How to Travel Long Distance With a Cat in the Car – Tips That Actually Work | The Cat Butler

0:00 Are you planning to travel long  distance with your cat in the car? It definitely sounds  challenging—and honestly, it is. From nonstop meowing, figuring out how  your cat will go to the bathroom and   the fear of your cat escaping at a rest stop,  there’s a lot of things that can go wrong.

0:24 I am the Cat Butler and I’ve done several  long road trips with my two Ragdoll cats,   Teemo and Arya, with one trip being  over 800 miles and I’ve learned through   trial and error what actually works. In this video, I’ll walk you through how   I prepare, what I pack, and how I set up the  car to make the ride smooth and stress-free.

0:48 Whether you're moving or just going on a long  getaway, these tips will help keep your cat safe,   calm, and comfortable the whole way. Before you travel you want   to prepare for the trip. I pack a cat bag with the essentials   like their food, toothpaste, toothbrush, treats,  cat litter, nail clippers, their food bowls,  

1:15 and anything else they might need on the road. I also make sure to charge Teemo and Arya’s   GPS trackers—I use Jiobit for both of them. It’s important because if they ever escape at a   rest stop, I can quickly track and find them. I chose Jiobit because it uses real GPS to give  

1:36 me live tracking no matter where we are. Unlike AirTags, which rely on nearby Apple   devices to update my cat’s location, Jiobit  works even in remote areas with no one around. Lastly, I feed my cats their meal the night  before and not on the day of travel. This is to reduce the chance the cats  get car sick and throw up on the road.

2:04 When it comes to long-distance travel with  cats, carrier setup is one of the most   important parts of the journey. I use a large soft-sided carrier   that fits across the back seat. It’s roomy enough for both of my Ragdolls,   Teemo and Arya, to stretch out, turn around,  and lay comfortably for hours at a time.

2:25 A cramped carrier can make the ride more stressful  for them such as peeing in the carrier, or non stop   meowing throughout the trip so I always go  for one that gives them space to relax while   still keeping them safely contained. Safety is very important to me. So I secure the carrier using the seat belt,  which is something I can’t recommend enough.

2:49 In the event of a sudden stop, sharp turn, or  accident, the carrier needs to stay in place.   Buckling it in prevents it from sliding around,  which could really scare or injure your cat. Even though it’s tempting to just set it on  the seat, securing it properly adds an extra  

3:06 layer of safety for your cats. I always keep Teemo and Arya   inside the carrier for the entire drive. Even though it might seem kinder to let   them roam around. The truth is,   loose cats in the car can be dangerous. They might crawl under the pedals, jump into your   lap, or bolt out a window or door when you stop. I’ve heard way too many stories of cats escaping  

3:31 at gas stations or rest areas, and that’s  a nightmare I want to avoid entirely. One of the biggest challenges on long  car trips with cats is managing their   bathroom needs. While some cats will hold it for  hours—or even the entire trip—others won’t. So I found the best solution is to keep  a small litter box inside the carrier.

3:58 That way the cats can go to the  bathroom whenever they want. Before using a litter box inside the carrier,  I had put the litter box outside the carrier,   and stopped at multiple rest areas to  entice my cats to go to the restroom. This method proved ineffective—Teemo and  Arya refused to go and both cats ended up  

4:20 urinating inside the carrier during the drive. It was a disaster, and the smell of cat   piss for 10 hours was unbearable. Another important decision—especially   for long trips—is choosing the right cat  litter, since it can make a huge difference   in keeping things clean and odor-free. Sandy litters like clay can turn your  

4:43 car into a mess, with dust everywhere  and litter tracked onto the seats. That’s why it’s better to go with a  pellet-shaped litter—it’s far less   likely to track and helps keep things tidy. After trying just about every litter out there—I   kept running into the same problems. The litter was either dusty, messy,  

5:04 hard to clean or bad at odor control. That became a real issue during long   car trips with my cats. The last thing you want   is litter flying around the car or the  smell of ammonia lingering for hours. So I decided to create my own solution,  making my own cat litter out of peas.

