I'm going home!!

It's hard to believe that I've been here in upstate NY for 16 years. I'm
tired of the winters and I'm tired of missing all of my friends. Home is
Jacksonville, FL. I have a lot to do before I head home (like sell my house
and find one to buy down there). Here's where I hope y'all can help. The
drive is 18 hours. I'm going to rent a van so that I can have my 2 d*gs and
2 cats in crates. Right now I'm thinking of driving 7 hours a day. Do
y'all think that's too much for the cats? D*gs will be easy b/c I can stop
and let them out. I have also looked up 'pet friendly' motels. I thought
about letting the cats out in the van (while I'm parked at a rest area) and
have a litter box set up in the back if they need to use it. But I have the
fear of them escaping when I open the door to get back into the vehicle.
What is the best way to drive this distance so that my cats have minimal
stress?? I really need some opinions and advice. TIA!!


·.·´¨ ¨)) -:¦:-
¸.·´ .·´¨¨))
Laurie
((¸¸.·´ ..·´
-:¦:- ((¸¸ ·.·

*~*LiveLoveLaugh*~*

All that I am or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.
~Abraham Lincoln

On 3/31/2011 8:56 AM, ~*LiveLoveLaugh*~ wrote:
It's hard to believe that I've been here in upstate NY for 16 years.
I'm tired of the winters and I'm tired of missing all of my friends.
Home is Jacksonville, FL. I have a lot to do before I head home (like
sell my house and find one to buy down there). Here's where I hope
y'all can help. The drive is 18 hours. I'm going to rent a van so that
I can have my 2 d*gs and 2 cats in crates. Right now I'm thinking of
driving 7 hours a day. Do y'all think that's too much for the cats?
D*gs will be easy b/c I can stop and let them out. I have also looked
up 'pet friendly' motels. I thought about letting the cats out in the
van (while I'm parked at a rest area) and have a litter box set up in
the back if they need to use it. But I have the fear of them escaping
when I open the door to get back into the vehicle. What is the best way
to drive this distance so that my cats have minimal stress?? I really
need some opinions and advice. TIA!!



Instead of the normal carriers (that you would take them to the vet in)
- not much bigger than the cat(s), can you get a larger 'dog crate'
type? Then a small litter pan in with them wouldn't be much of a
problem, and you can move the entire crate, cats & all, into the motel
(if you happen to get one), open the door and let them explore the room
& stretch their legs (once you're in for the night & there's no fear of
them escaping through an open doorway - could hang a 'no maid service'
or 'do not disturb' sign on the door to keep the maids away until you
get them back into the crate).

I'm talking about one of these:

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...m?pcatid=12524

--
^..^ This is Kitty. Copy and paste Kitty into your signature to help
her wipe out Bunny's world domination.
--
The ONE and ONLY
lefthanded-pathetic-paranoid-psychotic-sarcastic-wiseass-ditzy
former-blonde in Bloomington! (And proud of it, too)©
email me at nalee1964 (at) comcast (dot) net
http://community.webshots.com/user/mgcmdjeep

"Magic Mood Jeep" wrote in message ...

On 3/31/2011 8:56 AM, ~*LiveLoveLaugh*~ wrote:
It's hard to believe that I've been here in upstate NY for 16 years.
I'm tired of the winters and I'm tired of missing all of my friends.
Home is Jacksonville, FL. I have a lot to do before I head home (like
sell my house and find one to buy down there). Here's where I hope
y'all can help. The drive is 18 hours. I'm going to rent a van so that
I can have my 2 d*gs and 2 cats in crates. Right now I'm thinking of
driving 7 hours a day. Do y'all think that's too much for the cats?
D*gs will be easy b/c I can stop and let them out. I have also looked
up 'pet friendly' motels. I thought about letting the cats out in the
van (while I'm parked at a rest area) and have a litter box set up in
the back if they need to use it. But I have the fear of them escaping
when I open the door to get back into the vehicle. What is the best way
to drive this distance so that my cats have minimal stress?? I really
need some opinions and advice. TIA!!



Instead of the normal carriers (that you would take them to the vet in)
- not much bigger than the cat(s), can you get a larger 'dog crate'
type? Then a small litter pan in with them wouldn't be much of a
problem, and you can move the entire crate, cats & all, into the motel
(if you happen to get one), open the door and let them explore the room
& stretch their legs (once you're in for the night & there's no fear of
them escaping through an open doorway - could hang a 'no maid service'
or 'do not disturb' sign on the door to keep the maids away until you
get them back into the crate).

