Travelling with your cat by car: how to keep it safe and calm
Most cats dislike the car: they do not see it as an outing but as a box moving towards somewhere unknown. Even so, with a good carrier, properly secured, and a little preparation, a long journey can be done with a calm cat.
Always in a carrier, never loose
A cat loose in the car is a danger to itself and to you: it can get under the pedals, jump into the driver’s lap or shoot out of a window or door when you stop. In sudden braking or a crash, it becomes a projectile. In Spain, the general traffic regulations (Reglamento General de Circulación) require animals to be placed so that they do not interfere with driving, and the safest way to carry a cat is inside a closed, well-secured carrier. If you are driving elsewhere, check the rules there. And do not take it out while moving to calm it, however much it cries: a frightened cat in your arms escapes astonishingly easily.
Where to put the carrier
The safest option is usually on the floor behind the front passenger seat, wedged in crossways so it cannot move. If it goes on the back seat, secure it with the seat belt threaded through the handle or the frame, checking that it will not tip over when you brake. Some carriers have dedicated seat belt or Isofix attachments. Do not put it on a front seat with an airbag, or in the boot of a car with no partition, where the cat gets more heat, more noise and more fear. And keep it out of direct sunlight as far as possible.
The right carrier
For the car, a rigid carrier is safer than a soft bag, because it gives better protection in an impact. It should be big enough for the cat to turn round and lie down, but not so big that it slides from side to side on every bend. Carriers that also open at the top and let you separate the two halves make it far easier to get the cat out at the vet or at your destination. Put an absorbent pad in the bottom and a blanket or a garment that smells of home on top. We go into detail in the article on choosing a cat carrier.
Preparing it before the trip
The big mistake is the cat only ever seeing the carrier on the day of a trip or a vet visit. Leave it open at home for weeks beforehand, like any other piece of furniture, with a blanket inside, and put treats or food in it from time to time so the cat goes in on its own. Once it goes in calmly, close the door for a few seconds and open it with a treat, building up gradually. Then sit in the parked car with it for a few minutes, then start the engine and, later on, take short trips of five or ten minutes that do not end at the vet. This groundwork is what most affects how it experiences the journey.
Pheromones and medication
Synthetic feline facial pheromone diffusers and sprays are used to reduce stress, and spraying the carrier fifteen or twenty minutes before putting the cat in helps some cats, though not all. For cats that have a very hard time, with vomiting, drooling, panting or panic, the vet can prescribe an anti-anxiety drug or an anti-sickness medicine for the journey, tailored to that particular cat and tested at home first. Never give it human tranquillisers or medicines for another animal on your own initiative: many are dangerous for cats. And sedating is not the same as calming: a sedated cat regulates its temperature less well.
Food, water and travel sickness
Many cats get car sick. To reduce it, do not feed it in the three or four hours before you set off, although it can have water until the last moment. If the journey is very long, offer it a small amount of food during a long stop or when you arrive. Drive smoothly, without sharp acceleration or braking, and with good ventilation. If your cat drools, cries insistently or vomits in the first few minutes, talk to your vet before the next trip, because there are anti-sickness medicines that work well in cats.
The litter tray and stops
A healthy cat can go many hours without relieving itself, and most prefer not to do anything during the journey. On trips of more than six or eight hours, you can offer it a small litter tray or a tray with litter during a stop, inside the car, with all the doors and windows closed. Never open the carrier with the car open or at a service station: it is the most common way to lose a cat on a journey. Stops are mainly for you, and for offering it water through the door with a syringe or a bowl. Take spare pads and bags in case it wees inside.
Heat, the great danger
Never leave a cat alone in the car, not even for a few minutes with the window down. In summer, the inside of a car in the sun can exceed fifty degrees Celsius (over 120 °F) in a short time, and a cat, which barely sweats and does not pant efficiently, suffers heatstroke very quickly. Plan your stops so that someone always stays with it, with the air conditioning on. Avoid travelling in the middle of the day in summer. If you see it panting with its mouth open, drooling or very listless, stop, cool it down and find a vet.
Paperwork and microchip
Before setting off, make sure your cat is microchipped and that the registration details are up to date with your phone number, because if it escapes during a trip, that is what will get it back to you. Take its vaccination record or passport, and if you are going to another region or a new home, find an emergency vet at your destination beforehand. A recent photo on your phone is also useful. If you are travelling from Spain to another country, you will need the EU pet passport with a valid rabies vaccination, as we explain in its own article.
When you arrive
When you reach your destination, do not open the carrier in the car or in the street. Go indoors, close doors and windows, and prepare a quiet room with its litter tray, water, food and a hiding place. Open the carrier there and let it come out when it wants. Many cats spend the first few hours hiding, and that is normal. Do not force it to explore. If you are spending a few days away, in a holiday home or a hotel that accepts cats, check windows, balconies and gaps before letting it out: cats in an unfamiliar place look for a way out, and that is when most of them get lost.
Always carry your cat in a rigid, well-secured carrier, on the floor behind the front seat or held by the seat belt. Get it used to the carrier weeks in advance, do not feed it for some hours beforehand, never open the carrier outside the house and never leave it alone in the car.
Educational content from Michipedia, translated from the Spanish original. It does not replace the advice of a vet or a feline behaviour specialist. Every cat is an individual.