h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Do not assume you can simply ride a horse behind them waving your hat and yelling "Yeehah!". This will not work. Here are some tips my wife and I thought of moving 7 of them from Chicago to San José a few years ago, then a reconfigured 6 from San José to Chapel Hill [North Carolina] just about a year ago. [Some of these may work for other small animals and children, but I have no direct knowledge of sucess in those situations.]

Tell them it's not their fault. Often.

Make sure all of them are current with their shots, and will be current for several months after the move - chances are you will need more time than you think at the other end to find a vet that fits. And make sure you have copies of all the vet records with you: you'll need them for the new doctor, and they might prove handy along the way should something unexpected occur.

Make sure you have enough carriers of the correct size, ie: not too big. It will seem like you've choosen an Iron Maiden that is far too small, but you don't want them to rattle around and bang their fuzzy little heads everytime you hit an unavoidable pothole.

It helps to line the carriers with an absorbent, disposable pad [or three] under a towel. Someone will get carsick and/or poop or something no matter that you haven't fed them for the past eight hours. [also a requirement] [but you knew that] Also, toss in that t-shirt you've been packing in for three days straight - they will take some small comfort from the smell, even if you don't.

Try not to put more than one cat in a carrier. Even littermates who've grown up together and are normally inseparable might take their frustrations out on each other in these horrific circumstances.

Put the carriers in the car so that they can see you: they will need to be able to stare accusingly at you during the trip. Have a towel or five handy [towels again!] to drape over the carriers when you need to get out of the car and stretch your legs or etc. They will not be interested in seeing another scenic rest stop, and won't have change for the soda machine anyway. Avoid letting them think you are abandoning them.

It is unlikely that you will find pet-friendly lodging along the way. This will, however, give you and your family the opportunity to play "Smuggler". Do not mention anything about your 'children' when checking in. Try to get a room that can't be seen by the front desk, and wait 'till the coast is clear before racing into the room with as many carriers as you can carry all at once. Whew! Of course, before this adrenalin high, you will have 'kitty-proofed' by tying up the drapes, sealing off the underside of the bed and having your temoprary litter box set up and food and water waiting. Be prepared to de-fur the place before you leave in the morning.

Remind them that it's not their fault again.

We have had moderate luck with over-the-counter car sickness remedies, but call your vet to check dosage limits. Some herbal tinctures like 'Rescue Remedy' seem also to help. Check with you vet for other suggestions unique to your special little furry barf-machine.

Lastly, drive as fast as possible the whole way. It will take months and months before they begin to think about forgiving you, so get where you're going quickly and let them get started.

Oh-you might want to have a pair of thick gloves around just in case. Good luck.

I completely agree with the tips on moving cats. I had a couple of my own and the car was their least favourite place. I have a tip for the people in the car that may make the trip a little more bearable (this excludes the driver, of course). Wear ear plugs. I don't know about your cats, but mine howled this very sad and mournful (and very loud) howl. They are like babies in that respect. You would think they would both get very tired after several hours of crying or howling (depending what you have) but not really. Of course, if you're in a small car and the cats are very near by, the ear plugs may not work that well but they might muffle the noise a little. When you are able to doze off, the ear plugs will even cut out some of the drivers complaining, too. And watch out for that accusing stare, the people without ear plugs will give you that same look so bring extras.

One harrowing move from Miami to New Orleans with 3 medium sized dogs in a SERIOUSLY overloaded 74 Datsun pickup was made almost tolerable by having tranquilizers for my pets. I hated doing it to them, but we were a really tight fit and I was terrified at what might happen if one or all of them decided it was time to explore the cab while I was driving. I gave them half the recommended dosage, just enough that they sat contentedly nodding as we bounced over the road and crept up the hills on the 2 day drive.

The only thing that I could add would be to play music that you like very loudly. This will - if not completely drown out the piteous mewing - at least give you something else to listen to. Singing along isn't a bad idea either. Eventually you can convince yourself that the cats are singing too... (This from the survivor of three cats in an Opal on the way from Oklahoma to Montana. )

G7

Hey! I made that exact same trip, too! Except it was from Mississippi to Montana via Oklahoma. And it was with my first wife and her mother and her aunt. And there weren't any cats. But other than that it was exactly the same. Cool.

Very cool!

We also had a very carsick Walker Hound on that trip. As well as the ones from Montana to Minnesota and Minnesota to Colorado.

G7

So. Hmmm... Are you following me around the country, or am I following you? Did you know the IDS Tower is 30" out-of-plumb at the top and is leanig in the direction of the Crystal Court below? At least it was in the late '70's.

-7rob7

I'm not sure which why we're going. I moved from OK to MT in '80, if that gives any clue.

I did know that the IDS Tower was leaning, but didn't remember how far it was out-of-plumb. Consider that filed for future random trivia knowledge.

G7