I think I need to be able to travel hundreds of miles by car with one cat (I just had my vacation taken away from me by a veterinary emergency – the cat wouldn’t cooperate with the house sitter for insulin shots).
I’m thinking the ideal carrier would be maybe 2 to 3 feet in each dimension, would neatly manage a litter box as well as food and water, and would provide pleasant nesting places from which the cat could observe the road. When I mount an ordinary carrier up high for trips to the vet, the cat does much better than when he’s unable to watch the world go by.
I use a medium size dog cage perhaps it’s 4x2.5, plenty of room for a litter box section, cat bed and some stand up space. Cat was not interested in the view however.
I also use a large wire dog crate. I added a shelf with a soft liner over it up over half the space. PM if you want the details. It was a straight forward mod of one of those “let your cat sit under the window in the sun” kits.
Litter box slides back under the shelf. You can use cardboard backing, or something similar, to contain scatter. Water and food down below. Shelf above for view, lolling in the sun, etc.
When I had a kitten, I even hung a few toys.
I’ve travelled across the country with arrangement a few times now. Fits in the second row of my minivan. Easy to set up.
I moved from NYC to Northeast Ohio ( approx. 500 miles) with my former two cats. I put each in a normal-sized cat carrier (no food, water or litter) and made the trip with as few stops as possible. Both cats made it with a minimum of complaining. I just withdrew food & water for several hours before the trip, to avoid accidents. I believe they felt more secure in their smaller carriers than they would have if given more room. And I spoke to them a lot during the trip.
I’d definitely go for a soft-shelled carrier rather than the plastic ones. My cat (who starts howling the instant she gets in the car) would rub her nose against the carrier until it bled. On a five mile trip to the vet.
You’ll probably have to do a few test drives with your cat to see if travel is feasible. Mine would drive me insane before I hit the first state line.
I drove one very vocal Bombaycat from Florida to Massachusetts in 3 days. (The 3-day timeline was for me and my migraines, not her.)
I put her into a 24" carrier with lots of old t-shirts that I’d worn. No litter box – she had absolutely no interest in “going” until we got to the hotel every night. I offered her the box a couple of times the first day, but she wasn’t interested.
Because she was so vocal and could get really yowly, I did sedate her. I only needed to do so the first day, since she quickly associated driving in the car with “I’m going to get French fries soon!” Yup, she developed a French fry habit. (She didn’t want any water until we got to the hotel, though.)
When I stopped at night, I used one of those disposable litter boxes in the hotel bathroom. I’d also give her water and food, and playtime that night and/or treats. We’d go for a little walk using her leash (mostly me carrying her). Then I’d eat dinner and we’d go to bed. And she’d sleep on my shoulder, and pat my face until I held her paw.
The next morning, I’d wrap the litter box in a big leaf trash bag post-morning-kitty-poop, just before we left, and left the maid a decent tip.
Sorry for the extended jaunt down memory lane. I miss that little cat. She was so clever.
Again, cats are going to vary wildly in what they like and don’t like. I’ve taken my cat on a long drive (about five hours) a number of times. The first time I used a soft-sided carrier. This was a mistake because it was too small so she complained nearly the entire trip. The next time I used a large plastic carrier (made for a small to medium dog). This worked out perfect. She simply laid down and slept for almost the entire ride. I didn’t put a litter box or food or water in it as she didn’t need them (and I didn’t want the water to spill). What I did put in it was one of her beds and some of my dirty laundry, some shirts etc. By dirty I mean not freshly laundered so that they still smelled like me.
I also put it in the center of the back seat facing forward so that she could always see me. A few times during the ride I would have my arm on the center console and I’d feel her reach out thru the gate and tap me on the elbow just to reassure herself that I knew she was there*!*
