Cross Country Moving with Cats- The Adventuring Millennial

Updated May 2020

I’m not gonna lie, my cat wasn’t the first thing I thought about when I began preparing for my move.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my cat, Ollie. My husband and I adopted her a few weeks after we got married. She is an important part of our little family. But she’s almost self-sufficient (I swear- if she ever figures out how to open the Fancy Feast cans herself she really won’t need us anymore).

Once I started thinking through the moving plans, I quickly realized I needed to prepare Ollie for the move. She is generally low-maintenance, but there were still tons of details to work out. I had to decide how to transport her, take her to the vet, get her medications, and start leash training her. I needed to map out pet-friendly hotels, plan her new eating schedule, and figure out her litter box situation.

Have I mentioned that moving cross-country is a very involved process?

But even though it initially sounded challenging, preparing my cat for the move ended up being much easier than I anticipated. Of course my experience might not be the same as someone else’s and I am definitely not a veterinarian, but I still want to share my tips for cross country moving with cats.

I have moved cross country twice with my cat (once by car and once by plane). For today’s Moving Mondays post I am taking a deep dive into this process to give you all the tips and tricks I’ve learned from both moves.

Read on to find out how I prepared my cat and how she handled the moves.

Spoiler: she handled it pretty dang well!

Prep Work

Ok, so the hardest part about moving with my cat was all the prep work that needed to be done. Honestly, the actual moving process was a breeze compared to this.

And really none of the prep work was especially difficult. There were just a lot of decisions I had to make.

Probably the most important decision is how you will transport your cat. Are you driving or flying? If you are flying, are you bringing your cat as a carry-on or transporting her in cargo?

Once you have made this decision, I would suggest scheduling a vet appointment. You will want to talk over the moving process with a trained professional (I know I did). And it’s important to make sure your furry friend is up-to-date on all their vaccinations and is healthy enough for the move. The vet should give you a signed document that states your pet is safe to travel (you will especially need this if you are flying).

Your vet can also discuss medications to help your cat during the move. Ollie’s vet prescribed a medication that reduced anxiety and caused drowsiness, so she was calm for most of the move.

Alright, after taking care of those details, it is a good idea to consider leash training your cat. I know, it sounds crazy. But just think about it. You are going to be driving or flying with your cat. At some point, they might need to get out of their carrier. It’s not a bad idea to keep them on a leash in case they get spooked and try to run. So I ordered a harness and leash. And for a few weeks before the move, I took Ollie on short walks around my neighborhood. Nothing major, I mostly let her walk in a grassy field. And yes, I got some strange looks.

I also took my cat on a few drives. I wanted her to be comfortable in the car before we started the actual road trip.

Cross Country Moving with Cats- The Adventuring Millennial

So to recap, here is a quick list of the prep work:

Decide how you want to transport your cat
Take your cat to the vet
Start leash training your cat
If you are driving, take your cat on some practice drives

Driving with a Cat

You guys, I was pretty nervous about driving 2,500 miles with my cat. I mean, we had done some practice drives. But a short neighborhood drive is so much different than a 9-hour driving day. I had no idea how she would actually handle it. Would she meow the whole time? Would she get car sick? Was she going to actually use her car litter box?

Again, this won’t be the case for everyone. But from my experience, driving with my cat was no problem. But that’s mostly because I prepared like crazy.

So the vet prescribed some anti-anxiety medication that I gave Ollie each morning of the drive. I always gave Ollie the medication with some food. The vet recommended feeding her about an hour before we started driving. Drowsiness was the main side effect of her medication, and they pretty much knocked her out. We didn’t feed Ollie on the drive but gave her access to food each night once we arrived at our hotel.

While we were driving I kept Ollie in her crate, which was buckled in the back seat. Don’t forget to leave room for this when you are packing your car. It would be so easy to load up your car and forget to leave an empty backseat for the carrier (not that I’m speaking from experience on this or anything…).

I also made a car litter box that fit nicely under the back seat. A plastic tub is a perfect makeshift litter box. I filled it with the same litter she had been using in her normal box. Make sure you have a lid on this litter box. You don’t want the contents flying everywhere while you drive.

So Ollie didn’t have access to this box during the drive. But I scheduled breaks every few hours. I stopped more than I would on a normal road trip, but I wanted to make she was comfortable and had the opportunity to use the litter box. We usually took our breaks at a gas station or rest area. I would let Ollie out of her crate inside the car. She walked around and (occasionally) used the litter box.

Overall, the meds really helped Ollie stay calm on the drive. She slept most of the way and didn’t get sick. By the end of the day, when the meds started wearing off, she got a little restless. She would start meowing and trying to get out of her crate. This usually didn’t last too long because we planned our drive times to last about as long as her medicine. So when it started wearing off we were usually close to our stopping point.

My general tips for driving with a cat:

Talk to your vet about medication for your cat
Keep your cat in a buckled-up crate during the drive
Make a car litter box (that has a lid)
Take frequent breaks so your cat has a chance to leave the crate and use the litter box

Pet Friendly Hotels

Finding hotels was a slight challenge. I mean, I had never taken Ollie to a hotel before our move. There was no way to know how she would deal with a new place every night for 5 nights in a row.

I knew that I needed to pick hotels out ahead of time. So I mapped out my road trip and searched for our hotels. The difficult part was finding affordable hotels that were also pet-friendly. I called each hotel ahead of time to let them know I would have my cat (I didn’t realize that some pet-friendly hotels only allow dogs). But after some research, planning, and phone calls, I had a pet-friendly hotel scheduled every night.

