TRAVELING WITH YOUR CAT

Planning a road trip with your cat? ANIMART offers these cat travel tips to make the trip more enjoyable for both you and your cat:

1. Always travel with your cat in a carrier. For the safety of you, your cat and other motorists, cats should never be allowed freedom to roam in a car.

2. Familiarize your cat with their carrier before the trip. Let your cat explore the carrier in the comfort of their home. Offer some food or treats inside the carrier along with a soft blanket sprinkled with catnip.

3. Test drive your cat in its carrier with some shorter trips around town.

4. Secure the carrier with a seat belt so it doesn’t shift in case of sudden stops. Like kids, your pet will be safer in the back seat.

5. Never leave your cat alone in an unattended vehicle. Even with the windows open on a warm day, the heat can raise quickly, causing heatstroke, death and a quickly ruined vacation.

6. Feed your cat a light meal 3-4 hours before traveling. Don’t feed while in a moving vehicle – take rest stops during longer drives to offer food and water.

7. Your cat should have a collar and leash for added safety. The collar should have an ID tag with your home address plus a travel tag with your immediate contact information. A microchip will provide additional identification if needed.

8. When traveling interstate or flying you will need a current (within 10 days) health certificate and your cat’s rabies certificate.

9. Plan ahead for pet-friendly lodging before leaving home. If you are visiting family or friends, make sure your cat is welcome.

10. Start your cat on flea control before traveling. Talk to your vet about Heartworm prevention, too.

11. Pack a travel kit for your cat: food, bowl, leash, small or disposable litter box, waste scoop, plastic bags, litter, grooming supplies, medication, favorite toys and bed. Cats can be picky about their water and different water could cause digestive upsets – bring a bottle of your own water or purchase bottled water for your cat while traveling.

12. Still need to calm down your cat? Feliway is a pheromone spray which can be applied to bedding to help calm your cat in the carrier. For longer trips, your vet can prescribe a tranquilizer.

We hope these cat travel tips help you and your cat have safe and enjoyable travels together this summer!