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4 Reasons Not to Travel with Your Cat

4 Reasons Not to Travel with Your Cat

Updated On August 27th, 2019

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Reviewed By Petco's Animal Care, Education and Compliance (ACE) Team

Cats are natural homebodies. They enjoy lounging on window perches, quietly stalking their mouse toys and clawing up their scratching posts.

Cats are content and often stress-free while in their homes. But a disruption to their routines or environments—such as traveling or taking a vacation—could trigger unnecessary anxiety and lead to behavior problems, sickness and uneasiness.

Whether you’re planning a beach getaway or a road-trip to visit family, it may be beneficial to leave your cat at home, in the care of a trustworthy pet sitter.

Here are just a few of the reasons why cats are not ideal travel buddies.

Travel Is Stressful for Cats

One of the main reasons to leave your cat at home is because disrupting your feline’s routine with travel can cause anxiety.

“Traveling happens to be a common trigger for stress in cats because they are not conditioned positively to travel,” says Russell Hartstein, a certified dog and cat behaviorist and trainer based in Los Angeles. “They are routine-based animals, so anything that falls outside of their normal routine is potentially scary and stressful.”

If you didn’t properly expose your cat to the car, crate and all the sights and sounds of traveling at the right age (approximately 2-7 weeks, according to Hartstein), your cat may not handle these situations well.

Traveling Can Lead to Illness

“Stress is the number one cause of upper respiratory and feline herpes flare-ups in cats,” says Molly Beth Fisher, clinic assistant at Tree House Humane Society in Chicago. “Cats with ongoing or chronic conditions can also experience a temporary worsening of symptoms when exposed to stressful situations.”

If your cat is susceptible to illness, leaving her at home in a safe, comfortable environment can help keep her healthy.

Litter Box Logistics Are Difficult

When you’re on the road, your cat doesn’t have access to her normal litter box routine. That can be problematic for cats with specific litter box needs.

“Some cats may ‘hold it’ until they feel it's safe to go,” says Fisher. “If your cat has a tendency to get urinary tract infections or cystitis, it's important they have continuous access to water or wet food.”

Cats Are Anxious in New Environments

Even if you’re planning to stay in a pet-friendly hotel, a new environment may cause anxiety in cats.

“Cats are creatures of comfort and habit. They very often need time to adjust,” says Fisher. “If you have the type of cat who hides for days anytime the furniture is rearranged, it may be a good indicator of just how stressful travel may be for them.”

Tips for Traveling Safely with Cats

Although it’s generally a good idea to leave a cat at home with a trusted pet sitter when you travel, sometimes taking your pet along may be necessary. If you have to travel with a cat, there are some tips to make the experience as stress-free as possible.

Make sure your pet has proper identification. When traveling away from home, outfitting your cat with a collar and ID tag in addition to microchipping them with current information helps ensure you will be reunited with your pet should you become separated for some reason.

Choose the right cat carrier. Whenever you travel, you should always place your cat in a comfortable carrier for safety. “When transporting cats, the general rule is that the cat should have enough space to easily stand up and turn all the way around,” says Fisher. It is also a good idea to place a luggage tag or sticker on the carrier with your current contact information.

Slowly acclimate your cat to the carrier. Cats need time to warm up to new experiences. Before your trip, create positive associations with the carrier using treats and toys. You can even take a few test runs in the car or to the vet’s office to get your feline used to traveling in the carrier before your trip.

Stick to a similar routine. Although it may be difficult to stick to a cat’s routine while traveling, Hartstein says that pet parents should do their best to create familiar environments and situations while away.

Play with your cat using the same toys and food puzzles, bring your cat’s bedding and try to stick to the same potty times if possible.

Schedule a wellness checkup before traveling. To make sure your cat is healthy enough to travel, schedule a checkup with your veterinarian prior to leaving.

“It’s always good to get a general wellness checkup for your kitty pre-travel to get up-to-date with vaccines that may be required to cross state lines,” says Beth. “Traveling abroad demands special certificates and requirements as well.”

Always keep your cat’s vaccination information with you when traveling.

Ask your veterinarian about anti-anxiety medications. If your cat is prone to stress and anxiety, you can ask your veterinarian about medication or calming products that may help put your cat at ease while traveling.

“Your veterinarian may be able to prescribe a short course of anti-anxiety medication,” says Fisher. “Calming treats and calming pheromone sprays—though not as effective—are also available over the counter or through your veterinarian's office.”

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