I need advice/opinions please

as you guys know i'm going to move what do you think would be the best way to get the pets there???? I'm not really worried about the dogs cuz they go for car rides all the time and when i want to pull over they can get out and walk and stuff it's the cats i dont want to put them in creates for 12 hours to drive and what happens if they have to go potty (i of course would have a cat box but in my car :shock: ) how safe do you think flying is??? it would be great if i could have them all as a carry on but i know that is not possiable i'm thinking it would probeley be pretty pricey also to fly 7 pets aaaaaaawwwwwww i'm so confused i'm also going to ask my vets what they think but I guess my choices are a 2 hour flight then rent a car (leave mine here for my daughter to sell for me) or drive for 12 hours with 5 cats

so advice would be great

 

When I flew my baby back in 1978, they charged $20. But what I didn't know then is that the pet carrier is placed in the luggage compartment which isn't heated and when you're flying at 2000+feet, it's pretty cold. Be sure to place something soft and warm that they can cuddle up with.

My cat flew about 2,000 miles and aside from being a bit out of sorts with the strange surroundings/happenings, she faired really well. Didn't even potty. I had put her fav toy for comfort and some some snack treats in the carrier for her and she ate them all.

Good luck with the move! It looks like I'll be moving soon myself but only across town

 

Hmmm well... I think if it was me, I'd probably just drive the 12 hours with the cats because I'm extremely paranoid and when the people at the airport took them away I'd probably start bawling. :mrgreen:

Would they be in carriers? I guess so, huh? Can't imagine trying to even get out of the car to get gas or anything with all the cats trying to jump out. It may be a little messy but at least you could keep your eye on them.

On the other hand, it would be pretty pricey to fly them all but that has the perk of being faster.

I'd probably still drive them though. It would be an experience if nothing else. haha

 

Oops, just saw that you didn't want to put them in crates. I don't think letting them roam around the car would be a good idea even though the crate might get on their nerves after awhile. It's much safer that way. I almost lost my Rowdy cat one time letting him roam around the car. Anytime you open the door you'd have to watch them like a hawk. Can't think of anything worse than being in a strange place looking for one of your lost babies.

I'm no help at all, am I? :? haha

 

Personally, I wouldn't take and animal on an airplane. I've heard too many horror stories.

We plan on taking my brother's cat to him in November (he's in northern California, I'm in Missouri so that's about a 3 day drive). We bought a very large dog crate. We'll put a small litter box, food, water, and a blanket in there and we also have a harness & leash so she can get some exercise when we stop. And she's not microchiped now, but we will definitely have it done before we leave. We might also check on some mild kitty sedatives (she's a very skittish cat).

-Chelle

 

lol @ rowdy to funny you sounded like me thats funny. I meant i didn't want to keep them in crates for 12 hours i could not imange driving with 5 cats running around my van plus the yorkies no way lol that might be another probelm how can i fit 7 crates in the car lol my van has 106,000 miles on it and i would perfer not to drive it that far what would i do if it broke down carry 7 crates lol aaawww i'm so darn confused i guess i will get them all checked and see if they can fly and yes i will cry the whole way there till i get to see them again

 

If I were you I would talk to the airlinecompany/ or the people at the airport and ask for prices, how they arrange it and so on. Also talk to your vet about some mild sedatives. That is if you go for the flight.

My grandparents once brought their small dog with them on a 90min flight, and she did fine. I remember they told me something about vets giving dogs a sedative before a flight, not making the dog fall asleep, but paralyzing (sp?) it :shock: Imagine how scary, being able to hear, smell and feel, but not to see or move at all. (My grandparents didn't give their dog anything)

Anyway, good luck with the desission!

 

I wouldn't put a pet on a plane either...hell I won't put myself on a plane :roll: the only way I would do that would be if I could take the cat as carry on luggage.
Why not a crate in a car? Yeah it'll get noisy but you could always give them Bach's Rescue Remedy prior to and during the trip to chill them out.
Get a couple of dog-size crates and stuff them into the car and double up on cats in crates. They make small litterboxes you could put in there along with water - or don't feed them the day before the trip to eliminate their prospects of elimination.
The rescue cats go on long trips toward their new homes - 2 of my fosters went from NH to Minnesota and did just fine...but in their dog-size carriers they had access to a litterbox and water. I find covering the crates with a blanket/sheet or towel keeps them quiet and most of the time they sleep all the way

 

I recently transported my 2 cats and puppy from Chicago to Philadelphia which is about 800 miles and took 2 days.....wow was that an interesting trip as the puppy went in her crate about 6 times. Anyways, I let my cats roam in the car but gave them a vet recommended sedative, so besides a little litter spilled in my car I didn't have a problem.

If you have 5, I would recommend crating a couple, then letting them out and crating the others....i.e. give each pet a break from the crate every so often.

 

rene...what kind of car do you have?? i guess it would depend on that. like...if you have a jetta thats different than a chrysler, which is huge. could you rent a larger car...like a van for the day? and drop it off in phoenix. is there a way to haul your car behind? or someone else drive your car here? that is...if your car is small. i would think seven animals would require a larger vehicle, even crating. you could probably only get two crates in your car. and crates are not that big. they fit two cats and a litter box...a small litter box.

 

I know everybody gets horrified about taking cats on planes....luckily nobody told me these stories until AFTER the kitties flew to texas...

I had no choice. I drove to Texas with hubby (this move was sudden for us) and he flew back to pack up the house while I looked for a place to live. I stayed with my aunt who has dogs - and is not a cat person :?: - so I just couldn't bring the cats with me in the car.
My car barely made it here, Rene. I overheated on a 106 degree day in Arizona in July. Hopefully you are moving before then.