Once I got to the hotel every night, I knew I needed to be patient with Ollie. She would need time to smell the room and get comfortable with her new space. As soon as we got to the room, I let her out of her crate, set up her litter box, and put out food and water. I even placed some of her favorite toys around the room.

You know your cat, but I didn’t want to leave Ollie alone in the hotel room once we checked in. Even though she would never admit it, she is kind of clingy. I mean yes, she basically ignores me most of the time. But she always likes to be in the same room as me, just close enough for comfort, but far enough from my potential pets. So I stayed in the hotel room with Ollie while my husband would run out to grab dinner for us. Maybe this was overkill, but I didn’t want to traumatize her after a long day of road tripping.

Tips for Overnight Moves with Cats:

Make sure you book a pet-friendly room (check with the staff before you book)
Give your cat time to get comfortable in the new space
Don’t forget to set up their litter box and food/water bowls as soon as you check in

Flying with a Cat

So we decided to fly for our move from Seattle to New York City. My husband and I weighed the pros and cons, but we decided this was our best option. We weren’t bringing our car to NYC, so it made the most sense for us to sell it in Seattle and fly to New York.

But I was a little nervous about flying with Ollie. I mean, she handled the cross-country drive pretty well. But flying could be a different story. I didn’t know how she would deal with the altitude change, not to mention the process of going through security and staying in the carry-on under the plane seat.

I made a vet appointment a few days before the flight. The vet calmed my nerves and walked me through the process. She prescribed another medication for Ollie to help with her potential anxiety. After examining Ollie, she gave us a health certificate which we needed to show at the airport.

If you are planning to fly your cat, you need to decide if your furry friend will travel in cargo or the cabin. You should check with your airline carrier so you understand the different fees and restrictions. We flew JetBlue, which is one of the most pet-friendly airlines. Ollie flew in the cabin with us, because I couldn’t imagine dropping her off to fly in cargo. I know this might be the best option for some pets, but I wanted to keep Ollie with me during the flight.

Most airlines only allow pets up to 20 pounds to ride in the cabin. There is also generally a pet fee (cats on JetBlue cost an additional $125). Pets have to stay in a carrier that fits under the seat in front of you. (By the way, their carrier counts as your carry-on).

Ok guys, I can’t stress this enough. Make sure you check your airline’s restrictions before you fly your cat. JetBlue has the following requirements (which may be similar across airlines, but you will want to check with your specific airline):

Required pet vaccination and documentation for each destination of your trip – required only for international travel (including Puerto Rico)
Identification tags and vet certificate – required only for international travel (including Puerto Rico)
A carrier that does not exceed 17″L (43.18 cm) x 12.5″W (31.75 cm) x 8.5″H (21.59 cm). Your pet must be able to stand up and move around in the carrier with ease
Combined weight of your pet and carrier may not exceed 20 pounds
Carriers must have a leak proof bottom and must be well ventilated
Soft-sided and hard-sided carriers are acceptable
Containers in such physical condition as to allow possible escape by an animal will not be accepted for transportation
Only one pet per carrier is allowed

So I made sure I had all of this information for Ollie, even though we were flying domestically. But I didn’t want to have any issues during the process.

Also, be aware that you will need to take your cat out of their carrier as you go through security. They will pull you to the side and ask you to hold your cat. The carrier will go on the belt through the scanner. I would suggest keeping your cat on a leash at this point (especially if they are prone to jumping or running).

Overall, flying with my cat was a great experience. Security was a breeze and she seemed comfortable during the flight. Prepare as much as you can before your trip, but just be prepared to make adjustments as you go. Your cat will be a world traveler in no time!

General Tips for Flying with a Cat:

Make sure you have the proper carrier (review your airline’s guidelines)
Remember that you’ll need to take your cat out of the carrier as you go through security
If your cat is a runner or jumper, you may want to keep them on a leash/harness during the security check
If you choose to keep your cat in the cabin, they will count as your carry-on and will have to be stored in their carrier under the seat in front of you during the flight

Adjusting to a New Place

Make sure you are patient with your cat. Whether you decide to fly or drive your cat, the move is going to be a stressful experience for them. I’m sure you will prepare as much as possible, but they are going to need time to adjust when they get to your new place. When you arrive, let them smell and explore. Set up their litter box, food/water, and some familiar toys.

I know it can seem challenging to move your cat, but just remember it’s also a tough experience for them. As much as you can, show your cat some love and reward them for their good behavior along the way. And take it from me, I’ve moved twice with my cat. She adjusted to our new places much quicker than I expected.

Adjusting to a New Place:

Give your cat time to get used to a new place
Set up your cat’s familiar things (litter box, food/water, toys) once you arrive

Moving with a cat can seem daunting, but with the right preparation, it’s an easy process. I’ve taken my cat on two cross-country moves, and she had a great experience both times. Just make sure you take your cat to the vet before your move so you can get some specific advice for your furry friend.

Have you thought about cross country moving with cats or have you moved with your pet? Let me know how the experience was in the comments below! If you have any additional questions about cross country moving with cats, leave them in the comments and I would be happy to address them.

For more moving-related posts, check out my Moving Mondays series:

What it’s Like to Make 2 Cross-Country Moves in 1 Year

The One Thing I Didn’t Prepare For

Everything You Need to Know Before Moving to NYC