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Moving to the mountains full-time?

SallyCat

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Congratulations!

I've moved with cats before; cats that hate the car. Here's my advice:
1. Talk to your vet about whether a sedative would be appropriate to reduce anxiety in the car.
2. Even if your cat is indoor-only, give him a dose of Frontline or the like just in case he gets spooked and get outside or encounters any ticks or fleas during the trip.
3. Make reservations for pet-friendly accommodations along the way.
4. Have cleaning supplies on hand in case he pees in the carrier (which my dude does no matter how short the drive).
5. Keep an old t-shirt or towel of yours in the carrier along with a fabric toy he likes so he has familiar smells while traveling.

I take my old cat home with me on weekends and just bought this, which has been handy for food and water transport.

Good luck!
 

Abbi

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Okay Divas - it's official -- I'm moving to Park City!!! I'm excited, and also having a bit of an 'oh s$%# what have I done' moment. Any tips / advice on 1. moving across the country (the last time I did this...I had less stuff) 2. moving a cat across the country (Cat Stevens doesn't even like going outside...so this should be fun) and 3. preparing for my new awesome life....let me know!

Also if anyone is a PC local - Hi! I'm your new neighbor. Can we be friends? :smile:

Nothing wrong with an adventure! If you hadn’t done it you would never know! Are you actually going to Park city? Or local areas? I’m a Utah fan so I think this is wonderful!
 

fgor

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
That's so exciting! Good luck for the move :smile:

I made a much smaller move last year, and proximity to skiing was a major factor. Within New Zealand, I moved from the North Island to the South Island, one hour flight away, and went from being 4.5 hours drive to the nearest skifield to 1.5 hours to a couple of different skifields and a further 10 ski fields within 3-4 hours drive. I've been super happy with my decision! I didn't know anyone here when I moved but I've pretty much made friends through my other hobbies and job :smile:

I don't know if meetup.com is big there, but I've moved cities twice as an adult and it's been a fantastic resource for meeting new people and finding things to do.
 

RachelV

Administrator
Staff member
I think @RachelV had a cat when she moved cross-country . . .

I did! I got some cat sedatives from the vet before the drive, just in case, but ended up not needing them. My cat HOWLED when I left her in the cat carrier, so we ended up just letting her roam the car. She’d walk around for 15 min or so in the morning and then find somewhere to hide and sleep for the entire rest of the day. This was workable with a passenger to wrangle the cat if she tried to get in the way, but might be tough if you’re driving alone.

My cat ended up being a pretty good traveler, but not sure there’s a way to know how your cat is going to handle the drive until you’re doing it, sadly. Maybe a long day in the car as a test?

Here’s me and Kitty on the open road in 2011 on my way to Colorado. :smile:

43DEB60F-1DC3-499A-B1C1-C35B06211CBE.jpeg

Congrats on the move!! I’m pretty sure you’re gonna love it. :smile:
 

vickie

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
My dog (beagle) and I moved from Maryland to Oregon in 2013. I had a RAV4. The back was packed with the essentials for living and working for at least a month. I put up a baby gate behind the front seats to try to hold back the cargo if I had to hit the brakes. The baby gate would also discourage Toby from trying to get back there.

I had the driver's seat. Toby had the passenger seat and a soft dog bed in the floorboard. Toby also controlled the radio ... he gave it a big Paws-Down. Yes, 4 days of driving in silence because my dog would not settle down otherwise. His comfort was my first priority. Unhappy dog ---> unhappy mama.

A friend just asked me about the same thing. She's thinking about a XC move with 4 cats. If they're settled cats, they may be much like a dog. If not, I'd be concerned about someone getting playful in the wrong way at the wrong time.

But then, cats love boxes. Put a couple of empty boxes in the back and you may not see your cat all day.
 

ilovepugs

Angel Diva
Congrats on the decision! I drugged my cat (after talking to the vet) and put her in a carrier. She did well on a 10 hour drive and slept the whole time. I liked that my carrier had a little clip so that even if she were to get spooked and try to run off, she would still be clipped to the carrier.
 

SallyCat

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Well, this is a first in 20 years of cat ownership: On our usual Monday-morning drive back to school today, my cat POOPED in his carrier. :eek::eek::eek:

He sits in the front passenger seat and always screams for the entirety of any car trip, so the full sensory experience was ... intense.

So you, um, might want to be prepared for that apparently!
 

BonStarlet

Certified Ski Diva
As i try to finalize my plans, I think I have the beginning of a really entertaining reality TV show:

1. I'm going to drive to TX to pick up my 90 year old grandfather -- who really wants to 'help' / go on 'an adventure in the american west'. So cute - not sure it will be helpful, but how do you say no to that? He is the one that put me on my first pony AND skis...so .....

2. Pick up a DOG. Because a dog, a cat, my skis, and my grandfather in one car....what could possibly go wrong! Promise to post updates from the road....because this will definitely not be boring.
 

BonStarlet

Certified Ski Diva
Well, this is a first in 20 years of cat ownership: On our usual Monday-morning drive back to school today, my cat POOPED in his carrier. :eek::eek::eek:

He sits in the front passenger seat and always screams for the entirety of any car trip, so the full sensory experience was ... intense.

So you, um, might want to be prepared for that apparently!

We're visiting the vet this weekend to discuss "kitty calming techniques.". I've also pre-ordered a portable "enclosure" and litter box. I'm sure this will be ....stressful for us both :(
 

Jenny

Angel Diva
As i try to finalize my plans, I think I have the beginning of a really entertaining reality TV show:

1. I'm going to drive to TX to pick up my 90 year old grandfather -- who really wants to 'help' / go on 'an adventure in the american west'. So cute - not sure it will be helpful, but how do you say no to that? He is the one that put me on my first pony AND skis...so .....

2. Pick up a DOG. Because a dog, a cat, my skis, and my grandfather in one car....what could possibly go wrong! Promise to post updates from the road....because this will definitely not be boring.
When does the show start, lol?!
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
Hi Abbi! I'm head to park city proper.....
Congrats on making a decision! The move sounds like it will be a fun adventure. I was a travel companion for my father for his college reunion in Beijing when he was 90. He was still very active so we had a very good time.

Have you already bought a multi-resort pass? Epic or Ikon?
 

Abbi

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I did! I got some cat sedatives from the vet before the drive, just in case, but ended up not needing them. My cat HOWLED when I left her in the cat carrier, so we ended up just letting her roam the car. She’d walk around for 15 min or so in the morning and then find somewhere to hide and sleep for the entire rest of the day. This was workable with a passenger to wrangle the cat if she tried to get in the way, but might be tough if you’re driving alone.

My cat ended up being a pretty good traveler, but not sure there’s a way to know how your cat is going to handle the drive until you’re doing it, sadly. Maybe a long day in the car as a test?

Here’s me and Kitty on the open road in 2011 on my way to Colorado. :smile:

View attachment 11064

Congrats on the move!! I’m pretty sure you’re gonna love it. :smile:

I go back and forth to VT a few times (used to be every two weeks, now I spend longer stretches north) with my cat. I keep a collar on her and let her roam the car. Mostly she sleeps. I have a plastic box with pee pads that she uses. And those I try and change ASAP to avoid the 'intense' parts SallyCat noted!! To contain her when I stop for gas, coffee, pee break, etc. I have a stretchy leash wrapped around the passenger door. I hitch that to her collar so she can't shoot out. Mostly she stands up with her feet on the dashboard to see what is going on until I get back. She's a fan of the Starbucks drive through windows because she can see in and the baristas can tell her what a beautiful cat she is!

1565099639761.png
 
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