Anyhow, I spent between $200-$300 total I think to fly them freight on an American Airlines flight so it would be very expensive for you. Hubby could've flown with one of them on a regular flight but not both so they had to go freight. There are all these rules about number of animals on a flight - plus, what if you were next to somebody allergic? The guilt!

Ninja was SOOO excited when I picked him up from the airport (I hadn't seen them in 3 whole weeks!) and was completely his normal self immediately. Wow mommy! a new place to explore! OOOOH COOOOL! This kitchen has cabinets I can walk around on!! WOW!!

Tobey the wussy pussy was pretty freaked out and spent several hours hiding behind some boxes when I brought him to his new home, but was just fine after that.

I did call all the airlines in 2003 and American was definitely the best deal at that time. Also, I didn't drug them for the flight as some friends suggested because my vet in California didn't recommend it.

 

like...renting from enterprise or hertz...an expedition, or a minivan...

i tried to edit my post...and it wouldnt let me!! :roll: :m3:

 

I know that some Best Westerns allow pets to stay so that might be an idea if you wanted to break the trip up a little, (I dont know how many pets your limited to...but maybe one carrier can hold a couple of cats....sneak a few in...I doubt theyd check)
Personally for me...Id drive them all,, while I do know a few people who have flown their pets I doubt I would risk it...what Ive read is that the airflight crew usually are not aware that there are pets on board and they should be informed personally by you...I dont know if they can maybe control the temperature in the cargo hold. Most vets Ive worked with will not give sedatives for a pet flying unless you are going to be able to monitor it, the sedatives usally drop the blood pressure, heart rate....not want you want especially if its freezing cold in the cargo area.

 

I would drive too. Seven animals is alot, but still. I don't trust anyone else with my kids.

 

I would crate them in the van and when ever you stop for gas or a break, leash them and let them walk around. They'll be stressed for the trip but I'd personally feel better doing that then turning them over to an airline.

LIke I mentioned earlier, the luggage compartment on a plane is not only unheated, it's also un compressed with air. So it's really cold and the air is thin.

The babies are going to be stressed either way you choose, but if you are there with them and they're not freezing and have pleanty of air, I think it would be much less stressful.

And since it's a van, you'll have space to rotate one or two at a time to roam around the van during transit. IMHO, that's the way to go...perhaps have a fav pillow/toy/treat to make them a little calmer along the way.

 

thanks for the advice guys i think i'm leaning towards driving but like i said i dont want to drive my van that far (murphys law) i just know it would break. I called some movers today also it's going to take 16 days for my stuff to get there :shock: what the heck now not only will i have 7 (or so) creates in my van (that i will have to rent) i will have to pack some stuff that we will need what the heck am i supposed to do for 16 days with NOTHING lol i feel like a whining baby lol i have never moved long distance before this is all so stress full and since today is JUNE 1 I ONLY HAVE A MONTH OR SO TO FIGURE IT OUT aaaaaahhhhhh lol i'm sure it will be fine it just all the sudden got busy at work and that is were i was planning everything from lol everything is closed when i get home so i have not had time to really call anywere or go online much lol

BTW i dont think i will have a problem with fonzi in a create





lol i bought this create cuz i filled out an app to foster for the united yorkie rescue and wanted to be prepared if (when) i get accepet so i bought some stuff well the cats love it lol. I'm renting a car from Hertz (awesome unlimited miles ) when i go vist in 2 weeks and i really was thinking of buying harness for all the cats (and leashes) lol they would probely FREAK lol some are older those are the ones i'm worried about and Sam he is doing much better i dont want to stress him out again.

wow sorry so long

 

such a cute picture rene!! oh good!! unlimited miles...yippee!! :0018:

well, at least your plan is coming together better. the kitties will be fine. just give them rescue remedy, and that should help.

youre still coming to phoenix, right?? :0011:

 

yep i'm staying at that hotel i told you (i cant even remember right now) but to move i'm looking into goodyear, buckeye, surprise. I dont know if i told you my daughters freinds aunt lol is a realtor there so she has been emailing listings HOUSE'S ARE SO AWESOME THERE so i will be there sometime on the 17th of june I'm leaving here at 2am according to yahoo maps it takes 12 hours so we will see.

I think i completley solved my problem I SHOULD RENT A ONE WAY RV do they do that?? then the kittys and dogs and my son can wander around (only when we stop) but i can move some things that way with me that i cant live with out for 16 days lol.

BTW sorry if i missed it what is the rescue remedy??? I really am only worried about sam and whiskers but all my pets will go to the vet before we move (geez imange that darn bill lol) Lynn you will have to let me know of a good vet when i get there

 

daaaaang....... :m3: :m36:

i had all the prices and pictures, and i inadvertently deleted the whole post before i pressed "submit". ugh.....here goes again...


:m19: rene!!!! look what i found!!!

lols...huuuuuge rv's for the critters!!!

at $109 a night...you get....



and $129 gets you...



check out how big it is!! the furbabies would have a field day in that!!

and $159 a night...



and....look at this doozie... :shock: its $169 a night





you could transport a zoo in that thing!!! lols

the first 100 miles are free and .32 cents a mile after that. i dont know what that calculates out to...but thought id do a little "pre-research" for you :wink:

:m34:

 

Wow! :shock: Moving in one of those would be more like a holiday :mrgreen:
I hope everything works out for you Rene :y_the_best: