From Philadelphia, we took Interstate 76 to I-70 through Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. We hopped on I-44 (with a detour onto Old Route 66) through Missouri and Oklahoma. Then we took I-40 through the Texas panhandle, New Mexico, and Arizona, where we merged onto I-17. For our side-trip to Sedona, we took a detour onto route AZ-89 and AZ-179. We drove back to I-17 and continued on I-10 to AZ-85. For our grand finale, we merged onto I-8 toward San Diego. Yay! We made it :)
After driving 2,797 miles across the country with 6 cats in 4 days, we reflected upon our journey. We came up with the following cat-traveling revelations and ruminations.
1. We drove all day and stopped each night to rest and refuel. We were surprised that our cats slept most of the time while driving. They learned to do their "business" when we stopped each night and before leaving the next morning.
2. Since we were in a small space, we placed the cats in carriers while traveling (except our feral Munchie who was in her own cage). They seemed to know we were traveling a long distance versus a short trip to the vet. They probably felt more secure because we traveled together as a family.
3. We used a combo of natural remedies and proscribed medicines to address both physical and mental cat issues. We sprayed the "Animal Relief Formula" Flower Essence throughout the car and on specific cats during periods of high anxiety (beginning or ending of a long drive). We also placed cat nip in the cats' carriers to relax them while driving and during our overnight stays. Medications were used sparingly and specifically for cats who required them. (Important note: Allow enough time for medications to take effect before traveling.) Mandy is known for her motion sickness so she received daily doses of Cerenia for nausea. Buddha receives regular chemotherapy for her cancer and is accustomed to taking Cerenia as well. We rarely used the proscribed Xanax, except one night when Buddha was showing signs of anxiety. We are proud to report that the other cats did not need any meds!
4. We stayed in a variety of places, from a friend's home to a roadside motel to a full-fledged rabbit sanctuary. Our cats seemed to notice the difference! They made themselves at home with our friends and at the sanctuary, but were more anxious at the hotel. They appeared to be comforted by the smells of other animals, as if they knew they were welcome there. Although animal smells were present, the actual animals were not to prevent potential conflicts. We did share the guest room at the rabbit sanctuary with a few caged buns, which seemed fine for all involved (aside from occasional stomping by the buns, which can indicate anger or fear). This was a special exception for these buns, who usually roam freely around the room. My cats were already familiar with buns since they lived with several rescued buns in the past, but we didn't want to take any chances. (I ran a small bunny rescue and lived with a beloved companion bun named Sweet Pea for many years.)
5. In hindsight, I wished we had extended our journey by another day to reduce the total number of driving hours per day. The cats were restless the last hour or two of our daily drive. Our initial reasoning was to reduce the number of days in the car (and some expenses) by driving longer hours. We were prepared to clean up any messes in case the cat's had to "go," but they chose to "hold it" instead. This was not a surprise because trapped feral cats rarely urinate/defecate unless trapped for several days while recovering from being spay/neutered. I experienced this when was involved with a trap/neuter/return program in West Philadelphia, affectionately called "Project MEOW (Make Every One Wanted)."
6. We were relieved that we brought a bottle of "Simple Solution" ("Natures's Miracle" would also do the trick!) to clean up any messes. This came in handy several times, especially in the first few minutes of our journey when Mandy expressed her disdain for driving by vomiting, urinating, and defecating simultaneously. We also used these supplies to clean up after Buddha had an "accident" in her carrier. Aside from those two experiences, the carriers remained clean for the duration of our journey! Even Munchie used the litterbox in her cage when we stopped each night.
Overall, we were very pleased with our journey and would recommend this method of transporting cats across the country. Perhaps an even better option is to rent a Winnebego if you have the means to do so! We decided to take the budget route this time, but we think the trip would be more comfortable for everyone involved in an RV.
In conclusion, we want to thank out furry family for their incredible patience and cooperation! We also want to thank our amazing hosts (Dave and Julie in Ohio; Tom and Margo in New Mexico) for providing food, shelter, and friendship along the way. We are very grateful to everyone who helped us, including our vet Dr. Meg Andeer of the Cat Doctor who proscribed meds for our trip and the folks we met en route who gave us directions when our cell-phone GPS was out of range!
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| Rocco gives Munchie a bath to celebrate their arrival! |
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| Ginger napping in her new pink cat-house. |
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| To Ginger's dismay, Chico tries to fit into her pink house. |
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| Luckily, Chico found another cat-bed just his size to claim for his very own! |
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| This image of sleeping Buddha says it all :) |
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| Mandy doing what she does best...cuddle! |
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| Can you find all 6 cats in this picture? |
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| The sunroom, our temporary home, from the outside. |
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| The beach, at last! |
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| Off into the sunset... |
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| Sad good-byes as Randy departs for the East Coast (by plane this time). Thanks for joining us on this amazing journey! |
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| The Furball is off on another adventure into the unknown... |
