Cats are born curious and possess a strong instinct to explore their environment, so it would be natural to assume that they would also enjoy going traveling with us. We see films and video diaries online of cats traveling the world with their humans, going hiking on leashes, sailing, surfing, driving, and exploring new areas daily. What these movies often fail to clarify, however, is that cats will only enjoy such exploits if they are routine. In general, cats are homebodies with set habits that they don’t like to deviate from. If suddenly removed from their home environment, they experience stress and anxiety. Their perception of time is different from ours, so they don’t understand that a journey is only temporary and will be over soon. For these reasons, they often loathe their cat carrier and will use all their cunning to avoid it. Once inside, however, the carrier does provide them with a much-needed sense of security.
Traveling with a cat requires planning. Firstly, you need to educate yourself on any airline, customs, or quarantine rules affecting your cat’s journey, so that you can choose the right carrier and compile all necessary documentation prior to the trip. That may include proof of valid rabies vaccine, recent health check, microchip number, etc. Secondly, cats must be accustomed to their carrier beforehand, and the carrier should be sturdy, spacious, and comfortable. If the cat must leave the carrier at any point—if, for instance, the cat is boarding a plane and must go through customs—the cat should first have practiced wearing a leash and a harness in stress-free situations at home. They should be comfortable around people but handled by as few humans as possible during the journey. Stress in cats is no joking matter. It can cause physical health problems such as vomiting, skin rashes, and diarrhea, and even short periods of stress can trigger serious, long-term behavior problems that include aggression, loss of trust in human handlers, and litter box issues. Journeys with cats must be planned with them in mind, or you risk causing significant damage to their health, personality, and the human-cat bond.
If you are looking for advice on how to travel with your cat, Smiling Kitty can help! We offer tips on how to reduce cat stress, what to consider when choosing a carrier, what to do on the day of the journey, what to bring, whether or not to sedate your cat during the trip, how to introduce your cat to a harness, and how to practice walking on a leash. Book a Cat Care Consultation with us to ensure that your cat’s journey experience is as pleasant as possible! Click here to jump to our section on leash training!
