OK. Question for KG.
As you know, we are moving...and driving to FL.
We are going to make an appointment for Ozzie at the Vet.
Hoping to get drugs for him for the drive.
Anything you know of to make the trip easier for him and us? What can we expect? I'm dreading this part of the move.
out:
first, thank you for taking him with you!
second, has he ever been on a car trip before? How does he do in the car in general? How old is he? Talk to your vet about meds for him; I
think you can use human benadryl in a pinch (I've never tried, but I got close when we were selling the house and I took the cats in the car for every showing) but definitely ask the vet if it's ok, how much to give him and how often. Some cats are ok in the car -- I've had 3 that could do long trips just fine, and 1 who would probably die of it unless I sedated her.
If you decide to let him out of the carrier in the car, make sure you put him back in there before you open any car doors when you stop. In an unfamiliar situation, he is far more likely to bolt and not return.
Dogs move better than cats because dogs love their people above all else; cats are generally more attached to their house. Make sure you bring the same litterbox with a bit of old litter in it so it smells the same. Don't change the brand of litter or what you feed him; try to keep that consistent (just don't feed him in the car). Give Ozzie lots of positive reinforcement during his first hours and days in his new house: treats, attention, catnip, toys, brushing him if he likes it -- give him whatever he really loves. make sure a few things with his scent are scattered around the house before you let him out to explore. Unpack his scratching posts first; scratching is a way for cats to mark their territory (they have scent glands in their paws).
be careful in hotels with him. Cats have a way of crawling under and into furniture so that you can't find them. If his skull can fit into an opening, his entire body can follow. Likewise, beware of small spaces in the car. I once thought a cat had run off when I opened the car door, but he had crawled up
under the dashboard from where the pedals are, and he took up residence there until he was ready to come out. He was quite a character. later, he was the one to get into the ceiling on his first day in the old house, running around sweeping up cobwebs between the first and second floors.... He was black & white normally, but when I pulled him out of the ceiling he was black & gray from all the dust, and covered in cobwebs. the cobwebs were dripping off his whiskers :giggles:
good luck!