advocate leaving a cat loose in the car while you drive. Besides the risk of the cat being thrown forward in the slightest fender-bender or even an abrupt stop, they can distract the driver and cause a serious accident. I agree. She's very unpredictable, even though once she settles she usually stays in the carrier even if the door is open. The seatbelt pulls around it quite nicely I do want to emphasize your point that the leash and harness should be on when the cat is OUT of the carrier. On my trip I tried to leave a harness on my boys so they'd have ID in case of disaster, and Otis got it caught in his mouth. No harnesses in carriers for my guys after that. I should probably start getting her used to a harness again. She wore one all the time when she was little. I've seen some that look much easier to work with than those old buckles. I used a AAA guidebook that indicated if pets were allowed. I think Motel 6 and Super 8 have chain-wide policies to allow at least a single small pet. So, I was able to drive a certain number of hours and get as far as I could in the time alloted, because there always seemed to be a motel for one of these chains near the freeway when I was ready to stop. Yeah, I don't need anything fancy. We'll only have one night in a motel. I'm trying to determine the halfway point to see what's around there. There are two possible routes and the halfway of one is smack in the middle of a large city, but I was told that the other route is faster even if it is longer. So I'll have to see. One night in a motel and you put "long road trip" in the subject line! 2 days on the road hardly qualifies as a long trip. -- "Its the bugs that keep it running." -Joe Canuck |
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