If you are traveling, it's imperative that you take care of your cats. Cats are not overly adaptive animals that adjust very well to change, and traveling can be a scary venture for them. The important thing is to make sure that you take the appropriate safety measures and try to make your cat feel as comfortable about traveling as possible.
Cat Carriers
Whether you are traveling by air, car, train or bus, you absolutely must have your cat secured in a crated cat carrier. The reason for this is that in the event of a collision, your cat will remain safe and secure behind the bars of his cat carrier.
If you are traveling by airplane, it will be mandatory for your cat to be placed in a pet carrier, or he will not be allowed to fly. It is also important to remember that your cat will be placed in the pet section will all of the other animals on board.
This is a traumatic experience for your cat because it's a new place and he's surrounded by animals that he doesn't know if he can trust. However, being in his cat carrier will provide him with a slight feeling of safety.
Litter Boxes
While this may not sound ideal, if you are going to allow your cat to travel with you, you are going to have to set up his litter box in an area that he can get to. It's probably not your idea of a fun road trip to have the stench of the litter box present for your entire journey. However, it's important to keep in mind that if your cat has to go, he is undeniably going to find a place to go. That place could end up being in your luggage, on the floor of your car, on the seats or on you if dont set up his litter box for him.
In order to make the car trip a little bit more bearable, you should make sure to stop every few hours and change the litter box for your cat. Not only does your cat probably prefer to have a clean litter box, but it also drastically cuts down on the amount of smell that lingers in the car from it.
Comfort Your Cat
One of the best things that you can do while you are traveling is to spend some time with your cat and comfort him. You don't want to let your cat out of his carrier while the car is moving, unless he needs to go to the bathroom. However, you can pull over at some rest stops periodically and let him out on the leash.
Make sure to let him experience the beauty of the outdoors (securely on his leash, of course). This will help your cat to learn that he is going with you, wherever it is that you might go. He will need to feel secure and that he can trust in you to take care of him. Spending a little extra quality time with him while you are on the road can make the trip a little bit more bearable for him.