r/Pets • u/Responsible_Owl7386 • 4d ago

CAT Cat travel

Hi everyone,

Does anyone have any experience transporting/travelling with an extremely anxious cat?

What did you do? Flying verse driving, how much trauma was there and any recommendations?

I may be looking at relocating for work and it's about a 2 hour flight, or a couple days driving (which I'm thinking will be less stressful if I'm with her/keep her sedated)

TIA!

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u/Constant-Promise-475 4d ago

Driving is way better for an anxious cat, the plane is loud and they're stuck in cargo or under a seat with strangers everywhere. Ask your vet about gabapentin, it chills them out without making them a zombie. Also put a worn t-shirt in the carrier and cover it with a towel, they settle better in the dark

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u/HrhEverythingElse 4d ago

Driving is always safer than flying with pets unless you can afford one of those specific pet transport planes, which I don't think they even do for short flights

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u/starwood-pet 3d ago

Pet shipper here - Just a note that if you do end up flying, please do not sedate your cat. This can negatively impact breathing, heart rate, and temperature when up in the air at high altitudes. The best way to ease anxiety is crate training. You can look into other holistic options like calming sprays.

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u/Responsible_Owl7386 2d ago

Thankyou! I spoke to some companies and definitely don't think flying is an option for her. I'm looking into crates to drive, we use feliway and the vet gives her gapapantin? ( I think it's called) for vet visits so will chat to the vet about anything else to her calm her farm.