need advice on moving a cat from one state to another never been picked up

cat came to me used to be wild took 6 months to pet her now she loves me still havent picked her up my problem is i am moving .... i want to get her in a carrier and take her two days away she hasnt been in a car since she has never been picked up .... i pet her tummy some she still dosnt like it much but at least she is not biting me or scratching me when i do that. i need to know how you get her to go in a carrier to put her in a car and then what about her going to the bathroom in the carrier and getting her to where i will be moving i need advice.....i have a month or two to impliment this...thanks

 

My cats are not that wild but they do freak out fairly easy. Here is what did to get them in the carrier when I was moving. First I left the carrier open out in the open where they spend most of their time. I put a soft blanket in it hoping they would go in and sleep in it and get used to it. On the day of the move I kept hoping I would just catch them in there and I could close the door. Well, that didn't happen but because they were so used to it I was able to coax them in using their favorite snacks. I wasn't going that far so going to the bathroom wasn't an issue but you could get a carrier big enough for a small litter box and they have food and water bowls you can hook on the door.

 

The main reason to put a cat in a carrier in a car is to keep the cat from getting under the pedals of the car.

So since you are driving, an alternative plan would be to put a harness and leash on her and put a seat belt in the back seat through the handle of the leash to keep her from coming up to the front seat.

Then you can put a small box on the floor of the back seat for her to use.

And if you are traveling by car with her, please be sure not to leave her in the car when you are not there.

 

I was totally interested in this thread because I'm thinking of moving back east and wanted to move one of my cats with me. I'm so scared that he is going to freak out and end up running away once I get to my new place. I didn't even think about the pedals issue Wallie. I would always let him roam free as a kitten. That thought is just frightening. Thanks for the tip!

 

You could try using something to coax the kitty into getting into a carrier - like food or treats or some catnip, which most cats like. I would make sure to use a large carrier - cats are less likely to go into small and confined spaces willingly. If you are concerned about urinating, that will depend on how far you are planning to go since you won't be able to get the kitty out for a bathroom break. If the carrier is big enough you could try putting a small litter box in there (just one that is like a foot by a foot). But that would only work if you were using a carrier that way like large dog sized. Another thing you can do is take the kitty to the vet and get a sedative for her. This will help calm it down and make it more sleepy for the ride, which makes it less likely that she will be freaking out and going to the bathroom everywhere. No matter what you do, you should give the cat a nice towel or old shirts at the bottom of the carrier to lay on. Also, if she is going to have a sedative, you don't want to feed her while she has it in her system. It will make her sleepy and there is a risk she could choke if you gave her food. Unless of course your vet tells you otherwise.

 

Patty, did you make your move? How did it go and what route did you decide on?

For anybody else who might have to do this later, Afishy's suggestion of putting food in the carrier is a good one. Make it part of their daily environment so they will naturally be going in and out anyway. They're going to freak out regardless, though, so maybe talk to the vet about getting a sleeping pill that you could put in the food when the time comes to keep them calmed?