I'm talking about one of these:

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...m?pcatid=12524

--------

I do have Happy's dog crate. He went to the RB this past November. He was
a Basset Hound, so the crate I have for him is fairly large. I have thought
about doing exactly what you suggested, but I worry about one thing. While
Oscar and Maui are VERY close (they sleep together cuddled up in a ball most
of the times), I worry about them getting into a snit due to the stress of
the travel. I'd hate to hear howling and hissing while I'm doing 60 mph on
down the road. They have never reacted to each other like that, but it's a
'what if' thing I've had run through my mind (along with 100 other what if
type worries). If I do do the large crate for them, I would use a boot shoe
box for a little tray. Maui is almost 20 lbs., so he'd need the larger size
shoe box. At night, I will have a regular sized litter box down for them.
And since I'll be traveling with someone (my dad maybe) who will be driving
my car, I won't leave the hotel room. I'll have whoever grab me a salad or
something. And I'll also have the do not disturb sign up. The whole trip
is gonna be HIGH ANXIETY for me, but it's only 3 days, and then I will
never, ever, ever, never move again!!

Thanks for your input!!


·.·´¨ ¨)) -:¦:-
¸.·´ .·´¨¨))
Laurie
((¸¸.·´ ..·´
-:¦:- ((¸¸ ·.·

*~*LiveLoveLaugh*~*

All that I am or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.
~Abraham Lincoln


--
^..^ This is Kitty. Copy and paste Kitty into your signature to help
her wipe out Bunny's world domination.
--
The ONE and ONLY
lefthanded-pathetic-paranoid-psychotic-sarcastic-wiseass-ditzy
former-blonde in Bloomington! (And proud of it, too)©
email me at nalee1964 (at) comcast (dot) net
http://community.webshots.com/user/mgcmdjeep

"~*LiveLoveLaugh*~" wrote in message
...
"Magic Mood Jeep" wrote in message ...

On 3/31/2011 8:56 AM, ~*LiveLoveLaugh*~ wrote:
It's hard to believe that I've been here in upstate NY for 16 years.
I'm tired of the winters and I'm tired of missing all of my friends.
Home is Jacksonville, FL. I have a lot to do before I head home (like
sell my house and find one to buy down there). Here's where I hope
y'all can help. The drive is 18 hours. I'm going to rent a van so that
I can have my 2 d*gs and 2 cats in crates. Right now I'm thinking of
driving 7 hours a day. Do y'all think that's too much for the cats?
D*gs will be easy b/c I can stop and let them out. I have also looked
up 'pet friendly' motels. I thought about letting the cats out in the
van (while I'm parked at a rest area) and have a litter box set up in
the back if they need to use it. But I have the fear of them escaping
when I open the door to get back into the vehicle. What is the best way
to drive this distance so that my cats have minimal stress?? I really
need some opinions and advice. TIA!!



Instead of the normal carriers (that you would take them to the vet in)
- not much bigger than the cat(s), can you get a larger 'dog crate'
type? Then a small litter pan in with them wouldn't be much of a
problem, and you can move the entire crate, cats & all, into the motel
(if you happen to get one), open the door and let them explore the room
& stretch their legs (once you're in for the night & there's no fear of
them escaping through an open doorway - could hang a 'no maid service'
or 'do not disturb' sign on the door to keep the maids away until you
get them back into the crate).

I'm talking about one of these:

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...m?pcatid=12524

--------

I do have Happy's dog crate. He went to the RB this past November. He
was a Basset Hound, so the crate I have for him is fairly large. I have
thought about doing exactly what you suggested, but I worry about one
thing. While Oscar and Maui are VERY close (they sleep together cuddled
up in a ball most of the times), I worry about them getting into a snit
due to the stress of the travel. I'd hate to hear howling and hissing
while I'm doing 60 mph on down the road. They have never reacted to each
other like that, but it's a 'what if' thing I've had run through my mind
(along with 100 other what if type worries). If I do do the large crate
for them, I would use a boot shoe box for a little tray. Maui is almost
20 lbs., so he'd need the larger size shoe box. At night, I will have a
regular sized litter box down for them. And since I'll be traveling with
someone (my dad maybe) who will be driving my car, I won't leave the hotel
room. I'll have whoever grab me a salad or something. And I'll also have
the do not disturb sign up. The whole trip is gonna be HIGH ANXIETY for
me, but it's only 3 days, and then I will never, ever, ever, never move
again!!

Thanks for your input!!


·.·´¨ ¨)) -:¦:-
¸.·´ .·´¨¨))
Laurie
((¸¸.·´ ..·´
-:¦:- ((¸¸ ·.·

*~*LiveLoveLaugh*~*

Feliway might help.

