5 Road Trip Essentials For Your Cat

Are you planning an adventure with your feline friend? If that’s the case, you should know that there are some indispensable items you should have on hand to help keep your cat safe and sound throughout the journey.

Road Trip Essentials for Your Cat 

Your cat’s veterinary information 

This is perhaps the most important thing that you should have with you, especially if you intend to leave town.  

In case something happens and you find yourself needing to make an unexpected visit to the nearest vet, the veterinarian you will come across needs to know your cat's medical history - vaccination records, specific allergies to certain medications, chronic conditions that might interfere with certain treatments, etc.

The vaccination records can be paramount if you intend to travel from one region to another, depending on your local legislation. If you intend to air travel with your feline companion, you should also have her pet passport and all vaccination records on hand.  

Food and water 

Depending on how long your trip will be, your cat is going to want to eat or drink some water. Keeping your kitty hydrated can be essential, especially if it tends to get hot in your car.  

Travelling with your cat to and from the vet clinic is one thing, especially if both trips don’t take more than an hour, but going on a long road trip is an entirely different business.  

Once your cat calms down in the car, she might want to have a snack at one point, or at least access to some wet food.  

Safety items 

Just how are you going to make sure that the car ride is safe for your cat?  

While there are some cats that can sit in the back like a dog, in which case you’d have to use an item like a Seat Belt Attachment and Soft Mesh Cat Harness, some pets feel more comfortable in carriers. Our Foldable Pet Carrier will not only make you and your feline travel in style, but it also offers a safe and comfortable environment for transporting your kitty. Best part is it folds down flat for compact and easy storage, making it convenient to store in your vehicle for when you don't need it.

Besides the vet records we previously mentioned, your cat needs to have a collar and a Cat ID Tag & Bell. No pet parent even wants to consider the possibility of losing their cat, but it can happen. An ID tag is a great accessory that can help return a lost cat to its owner faster.

Also, if your cat likes to take walks outdoors, you can’t just expect him or her to return to you at your command, especially if something has already caught its attention, say a potential prey.

For situations like this, it would come in handy if your feline buddy wore our Nylon Stripe Cat Collar and our Bronte Lead.

Litter Box 

It goes without saying that your cat needs to go potty even when she’s on the road, so keeping a small and portable litter box in your car can be a great way of going about things.  

If your cat is comfortable (or stressed) enough to ‘go to the bathroom’ inside the carrier, you should make sure to add some pee pads to the bottom so that it’s easy to clean later on.  

Toys  

If you were to have the time to get your cat accustomed to her carrier and your car before the actual road trip, that would be amazing, but this is not always the case.  

Some cats are more relaxed than others, and they’re going to wind down in as little as 10 minutes after the car ride has begun.  

If your cat isn’t stressed, she would appreciate the comfort that a familiar object can offer, such as a favourite toy or a favourite blanket.  

Does the vet have to sedate your cat? 

There are several options in terms of sedatives that the vet can give your cat, but we’d like to note that medications should be your last resort. If your feline friend does get extremely anxious when you travel, sedation is a logical option.  

If your kitty is just moderately stressed, you could use an anxiety jacket to, a pheromone collar, or even a pheromone diffuser especially made for calming cats.  

Other things that can make your cat more comfortable  

Most cats won't have the time of their lives when travelling in the car for several hours if they have a full stomach. If the road trip doesn’t take that long, you can give your cat several treats during the ride and only if he or she asks for it. 

Otherwise, we recommend that you avoid giving your cat a large breakfast. On the other hand, water should always be available.

It also wouldn’t hurt if you had some extra pee pads with you, along with paper towels, disposable gloves, or anything else that can help you tend to minor cleanups.