FELINE TRAVEL BY CAR
In our mobile society, chances are your cat will travel with you at some time. When possible, prepare your pet by gradually exposing it to the elements or sequences of the trip. If your pet is not used to traveling, brief frequent trips are the best way to exposure it to this experience.
The steps are detailed below. As long as your pet's basic comforts are attended to, the trip should go well. For short trips, remove food at least two hours before leaving. For longer trips, remove food several hours beforehand. You may feed your pet after the trip. Offer small amounts of water until an hour before travel. Depending on the length of the trip, water bowls may or may not be left in the carrier. Play with your pet or engage in some kind of positive interaction before you leave home.
If your pet is well exercised before it is confined, it will be more comfortable. Make sure your cat has had a chance to use the liter box before its confinement. Your pet will be less likely to become nauseated or to soil itself during confinement if it is given every opportunity to void before departure. Most pets become adjusted to travel with frequent travel opportunities. They may feel more secure if they're confined to a sturdy and well-ventilated carrier. Cats should learn to travel in a pet carrier.
Have your pet's general health evaluated by a veterinarian before you leave on a long trip. Ideally, this should not be left for the last minute. Vaccinations should also be updated at this time. If you are going out of the country, your veterinarian will be able to advise you regarding pet health problems prevalent at your destination.
FEAR AND ANXIETY DURING TRAVEL
Regardless of the mode of transportation several behavioral problems may arise because of fear. Fear may cause excitability, agitation, hyperventilation, vocalization, aggressiveness, nausea, vomiting, defecation and urination. Destruction of the interior of your car or pet carrier may indicate fear or anxiety, particularly if the pet is isolated from you.
A pet can turn its fear or anxiety against itself and engage in excessive self grooming during the trip. Fearful responses to travel may worsen or remain relatively constant over time. Your pet may become fearful before a trip if it learns to recognize signs of departure. The stress of travel can decrease your pet's resistance to disease. Intense fear can result in serious illness in an animal with undiagnosed or inappparent ailments.
USE OF SEDATIVES OR TRANQUILIZERS
Tranquilizers or sedatives intended to ease your pet's fear during transport are usually not necessary. Such drugs should probably be reserved for pets that suffer from extreme fear or anxiety during travel, and should only be used at your veterinarians recommendation. The type of medication and dosage must be appropriate for your pet's age, temperament, degree of emotional, duration of travel and physical status.
Most drugs used for this purpose are short acting. For longer trips it may not be worth while to sedate your pet. The risk of tranquilizing your pet must be weighed against the benefits. Some pets become more anxious when a tranquilizer begins to take effect. An adverse reaction to tranquilizers may make a pet agitated and excitable. It may help to do a test run by giving a dose of the medication a few days before travel so to observe its effects on your pet. If the only problem during travel is nausea and vomiting, medication to combat motion sickness may be all that is required.
IN THE CAR
Most pets travel in the family car. Problems relating to car travel may be divided into two categories. Instinctive fear or anxiety is most commonly seen in young pets that are unfamiliar with a moving vehicle. If your pet has a positive experience during a car travel, it will lose its fear. The pet can become fearful or anxious after a single stressful car ride. Pets commonly began to fear car travel after experiencing some uncomfortable procedure at the veterinarian's office.
These fears will likely fade, however, if they are routinely travel to other places. You can desensitize the pet to the car by providing favorable activities in and around the car. For example, feed the pet inside the car. Once the cat is comfortable in a parked car, turn on the motor and go for short trips around the block. As your pet learns to tolerate this stage, extend your trips.
If your pet travels in a pet carrier, begin to feed your pet in the carrier in your home, with the carrier door open, before continuing the process in your car as outlined above. Pets that enjoy car travel can also pose problems. Pets that are allowed to move freely and jump from lap to lap may distract the driver, injure itself and other passengers, and damage the car's interior. Secure your pet in a carrier or have it restrained by another passenger. Never leave your pet unattended in the car. During warm months the car's interior can heat up quickly and could kill your pet in a short time.