Joy

"Joy" wrote in message
...

"~*LiveLoveLaugh*~" wrote in message
...
"Magic Mood Jeep" wrote in message ...

On 3/31/2011 8:56 AM, ~*LiveLoveLaugh*~ wrote:
It's hard to believe that I've been here in upstate NY for 16 years.
I'm tired of the winters and I'm tired of missing all of my friends.
Home is Jacksonville, FL. I have a lot to do before I head home (like
sell my house and find one to buy down there). Here's where I hope
y'all can help. The drive is 18 hours. I'm going to rent a van so that
I can have my 2 d*gs and 2 cats in crates. Right now I'm thinking of
driving 7 hours a day. Do y'all think that's too much for the cats?
D*gs will be easy b/c I can stop and let them out. I have also looked
up 'pet friendly' motels. I thought about letting the cats out in the
van (while I'm parked at a rest area) and have a litter box set up in
the back if they need to use it. But I have the fear of them escaping
when I open the door to get back into the vehicle. What is the best way
to drive this distance so that my cats have minimal stress?? I really
need some opinions and advice. TIA!!



Instead of the normal carriers (that you would take them to the vet in)
- not much bigger than the cat(s), can you get a larger 'dog crate'
type? Then a small litter pan in with them wouldn't be much of a
problem, and you can move the entire crate, cats & all, into the motel
(if you happen to get one), open the door and let them explore the room
& stretch their legs (once you're in for the night & there's no fear of
them escaping through an open doorway - could hang a 'no maid service'
or 'do not disturb' sign on the door to keep the maids away until you
get them back into the crate).

I'm talking about one of these:

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...m?pcatid=12524

--------

I do have Happy's dog crate. He went to the RB this past November. He
was a Basset Hound, so the crate I have for him is fairly large. I have
thought about doing exactly what you suggested, but I worry about one
thing. While Oscar and Maui are VERY close (they sleep together cuddled
up in a ball most of the times), I worry about them getting into a snit
due to the stress of the travel. I'd hate to hear howling and hissing
while I'm doing 60 mph on down the road. They have never reacted to each
other like that, but it's a 'what if' thing I've had run through my mind
(along with 100 other what if type worries). If I do do the large crate
for them, I would use a boot shoe box for a little tray. Maui is almost
20 lbs., so he'd need the larger size shoe box. At night, I will have a
regular sized litter box down for them. And since I'll be traveling with
someone (my dad maybe) who will be driving my car, I won't leave the hotel
room. I'll have whoever grab me a salad or something. And I'll also have
the do not disturb sign up. The whole trip is gonna be HIGH ANXIETY for
me, but it's only 3 days, and then I will never, ever, ever, never move
again!!

Thanks for your input!!


Laurie
((¸¸.·´ ..·´
-:¦:- ((¸¸ ·.·

*~*LiveLoveLaugh*~*

----

Feliway might help.

-----

Thanks, Joy. But can I buy this in the U.S.?? It doesn't look like I can.
In reading about it, it does look like the perfect solution. The very last
thing I want to do is pill them with a sedative from my vet.

·.·´¨ ¨)) -:¦:-
¸.·´ .·´¨¨))
Laurie
((¸¸.·´ ..·´
-:¦:- ((¸¸ ·.·

*~*LiveLoveLaugh*~*

All that I am or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.
~Abraham Lincoln


Joy

~*LiveLoveLaugh*~ wrote:
It's hard to believe that I've been here in upstate NY for 16 years.
I'm tired of the winters and I'm tired of missing all of my friends.
Home is Jacksonville, FL. I have a lot to do before I head home (like
sell my house and find one to buy down there). Here's where I hope
y'all can help. The drive is 18 hours. I'm going to rent a van so that
I can have my 2 d*gs and 2 cats in crates. Right now I'm thinking of
driving 7 hours a day. Do y'all think that's too much for the cats?
D*gs will be easy b/c I can stop and let them out. I have also looked
up 'pet friendly' motels. I thought about letting the cats out in the
van (while I'm parked at a rest area) and have a litter box set up in
the back if they need to use it. But I have the fear of them escaping
when I open the door to get back into the vehicle. What is the best way
to drive this distance so that my cats have minimal stress?? I really
need some opinions and advice. TIA!!

my experience in driving from California to Minnesota, the year I
intended to move back there (to be near my aging mother) was that the
cats simply curled up and slept for most of the journey. I'd set them
up at night with food and a disposable litterbox in my motel bathroom,
then back into the carriers for the next day's journey. They ada;ted
with a minimum of fuss.

