Spotted Cat Designs

Since my last post about going somewhere with your cat, I’ve found another good information site. PetTravel.com has US and International travel information by plane, train, car, and ship. Every factor that you have to research before taking a pet traveling is touched on at this site, including quarantine rules, immigration rules and forms, pet carriers, and health issues. They also have a store from which you can buy not only carriers, but EU-required microchips, pet immigration forms and other necessities.

For travel by car, RV, motor home or plane in the U.S. with your dog or cat:

Traveling With Your Pet, 9th Edition: The AAA Pet Book

The Pet Travel and Fun Authority of Best-of-State Places to Play, Stay & Have Fun Along the Way: 35,000+ Accommodations, Pet Sitters, Kennels, Dog Parks … Tons-of-Pet Fun & More Guide! 12th Edition

The Portable petswelcome.com: The Complete Guide to Traveling with Your Pet

10-Minute Tech, Volume 3: Over 600 All New Time and Money Saving Ideas from Fellow RVers has a number of handy pet specific tips in their “In Camp” section

For Boaters:
Cruising With Your Four-Footed Friends: The Basics of Travel with Your Cat or Dog

First Aid at Home or on the Road:
Pet First Aid: Cats and Dogs by the American Red Cross

The First Aid Companion for Dogs & Cats (Prevention Pets) Rodale Press

Our cats are indoors only. We have outside bird feeders and bird baths to stimulate their hunting instinct. The scampering lizards, flying moths and frogs that stick to the glass doors at night also keep our cats happily “chattering”. And there are cat toys everywhere.

For those that let their cats outside there are hazards. Just a few: lethal plants they might eat, pesticides or rat poison applied by neighbors, fights with other cats (during which certain diseases can be transmitted) resulting in injuries, ticks, fleas, wildlife including cat-eating coyotes and mountain lions, vehicles, dogs and evil people.

If you have a secure patio, that they cannot fall or jump from, that might be a safer option.

There are more permanent structures such as a type of bay window box you install in a regular window for your cat to sit in and safely sunbathe while watching the outdoors. Another company came up with a variety of outdoor enclosures that attach to your home allowing your cat access through a cat flap or other device.

Other options that keep your cat in one location include enclosed kitty playgrounds, curved tunnels, straight tunnels, instant set up tunnels, “cabanas“, and even a cage-like playpen for kittens.

If you want to take your cat for a walk you can use one of many cat-safe strollers. Or with time and patience, and a willing cat you can teach Kitty to walk on a harness and leash. This article gives step-by-step instructions. We prefer the nylon figure 8 or H harnesses, as they are easier to configure to a cat’s girth. They are made in several colors to coordinate with your cat’s fur. There are even harness/leash sets with reflective strips woven into the nylon.

While not the easiest to navigate, Pets Welcome.com is a great place to visit. They present detailed information on pet friendly Hotels and Motels in the U.S. and Canada, describing their site as having over 25,000 pet friendly hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, ski resorts, campgrounds, and beaches listed.

Search under Country, then by state or province, then by city. Many hotels/motels charge fees for pets ranging from $10 to $100 (not exactly pet-friendly). Some say dogs only, or that no pet must be left alone, or crated only. Once you find a hotel you like, you can click through for more information. Pets Welcome says they even have negotiated rates with some of these places.

I am amazed at how many hotel/motel chains accept pets these days!

They also list pet sitters and lots of other useful information for those who won’t leave home without their furry friends.

Enjoy exploring…and vacationing!

OK, we all know about cat carriers. Some are collapsible, others are made in various styles and sizes of rigid plastic and metal. We always use one in the car, no matter how much our cat protests. If you don’t, you run the risk of the cat getting under the brake pedal just when you’re coming to a busy intersection…and as any cat lover knows, they have a knack for doing the wrong thing at the worst time!

With most carriers, it’s also possible to guide the shoulder belt through the handle, helping save the cat from becoming airborne if you should actually get into an accident.

One trick we learned is to put the carrier on its end and sort of, well, drop the cat in hind-end first. This works once. Then they get wise to our tactics. Two people and a few scratches later, we try the head first technique, making sure all the legs go in also. Don’t forget the tail — no your head stays in!

Or we spray the carrier with Feliway, wait ten minutes for the alcohol base to evaporate, and then put cat head-first into the carrier. Or a bit of highly desirable wet food on a small plate inside the carrier. Cat is so busy sniffing, it can be easier. A bit easier. All of these variations involve two people and long sleeves for safety.

We have several types of cat carriers and try to alternate which one we use with any particular cat.

Unless you’re planning an 8-hour trip (in which case try to stop somewhere off the highway to let everyone stretch their legs; use a leash and harness), don’t bother trying to put food and water in the carrier; it will just spill. Instead, wait until the cat asks for treats and then feed and water her.

One of our cats is so nervous about traveling in a carrier, we have to put in a piddle pad. We won’t embarrass said cat by mentioning any names.

The newest version of a carrier I have seen is like a child safety seat in that you can permanently attach a base to your car using a seat belt and then click the carrier in (or out). Wow.