5:22 It’s low-dust thanks to its vacuum-sealed  packaging, low-tracking because of its unique   pellet shape, and has excellent odor control  from the high concentration of pea fiber,   which is a natural deodorizer. It’s been a game changer for   traveling—and for everyday use at home. So if you are interested in learning  

5:41 more about my cat litter, I will  link in the description below. Some cats meow nonstop during car  rides—usually out of stress, confusion,   or just protesting the situation. Teemo and Arya are big meowers. On my first long car ride my ears almost  died from 9 hours of non stop meowing.

6:18 But over time, I figured out a few things  that helped keep them calm—and me sane. One trick that helps is covering  their carrier with a light blanket  to make it darker and cozier. By reducing visual and sensory input,   covering the carrier can create a more  secure and calming space for the cat.

6:39 I noticed that it worked for Teemo  and Arya as they meowed less. I also found giving your cats a  large carrier also reduces the   meowing as the cats are more comfortable. They can stretch and lie comfortably. Lastly, you can also try a  calming spray like Feliway Feliway calms your cat by mimicking natural  feline facial pheromones—the same ones cats  

7:06 release when they rub their cheeks on  furniture, people, or other cats. These pheromones signal that the  environment is safe and familiar. This helps reduce stress-related  behaviors like meowing. Just spray it 15 minutes before  the ride to have it work. Feeding your cat on a long trip can be tricky.

7:32 You want to minimize the risk of your cat vomiting  from motion sickness during the car ride. As they can feel nauseous. Like I mentioned earlier on   the day of the car ride you don’t want to  feed your cat, only the night before. And I recommend during the drive not to  feed your cat any meals as this would  

7:50 increase the chance of your cat vomiting. Cats can go without eating for 24 hours,   so that should give you enough time  to get to your hotel or destination. And that’s where you can feed them before  you continue driving the next day. You can give your cat a few treats at a  rest stop if they’re not feeling nauseous,  

8:10 but it’s important to do so in moderation  and to know your cat’s limits. I usually give Teemo and Arya a  couple of their favorite treats   so they are not too hungry on the road. Every cat is different, so pay attention to how   yours handles travel before offering anything. Keeping your cat hydrated is just as  

8:32 important as keeping them calm. Giving your cat water on a long trip   can be tricky, especially since many cats won’t  drink when they’re stressed or in motion. That’s why I offer water at every rest stop using  their water bowl. It’s especially important on hot   days, even if they only take a few sips. Cats are notorious for not drinking enough,  

8:54 so regular access helps prevent  dehydration, fatigue, and urinary issues. Depending on the season, your  car can heat up dangerously fast What feels warm outside can turn into  an oven inside the car in just minutes,   making it extremely unsafe for your cat. Try to never leave your cat alone in the car.

9:20 If you are traveling with someone,  have someone stay behind to keep the   car running and stay cool. If you are traveling alone,   try to park the car under a shady spot, and only  leave the car briefly to go to the restroom. When I travel alone, I typically only stop  for the restroom and for food I would just go  

9:38 through the drive thru and eat in the car  so I don’t leave Teemo and Arya alone. When staying at a hotel or airbnb  during a long trip, I always call   ahead to confirm if they’re cat-friendly. Once we arrive, I bring Teemo and Arya   straight to the room and set up their  litter box, food, and water right away  

10:00 to give them a sense of stability. I also check to make sure to block off   any places they might try to hide—like under  the bed or behind furniture—just to avoid a   stressful game of hide-and-seek later. That’s everything I’ve learned from  traveling long distance with Teemo and  

10:17 Arya—hopefully these tips help make your  trip a lot smoother and less stressful. Every cat is different, so it may take some trial  and error, but with the right setup, it really is   possible to have a calm and safe journey. If you’ve traveled with your cat before,   I’d love to hear from you—comment down below  and share your own tips or experiences.

10:39 What worked for you? What didn’t? Let’s help each other make traveling  with cats a little easier.