(On the other hand, I spoke with a veterinarian who make a similar trip
with a very vocal Siamese - he swore the cat never shut up during the
entire journey!)

In 1988, I moved from West Palm Beach to Raleigh, NC, some 600 miles.
I had two cats and put them in a large dog carrier in the back of a
pickup under a cap. I had food and water in the carrier and kept the
windows open on the cap. I stopped overnight and simply left them in
the truck with the cap windows open. The night temps were cool. No
problem.

As an interesting side note, in WPB they had been indoor cats on a 60'
by 100' lot in a development. In Raleigh, I had two wooded acres on a
cul-de-sac, so I planned to let them out eventually but was concerned
how they would react. After a couple of weeks, I tentatively let them
out on the deck and watched them closely. They wandered around the
deck for a couple of minutes, looked at me as if to say "Meh", flopped
down in a sunny spot and they were home.

"~*LiveLoveLaugh*~" wrote in message
...
It's hard to believe that I've been here in upstate NY for 16 years. I'm
tired of the winters and I'm tired of missing all of my friends. Home is
Jacksonville, FL. I have a lot to do before I head home (like sell my
house and find one to buy down there). Here's where I hope y'all can
help. The drive is 18 hours. I'm going to rent a van so that I can have
my 2 d*gs and 2 cats in crates. Right now I'm thinking of driving 7 hours
a day. Do y'all think that's too much for the cats? D*gs will be easy
b/c I can stop and let them out. I have also looked up 'pet friendly'
motels. I thought about letting the cats out in the van (while I'm parked
at a rest area) and have a litter box set up in the back if they need to
use it. But I have the fear of them escaping when I open the door to get
back into the vehicle. What is the best way to drive this distance so that
my cats have minimal stress?? I really need some opinions and advice.
TIA!!


You can stop and get yourself relief, coffee and some take-out. Go back to
the van and let them out for a drink and to use the litterpans. Don't open
the doors. Eat in the van. Put them back in the crates and drive on.

On 3/31/2011 12:55 PM, ~*LiveLoveLaugh*~ wrote:
"Magic Mood Jeep" wrote in message ...

On 3/31/2011 8:56 AM, ~*LiveLoveLaugh*~ wrote:
It's hard to believe that I've been here in upstate NY for 16 years.
I'm tired of the winters and I'm tired of missing all of my friends.
Home is Jacksonville, FL. I have a lot to do before I head home (like
sell my house and find one to buy down there). Here's where I hope
y'all can help. The drive is 18 hours. I'm going to rent a van so that
I can have my 2 d*gs and 2 cats in crates. Right now I'm thinking of
driving 7 hours a day. Do y'all think that's too much for the cats?
D*gs will be easy b/c I can stop and let them out. I have also looked
up 'pet friendly' motels. I thought about letting the cats out in the
van (while I'm parked at a rest area) and have a litter box set up in
the back if they need to use it. But I have the fear of them escaping
when I open the door to get back into the vehicle. What is the best way
to drive this distance so that my cats have minimal stress?? I really
need some opinions and advice. TIA!!



Instead of the normal carriers (that you would take them to the vet in)
- not much bigger than the cat(s), can you get a larger 'dog crate'
type? Then a small litter pan in with them wouldn't be much of a
problem, and you can move the entire crate, cats & all, into the motel
(if you happen to get one), open the door and let them explore the room
& stretch their legs (once you're in for the night & there's no fear of
them escaping through an open doorway - could hang a 'no maid service'
or 'do not disturb' sign on the door to keep the maids away until you
get them back into the crate).

I'm talking about one of these:

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...m?pcatid=12524

--------

I do have Happy's dog crate. He went to the RB this past November. He
was a Basset Hound, so the crate I have for him is fairly large. I have
thought about doing exactly what you suggested, but I worry about one
thing. While Oscar and Maui are VERY close (they sleep together cuddled
up in a ball most of the times), I worry about them getting into a snit
due to the stress of the travel. I'd hate to hear howling and hissing
while I'm doing 60 mph on down the road. They have never reacted to
each other like that, but it's a 'what if' thing I've had run through my
mind (along with 100 other what if type worries). If I do do the large
crate for them, I would use a boot shoe box for a little tray. Maui is
almost 20 lbs., so he'd need the larger size shoe box. At night, I will
have a regular sized litter box down for them. And since I'll be
traveling with someone (my dad maybe) who will be driving my car, I
won't leave the hotel room. I'll have whoever grab me a salad or
something. And I'll also have the do not disturb sign up. The whole
trip is gonna be HIGH ANXIETY for me, but it's only 3 days, and then I
will never, ever, ever, never move again!!

