WHY YOU SHOULDN’T BRING CATS AND KITTENS ON JOY RIDES

First of all cats are not dogs.

Cats are creatures of habit. Their love of routine is part of their ancestry.

Cats are creatures of habit. Their love of routine is part of their ancestry. Today’s domestic cat is believed to have descended from a small, Middle Eastern wildcat, Felis silvestris lybica, a solitary and highly territorial feline for whom daily routines — like marking territory and burying feces — are a matter of survival.

Cats stress when taken for rides in cars is an instinctual response to a change in its daily rituals. Cats, like many people, get stressed in unfamiliar or uncomfortable situations.

Furthermore, taking kitty off her home turf might not seem like such a big deal to you, a globe-trotting human, but for a creature that instinctually spends a good deal of time maintaining its territorial boundaries, crossing into the outside world can be scary. A stable home life with a daily routine is essential for the health of kittens and cats.

IF YOU WANT A PET TO TRAVEL WITH YOU IN A CAR, GET A DOG!

Cats don’t talk. You may not know when they are hurting or stressed out. Taking cats and kittens cause enormous stress to these delicate creatures. It may seem ok to you to grab your kitty to run to the store, but your causing harm to their delicate psyche. 

Some cats suffer from motion sickness, others may urinate or deficate due to stress. 

The only two instances you should take your cat or kitten for a car ride is if you are moving to a new home or taking them to a Veterinarian.

If you are moving, place them in a quiet room until you have finished emptying the house. If your not moving far, it would be the least stressful to bring cats to the new home once most or all of furniture and boxes are there so they have familiar smells in the new place.  If you are moving long distance obviously you cannot do this. Either way, when you get to the new place, put your cat with food, litter box and toys in a secluded room for at least the first 24-48 hours. Leave the carrier with them so they have a safe place to hide if they wish.

NEVER TRAVEL WITH CATS OR KITTENS LOOSE IN THE CAR OR iN AN UNRESTRAINED CAT CARRIER!

Cats and kittens can be thrown around in cars if you make a sudden turn or stop. If you are struck by another vehicle cats can be thrown against a window, and there have been many accidents when cats have actually been thrown right through the glass. You cannot secure a cat by holding them if you are struck by another vehicle. Cats have been severely injured and killed in automobiles when deployed airbags crushed them.

It is not enough to just put them in a cat carrier. You must use one that is travel approved and can be restrained with a seatbelt. 

Do not assume that just because a cat is a kitten they are not stressed out in the car or “don’t know any better.” They still need to stay in one familiar place which does not include a moving vehicle