Traveling and Transportation of your Cat
Almost all cats at some point of their life have to travel, when if it means going to the veterinary.
Once in route, they tend to calm themselves, even if they stay angry during all the time, but what is a night mare is to prepare the trip. At the same instant that the cat sees the traveling cage, they lower their body, stick their claws in the rug and protest a lot.
Traveling preparations
There is no doubt that most cats traveling experiences are the ones for visiting the veterinary, which evokes remembrances of being dragged from one place to another, inspected and submitted to all kind of humiliations, all in a strange environment of sounds and odors.
The best advice is for you to keep the traveling cage out of the cats sight until the last moment, try to behave normal and catch the cat by surprise when it is time for leaving.
As for putting him inside the traveling cage, the ideal is to do it between two persons: while one deals with the animal, the other closes the door.
Equipment
It's essential to have a traveling cage for cats and to always use it, except when the cat is to sick or immobilized by an accident. ON such cases, wrap him with a blanket and take him in your arms. Don't use those transportation boxes for pets that they sell in the animal shops, and much less a plain cardboard box.
The first thing the cat would do is to stick its claws to it and shred it in a question of minutes. The ideal material is plastic dressed wire, and the traveling cage must be easy too clean and disinfect after used, overall if the cat is sick.
For cats that feel more secure in the dark, there are traveling cages with closed sides that prevent light from going in.
The bottom must be covered with kitchen paper or any other kind of paper that can absorb urine and vomit.
The trip
If the trip is done by car, the cat must go with a passenger and never inside the luggage compartment and if there are a pair of free hands, it is advisable for them to hold firmly the cage on the back seat. If you consider it necessary, you can also cover the seat with plastic in case of vomits or urine.
Never put the cage on the floor, due that there is were you can feel the vibrations and sounds of the car most.
If the trip is going to last more than an hour, put a bowl of water. To put food is not a good idea due to the risk of dizziness. Try that in summer there isn't too much heat inside the car, and be sure there is good ventilation.
Never leave cats alone inside the car, even if this means changing the family's plans and eat a snack instead of stopping in a restaurant. If the trip his to be done in a public service transportation, its best to inform yourself before hand if they accept cats and under what conditions.
A secure traveling cage is a basic need to do any kind of trip. Airlines require that cat and all pets in general, to go on homologated cages in a pressurized section of the luggage compartment of the airplane.
Same train companies also consider pets as part of the luggage.
Quarantine
In general, when a cat has to travel alone it suffers greatly, but sometimes this can't be avoided.
For example, when a cat arrives from a foreign country, he travels alone starting from the departing point inside the quarantine section of customs. It is convenient to also know the rules of the airlines with enough time to be able to do all the preparations and to pick the animal from the airport when arriving, although, normally, the quarantine centers take charge of everything.
