Mindful Monday – Cats Riding in Cars

If your cat is like most cats, he hates a car ride. He fights getting into the carrier and he yowls all the way to the vet or the groomer or to your new home when you move. Some have been known to claw their way out of a cardboard carrier during a car ride, then hide under the seat having to be pried out. Cats do not like riding in cars. At least that seems true for most cats. There certainly are some who enjoy or who will tolerate a car ride and I think that’s mostly those cats who are allowed to ride outside of a carrier. An outdoor cat who has the opportunity to explore the inside of a car while it’s parked, often makes a good passenger. And cats that have made friends with the cat carrier are fairly calm during a car ride.

Whether your cat is a happy passenger or a scaredy cat during trips in the car, we really should apply the seatbelt law to him or her. When you take your cat someplace in the carrier, seatbelt the carrier into the front seat of the car. Or sit in the backseat with him (if someone else is driving) so you can reassure him along the way.

Did you know there are restraints made specifically for cats who prefer to run loose in the car? First responders to car accidents and anyone who has been involved in a car accident with a cat in the car will tell you how important it is to restrain your cat.

Not only can a cat be hurt in a crash, many cats escape after an accident and get lost or they’re hit by a car on a busy highway after an accident. A cat can interfere with the operation of the car and cause an accident—especially a kitten who might go exploring under the brake pedal.

Here are tips for keeping your cat safe in the car. https://www.wikihow.com/Keep-a-Cat-Safe-in-the-Car

Check out this article. It features a cat restraint of another kind. http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=1+2131&aid=790

Here’s a good site offering tips for traveling with your cat—including finding out what documents you need in order to cross state lines with your cat. https://www.petful.com/travel/car-travel-tips-cats/

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