by Lauren Todd

Created on: March 25, 2010

Cat carriers are available in different sizes and have different attributes. This means that you can find one that best fits your cat’s traveling needs. One of the best overall carriers is one that has plenty of peak holes for your cat to have plenty of air circulating through it. It should be large enough for your cat to turn around and sit down comfortably in. A cat carrier should be completely safe and include secure fastenings, the hinges should not be flimsy or fit incorrectly.

A car trip with your cat can involves different things to help make your cat feel more at home. Some cats do like to have the carrier itself covered, the partial covering with a towel or blanket, creates the sheltering effect which can reduce stress and fear in your cat. A favorite blanket that has a familiar scent to your cat can help a cat adjust to the trip. Familiarity is your cat’s ally, when it comes to car trips in a carrier, your cat will do much better on a long trip if he/she has become adjusted by traveling in the carrier for shorter trips around town. Traveling with your cat should include a cat’s favorite toy inside the carrier, it won’t be the toy itself that makes your cat comfortable, but the familiar smell. You being near your cat, to calm and reassure your feline that all is well can make a difference.

Most cats eventually settle down after yowling a bit, be sure and have plenty of water on hand, as your cat needs to keep hydrated. Drive a little more slowly and if at all possible, stay off of bumpy roads, your cat is looking at a whole new world that is racing by him, the sound of an engine and sounds of the road are amplified in his ears. So it is a good idea to keep voices low and calm during a road trip. Some cats even like quiet music, but only after the cat him/herself has quieted down.

Bear in mind that most cats will respond to the aforementioned tips and suggestions, but some cats just will not calm down in a carrier, in a moving vehicle, no matter what you may try. They just don’t like car trips. These cats should only go in the carrier and be transported in it when the cat needs a vet visit, under no other circumstances. Cats can calm down but generally are upset being in such unfamiliar surroundings, with unfamiliar sights and sounds. There are exceptions though, to any rule and a very small percentage of cats just love to travel and you will not need to accommodate the feline because it is totally happy in its carrier in the backseat, as you roll on down the road to your destination.

Learn more about this author, Lauren Todd.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.