How to travel with a kitten
As much as we love seeing our cat patients, they don’t always love the trip to our hospital. A road trip in a cat carrier and then getting examined and vaccinated at the veterinary hospital adds up to a lot of novel and potentially stressful experiences for a young cat! So, let’s set your new feline family member up for success!
Travel tips when taking your kitten to the veterinarian
Using positive reinforcement, you can help your kitten get accustomed to trips to the vet. Follow these tips to make these visits more enjoyable for both you and your new kitten.
- When traveling in a vehicle, your kitten should always be in a cat carrier for their safety as well as yours. The best cat carrier is one which can open from the top or front, or one which can have the top half removed. This allows the veterinarian good access to your kitten while allowing them to still feel safe in the bottom half of the carrier.
- Get your kitten used to their crate or cat carrier before it’s used for traveling. Leave it out in a nice, quiet area with a comfortable blanket or towel inside. Consider placing treats in the crate or carrier to reinforce that inside the crate or carrier is a good place to be.
- Feed your kitten near the carrier to make it a more inviting place.
- Consider spraying pheromone sprays (such as Feliway®) on the blanket in their carrier when traveling.
- Sometimes close the crate or carrier with your kitten inside for short periods and walk away (as long as they remain calm when you do this). Praise them and let them out. This way, closing the carrier doesn’t always mean they’re getting put in the car.
- Take your cat for rides in the car that DON’T end with a trip to the veterinary hospital.
- Consider sound on the way to the hospital. Cats have very sensitive hearing, so loud music may increase their anxiety level.
- If traveling anxiety becomes too much, speak with your veterinarian about anti-anxiety medications or supplements.
Traveling with a kitten long distance
Generally, we don’t recommend taking your new kitten for long road trips. They’re just now getting used to their new environment, and a long trip outside of the home could disrupt their learning.
But if you know you’re going on a long trip and your kitten needs to go with you, it’s best to be prepared. Take a large crate with enough space for a bed, toys, a spill-resistant water bowl and a litter box. Consider applying pheromones to their bedding and blankets. Speak with your VCA care team for specific suggestions for your new kitten prior to travel.
Check out how to make visits to the veterinarian less stressful for your cat.
