# Moving Long Distance- Keeping Furry Friends Happy?



## delilahrene (Nov 1, 2013)

Yay, I am moving ! Coming along with me will be my dog, cat, and 5 rattie boys. The trouble is that it is almost 2,000 miles of driving. I have never moved the gang before and am a little nervous about making the transition as smooth as possible; I am riding solo and will have to stop somewhere overnight. My main concerns are with the cat and rats. Because the drive is so long, I am trying to contain the bulk of the moving into one trip. They are going to be stuck in the car for a long time (about two 12-15 hour stretches with break overnight), and I am worried about keeping everyone contained and content. I know the boys will not sleep that long, so I want to get them a nice, large, convenient travel cage. Any recommendations for that? Should I get a large enough dog crate for Queen Cat so that her litterbox will fit or stop for bathroom breaks? Any and all advice from those of you who have moved your fuzzy clan over a long distance would be very much appreciated!


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## rubysrats (Jul 28, 2014)

I drove with two rats for 4 hours and then took them on a 21 hour (time from being in the carrier to being out) flight. It wasn't ideal. I had them in a cat carrier with an igloo, lots of bedding, rat blocks, watermelon, and a water bottle with a bowl under it. I didn't have the luxury of being able to check on them. I think they hid most of the time because not much of the food was gone. They recovered and were eating, drinking, and playing within 20 minutes of being let out of the carrier. I wouldn't put them in any kind of cage with levels because they might hurt themselves on bumps. My guess is they will hide most of the time so just drive as much as you can to get to your location. I don't know about cats...


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## kksrats (Jul 25, 2014)

I think that cats are probably harder to move than rats. I'm going by stories here, so it's not my own personal experience. I would definitely ask your vet or look around a pet store for a sedative for your cat. I recently posted about preparing for my move as well. I've been told single level cage or carrier, no water bottle unless you're stopped to let the dog out, fruits such as melon for hydration while you're driving. If you're moving soon and your animals will be towards the back of your vehicle away from the ac, keep an eye on temperature, it can get very hot at the back of a vehicle especially if it's packed full of stuff and air doesn't circulate well. Freeze some water bottles to put in the cages just in case.


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## Lita (Jul 10, 2014)

We moved four cats, one rabbit, four guinea pigs and a large dog from Texas to illinois in one straight trip. It was a challenge, to be sure. I would HIGHLY recommend medicating the dog and cat. It will keep them calm/asleep for the worst of the driving. You will need to test it out at home first though, to make sure they don't react badly and so you know if you need a half or whole dosage. Your vet/tech should explain this when you get the meds. They arn't expensive and chances are try will give you far more then you need. Our cats were put in a large dog crate with a small litter box and a fleece blanket and a "Pet Tube" carrier (the cats were seperated in pairs). The pet tube is an amazing thing and is worth looking into. I havnt traveled with rats but with our guinea pigs we gave them something to chew on, something to eat, and whenever we stopped we offered them water or a water rich veggie (cucumber mainly as guinea pigs love it). Same with the cats and dog (and bunny), we offered water at stops. We had our pigs in standard hard and soft sides carriers but if i were moving our rats i would probubly suggest something chew proof. Dont want to risk someone getting panicy and tryin to chew their way out of a carrier.


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## PaigeRose (Apr 12, 2013)

If you don't want to get heavy drugs from the vet, I would recommend a product called Pet Natural's Calming treats. They have an ingredient similar to camomile. They make them for both dogs and cats. My dog isnt a big fan of long car rides so we often give him one when we travel. One was enough to take the edge off, 2 and he would fall asleep and sleep for hours. 

I second testing it out at home first.


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