Thanks for your input!!


If you *are* planning on using the crate, start getting them used to it
NOW, way before the move. Close them both in there for a few minutes a
day, then a few hours.... maybe even take a few trips around the block
with them in the crate (providing you can carry it & fit it into your
car)? Hopefully, by the time you move, they will be used to the close
confines of the crate, and the movement of the vehicle, so it will be
less stressful for them...

I'm full of ideas, but I've never had to move with a cat (been in our
house since 1993, and have accumulated the cats since then)...



--
^..^ This is Kitty. Copy and paste Kitty into your signature to help
her wipe out Bunny's world domination.
--
The ONE and ONLY
lefthanded-pathetic-paranoid-psychotic-sarcastic-wiseass-ditzy
former-blonde in Bloomington! (And proud of it, too)©
email me at nalee1964 (at) comcast (dot) net
http://community.webshots.com/user/mgcmdjeep

On 3/31/2011 1:54 PM, ~*LiveLoveLaugh*~ wrote:
"Joy" wrote in message
...

"~*LiveLoveLaugh*~" wrote in message
...
"Magic Mood Jeep" wrote in message ...

On 3/31/2011 8:56 AM, ~*LiveLoveLaugh*~ wrote:
It's hard to believe that I've been here in upstate NY for 16 years.
I'm tired of the winters and I'm tired of missing all of my friends.
Home is Jacksonville, FL. I have a lot to do before I head home (like
sell my house and find one to buy down there). Here's where I hope
y'all can help. The drive is 18 hours. I'm going to rent a van so that
I can have my 2 d*gs and 2 cats in crates. Right now I'm thinking of
driving 7 hours a day. Do y'all think that's too much for the cats?
D*gs will be easy b/c I can stop and let them out. I have also looked
up 'pet friendly' motels. I thought about letting the cats out in the
van (while I'm parked at a rest area) and have a litter box set up in
the back if they need to use it. But I have the fear of them escaping
when I open the door to get back into the vehicle. What is the best way
to drive this distance so that my cats have minimal stress?? I really
need some opinions and advice. TIA!!



Instead of the normal carriers (that you would take them to the vet in)
- not much bigger than the cat(s), can you get a larger 'dog crate'
type? Then a small litter pan in with them wouldn't be much of a
problem, and you can move the entire crate, cats & all, into the motel
(if you happen to get one), open the door and let them explore the room
& stretch their legs (once you're in for the night & there's no fear of
them escaping through an open doorway - could hang a 'no maid service'
or 'do not disturb' sign on the door to keep the maids away until you
get them back into the crate).

I'm talking about one of these:

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...m?pcatid=12524

--------

I do have Happy's dog crate. He went to the RB this past November.
He was a Basset Hound, so the crate I have for him is fairly large. I
have thought about doing exactly what you suggested, but I worry about
one thing. While Oscar and Maui are VERY close (they sleep together
cuddled up in a ball most of the times), I worry about them getting
into a snit due to the stress of the travel. I'd hate to hear howling
and hissing while I'm doing 60 mph on down the road. They have never
reacted to each other like that, but it's a 'what if' thing I've had
run through my mind (along with 100 other what if type worries). If I
do do the large crate for them, I would use a boot shoe box for a
little tray. Maui is almost 20 lbs., so he'd need the larger size
shoe box. At night, I will have a regular sized litter box down for
them. And since I'll be traveling with someone (my dad maybe) who will
be driving my car, I won't leave the hotel room. I'll have whoever
grab me a salad or something. And I'll also have the do not disturb
sign up. The whole trip is gonna be HIGH ANXIETY for me, but it's
only 3 days, and then I will never, ever, ever, never move again!!

Thanks for your input!!


Laurie
((¸¸.·´ ..·´
-:¦:- ((¸¸ ·.·

*~*LiveLoveLaugh*~*

----

Feliway might help.

-----

Thanks, Joy. But can I buy this in the U.S.?? It doesn't look like I
can. In reading about it, it does look like the perfect solution. The
very last thing I want to do is pill them with a sedative from my vet.

I've seen it at petsmart, and bought it at Dr.s Foster & Smith.... I'm
in Indiana....Foster & Smith are in Wisconsin...

--
^..^ This is Kitty. Copy and paste Kitty into your signature to help
her wipe out Bunny's world domination.
--
The ONE and ONLY
lefthanded-pathetic-paranoid-psychotic-sarcastic-wiseass-ditzy
former-blonde in Bloomington! (And proud of it, too)©
email me at nalee1964 (at) comcast (dot) net
http://community.webshots.com/user/mgcmdjeep