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    Eliminate The Stress Of Car Trips For Your Cat

    Bringing out a cat carrier for a car trip usually sends any cat flying under the bed. Cats are creatures of comfort and routine. Travel for routine-loving felines can sometimes be traumatic, but there are things we can do to help cats settle in for the long ride, or deal with short trips to the vet with less stress for everyone.

    Sammie, at three years old, has become a well seasoned traveller, going between New York and Florida twice a year.

    Cross Country Cats

    If it's going to be a long ride, and your cat has already let you know he finds even short car trips odious, simple planning can alleviate some of the stress for both cat and owner.

    THE CAT TAXI.

    Choosing a comfy carrier is the first step in making your cat a little home away from home, and they come in a variety of styles. The traditional plastic carrier provides a safe haven for your cat, and is easier to clean after accidents, but the back pack, purse, or rolling luggage style is much easier to carry. The non traditional carriers might offer a more comfortable travel environment for your cat, but over time, inevitable accidents make the carrier too smelly to have in confined spaces. The wire crate style offers more visibility for a long car ride. To eliminate accidents in the car, use a large litter box big enough to fit a crate inside it, and line the bottom with litter. Using puppy training pads over the cushion inside the carrier also helps keep messes easier to clean up. This setup keeps accidents well contained. Have a roll of paper towels or a box of anti bacterial wipes handy for quick clean- ups.

    RELAX HER

    To ease tensions and reduce anxiety, spraying a cushion or towel inside the carrier with Comfort Feliway Spray, www.feliway.com, or ThunderEase Comfort Spray http://www.ThunderEase.com/ before the cat is loaded just might do the job. Both products elicit a pheromone induced response to make for a much happier car ride for everyone.

    HARNESS ON AT ALL TIMES

    The small harness on a traveling cat is the best policy to prevent an escaped animal if the door should be opened for any reason. If you want to see if your cat will walk on the leash, clipping the leash on the harness and collar is much more escape proof than just a collar alone. Some cats, with time, will adjust to walking on a leash during stops on long rides where they may not walk along in more familiar surroundings. My cat, Emily, learned that if she didn't walk on the leash on long trips, she wouldn't have another chance to get out of the carrier for a long time. She got well accustomed to walking on a leash, and quite a few dog owners had to look twice. They walked their dog, I walked my cat.

    REST STOPS

    Using the lovely, well kept rest stops along our US highways is the best way to take a nature break with your cat during long trips. The ABO Gear Happy Habitat http://www.ABOGearHappyHabitat.com/ for cats is a small tent enclosure that's easy to pop up, and take down, and packs away in minutes in its own carry bag. Your cat can sit in the grass or stretch her legs, and get a much needed break from the carrier.

    HOTELS

    If you know you will stop on your road trip, make sure you bring a small litter box with litter your cat is familiar with. Bring the cat in the carrier to the bathroom of your hotel room with litter box, food and water already set up. Close the bathroom door before opening the carrier door, and let the cat come out and explore just the one closed room first. This is a good way to eliminate any accidents due anxiety over new surroundings. A little Feliway spray in the bathroom before you move your cat into it also helps keep everyone calm, and reduces the possibility of your cat spraying or marking in the hotel. Just in case, bring along a small spray bottle of Anti-Icky-Poo http://www.Antiickypoo.com/for any possible accidents. Out of all the products I have tried, this one works the best to eliminate pet odors and stains.

    My cat has been traveling for over ten years now, at least three times a year, and she was, at first, a terrible traveler. All of these tips developed over time and what used to be a nightmare for her is now a more pleasant experience. I also took a young cat on road trips and she adapted very well to these circumstances using these methods.

    So all of the information here is tried and true, and was learned from many years experience on the road. Here's to having a safe and relatively stress free road trip with your cat!