Security first
Extending the information of our post from April 'Travelling with cat(s)', today we'll talk about security during the transport and the choice of accommodation.
In the car
Although the European legislation referring to transport of pets in cars is quite diffuse in most countries you can be fined if you don’t have your pet secured, you can forfeit your insurance coverage, and over all put in danger human and animal passengers. For those reasons you should NEVER transport your pet(s) unsecured. They could distract or disturb you, limit your range of operation and vision, block the pedals and carry off severe, even mortal injuries in case of accident.
To put the transport box on a seat or use the security belt doesn't proof necessarily secure either. In a Crash Test, performed by ADAC, it broke into pieces with an impacto of only 50 km/h. The best option, recommended by security experts, is to use a rigid plastic pet carrier and place it in the foot space between front and back seat. Thus will absorb the forces of an eventual impact better, the carrier will only be deformed slightly and the pet will be unscathed or only slightly injured.
The ideal pet carrier should allow your cat to stand upright und turn and have adequate ventilation.
Danger: Heatstroke!
Also monitor the correct air circulation in the passenger room (without exposing our cat to air streams) and the temperature (don't put the pet carrier into the sun) and NEVER leave your cat in a closed, parked car in order to avoid the apparition of a heat stroke that could be fatal. In just a few minutes the cat can suffer irreversible damages that lead to death.
A symptom that your cat is feeling bad is wheezing. This can be the result of an elevated temperature (check the temperature INSIDE the carrier) or anxiety, fear or stress. We must take into account that cats are much more sensible to elevated temperatures as we are. They only have sweat glands in the angle of the chin, lips, anus and between the pads of their paws, and fear or stress during the voyage can rush the appearance of a heat stroke. Take special care with kittens, senior cats, obese or ill cats, cats with long hair and a short nose.
If the cat seems raddled, has muscle tremors, breathes fast and with difficulty and has an accelerated heart rhythm he/she is suffering a heat stroke and you have to act quickly and bring down the body temperature GRADUALLY, wetting above all head and neck with a moisten towel (don't cover or involve!) and make him/her drink.
If your cat has a hard time travelling by car we can help to relax him/her with syntetic pheromones that reduce stress, applying them a few days before the journey e.g. on a pillow put in the carrier. Leave it open and give the cat the opportunity to investigate, smell and use it, so he/she will feel it a secure place when travel time comes. There are also nutritional supplements to reduce anxiety. In case of need, please consult your vet.
Some cats have the annoying habit to protest vociferous from the moment you start the car until it is parked once more. It's not clear why they do this, but it appears to be a reaction of some excessively sensible towards the motor noise.
Pet friendly accomadations
Pet Friendly Accomodation, Pubs and Places to visit in the UK and Ireland
(search by area or postcode, and type of pet)
Note that not all "pet friendly" establishments allow cats. Many hotels dread damages caused by these and it's a good thing to have a civil liability insurance, just in the case our cat (or dog) really breaks something or injures someone accidentally. It is adviseable to confirm the acceptance of your pet, conditions and price.
If lodged in an establishment with cleaning service , inform the staff that you travel with a cat and ask them only to enter prior notice and with you present to avoid that someone opens the door and the cat escapes.
What to take with you
Our cat should have an identification (microchip) and vaccination card. A towel and water in the car to treat a possible temperature stroke. To limit the stress for our pet, pack all the habitual objects like feeding and drinking bowls, pillows, blankets, toys, brushes, cat toilet, … the usual food and cat litter.
A first-aid kit (sterile compresses, bandages, plaster, scissors, tweezers, disinfection spray and healing ointment suitable for cats, saline and a thermometer), and the phone number and address of a vet with 24 hours emergency service at our destination will make our departure more relaxed.
In addition, plastic bags for litter cleaning and a stain remover with brush may prove quite helpful.
We wish you pleasant holidays!
Our cat should have an identification (microchip) and vaccination card. A towel and water in the car to treat a possible temperature stroke. To limit the stress for our pet, pack all the habitual objects like feeding and drinking bowls, pillows, blankets, toys, brushes, cat toilet, … the usual food and cat litter.
A first-aid kit (sterile compresses, bandages, plaster, scissors, tweezers, disinfection spray and healing ointment suitable for cats, saline and a thermometer), and the phone number and address of a vet with 24 hours emergency service at our destination will make our departure more relaxed.In addition, plastic bags for litter cleaning and a stain remover with brush may prove quite helpful.
We wish you pleasant holidays!