I'm another person preparing for a big move with my cat- roughly 2 days of long car rides. I'm working to acclimate him better to his carrier, but I wondered if you have any further advice on preparing him for what is bound to be stressful, regardless. Would a larger carrier help for long journeys? Are there good ways to keep him calmer in whatever hotel/motel/place we stop for the night? Will he need "potty breaks" with his litterbox during the ride? Thanks in advance!
I realize with as long as it’s taken me to write this, things have changed. You may have already moved, but this is a great topic. I also have to apologize since I was personally dealing with a Covid-19 infection. Still am, but I’m better and well enough to post.But an ideal long move for a cat would be this. A large enough cage/carrier that you could keep their litter box in with them, along with someplace to sleep, and even ideally someplace to look out the window. They’re not going to be pleased, but giving them as much room as physically possible will help.
Unless your cat is used to traveling in the car, keep them in the carrier.
If you can’t give them access to their litter box during the trip, try to make frequent stops just to let them try. They may not go for an extended period of time, and cats are pretty notorious for not wanting to go under stress. Still give them the option and offer it to them.
The best thing you can do though? Definitely discuss this with your vet. Explain the situation and your vet can help with any kind of medication that will help keep your cat’s stress levels down. No, it won’t erase them completely, but it will help. Things like over the counter stress relievers honestly don’t pack enough of a punch to help with the more traumatic things, and while they can be better than not using anything at all, the ideal would be doctor-prescribed.
