Take your cat on your travels in comfort!
It’s a fact every cat lover knows: cats aren’t fond of traveling. They prefer to stay in their familiar surroundings and will greet any suggestion of an outing with a lack of enthusiasm. But if you do have to go somewhere and want to take your cat, what’s the best way to do it? We’ve compiled a few helpful tips for you.
Cats and travel… It’s always a tricky combination. It’s like suggesting a cat share its food bowl with the neighbor’s dog. Yet, sometimes it’s unavoidable that your little house tiger has to come along for the ride. Fortunately, there are a few ways to ensure your cat can travel comfortably. Create a familiar environment. One of the reasons your cat prefers not to travel is that they’re very attached to their familiar surroundings. Their own cat bed, that cozy cat scratching post (read: chair leg), that cat toy they’re always chasing… You can make traveling a lot less unpleasant for your cat if you put some familiar items in their carrier. That warm blanket they always lie on, for example. If this wasn’t done before you travel, it’s especially important that the smells are completely familiar. If your cat at least has that soft cuddly toy they always sleep with with them, things will go much better. Don’t overeat before leaving. It’s important to keep your cat feeling comfortable when traveling. If your cat gets motion sickness, he’ll only feel worse. And he’ll usually be very vocal about it, as that’s not ideal when you’re traveling with him on a train or bus, for example. It’s therefore a good idea not to overfeed your cat before you leave. Ideally, you shouldn’t feed him for a few hours beforehand to ensure there’s nothing in his stomach that could make him feel uncomfortable. Make sure your cat drinks enough. Another way to ensure your cat doesn’t get sick is to make sure he drinks enough while traveling. If your cat doesn’t drink, he’ll feel worse and worse and will become less and less responsive when you ask him to be a little quieter. Simply take a bowl of water with you on the trip so he can take a sip every now and then. Just be aware that all that water will make your cat have to pee. So put a towel in the carrier and bring a spare just in case. Secure the carrier properly . A carrier is a good place for your cat to feel safe. But make sure it’s actually a safe place. If you’re taking your cat in the car, secure the carrier properly. If you have the carrier on your lap on the bus or train, make sure you hold on tight. Buses and trains can sometimes jolt or stop unexpectedly. If the carrier isn’t properly secured, your cat will be thrown off the bus. That certainly won’t make the journey any more pleasant. Put a blanket over the carrier.
That strange outside world can seem very dangerous for your cat. When traveling, they’ll experience a lot of impressions just by looking outside. You might not encounter anything unusual along the way, but for your cat, everything is scary. It’s a good idea to put a blanket over the carrier. While sounds and smells will still come in, the visuals will be much less intense. This will also give your cat more peace of mind, allowing them to simply take a nap. Before you know it, they’ll wake up when you’ve arrived back at your destination. Talk to your cat. During a trip with all sorts of new impressions, it’s good to give your cat as many familiar elements as possible. You can do this by bringing familiar items with a familiar scent. But your cat will also be calmed by you talking to them. It doesn’t really matter what you say, as long as your voice is clearly audible. You could even sing a song, although you’ll have to be careful whether the other people around you agree.
