Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I am going to reiterate renting a large car and having someone follow you in your car. Dogs and children with you, cats with whomever is driving your car. There should be plenty of room for everyone that way.
When I was a kid, my family and I drove two trailers of horses twice a year from CT to FL. Not only did that entail horses but, also, children, dogs and cats We had CBs, which were really handy for communicating—much easier than cell phones.
That's an excellent if pricey solution. Cheaper than chartering a plane.
I haven't hooked up my CBs in years but they're still in use out there.
We flew from New Mexico to Florida with two cats. It was hell, but it sorta worked. The problem is that the airlines are nuts. They want you to have the cats in carriers (make sure your vets give them some downers for the trip, or you some), but you have to take them OUT of the carriers and hand carry a pair of drug crazed cats in your arms through the metal detectors. Then you have to put them back IN the carriers while hundreds of people mill about. You know that will be appreciated by the cats, who like elephants never forget, except that they hold a grudge longer than elephants, and are still steaming mad about the time you moved their food dish from the left side of the refrigerator to the right side of the refrigerator 7 years ago.
Once you finally get them and yourselves onto the plane (or planes if you have connections, that will be something to remember for the rest of your lives), the airplane people will hound you (sorry!) if any part of the cat carriers stick out even a teeny bit from under the seat where you have crammed them. Then they will continually moan like you are killing them (the cats, not the airplane people, although you might have made some plans for them too before its all over) for however long you are on the plane(s).
We had some delays, it took 20 hours to fly them and us, and probably took 10 years off their lives and ours. If I had it to do it all over again I would invite the airplane people to join the cats under the seats, unless we were flying over Texas, in which case they probably just shoot you and send a big bill to your insurance company.
Last edited by stephenMM; 01-08-2024 at 10:10 PM..
I'd be looking at teaming up with some others who want to charger a plane for a flight. Surely there's a website or four catering to travelers like that.
We used this guy twice when buying cats from across the country. He’s great, we just paid $900 late July for him to meet breeder at Cincinnati airport and have kitten flown to airport here in Minneapolis, the $900 was airfare and his fee. We used him 6 years prior and he remember our prior kitten. One problem is someone else would have to bring your cats to airport as you have to already be at airport your meeting at. He’s a great guy if you go this route. Let me know if you do as I can be used as a reference point to him to help his company out. He has a Instagram page and you can see our kitten on it.
This is the route I thought would be best; however his first opening isn't until March 6th. My closing here in Florida is February 22nd and we are leaving on the 23rd or the 24th. I asked him to call me if there is a cancellation.
My current plan is to trade my Corolla in for a mid-sized SUV. That way we can take all the pets with us. The only problem is I have to wait until after my closing so I don't add any debt on my credit report plus I have to wait until I get the proceeds from my house sale. This means I have 1-2 days to find a new vehicle. I'm hoping I can start searching a few days before closing and then finalize everything after closing.
We flew from New Mexico to Florida with two cats. It was hell, but it sorta worked. The problem is that the airlines are nuts. They want you to have the cats in carriers (make sure your vets give them some downers for the trip, or you some), but you have to take them OUT of the carriers and hand carry a pair of drug crazed cats in your arms through the metal detectors. Then you have to put them back IN the carriers while hundreds of people mill about. You know that will be appreciated by the cats, who like elephants never forget, except that they hold a grudge longer than elephants, and are still steaming mad about the time you moved their food dish from the left side of the refrigerator to the right side of the refrigerator 7 years ago.
Once you finally get them and yourselves onto the plane (or planes if you have connections, that will be something to remember for the rest of your lives), the airplane people will hound you (sorry!) if any part of the cat carriers stick out even a teeny bit from under the seat where you have crammed them. Then they will continually moan like you are killing them (the cats, not the airplane people, although you might have made some plans for them too before its all over) for however long you are on the plane(s).
We had some delays, it took 20 hours to fly them and us, and probably took 10 years off their lives and ours. If I had it to do it all over again I would invite the airplane people to join the cats under the seats, unless we were flying over Texas, in which case they probably just shoot you and send a big bill to your insurance company.
I needed this laugh as I read through these again.
This is the route I thought would be best; however his first opening isn't until March 6th. My closing here in Florida is February 22nd and we are leaving on the 23rd or the 24th. I asked him to call me if there is a cancellation.
My current plan is to trade my Corolla in for a mid-sized SUV. That way we can take all the pets with us. The only problem is I have to wait until after my closing so I don't add any debt on my credit report plus I have to wait until I get the proceeds from my house sale. This means I have 1-2 days to find a new vehicle. I'm hoping I can start searching a few days before closing and then finalize everything after closing.
Any suggestions are welcome.
I have done several long distance moves with cats and dogs and I don't think there is any stress-free option, even if money weren't an issue (which it is for most). I think the SUV is definitely the best options - I don't think I could take the stress of shipping any of my animals, or even flying with them. So I have always driven. The last two long moves we had one dog and two cats but I was fortunately in that I still have my husband and so we had two cars. However, he's not comfortable driving the animals so they all rode with me. My first long move, however, I didn't even own a car and I rented an SUV for the trip and it really made a bog difference. With respect to your timing issue, you could consider selling your Corolla and renting an SUV for the trip and then buying another sedan at your destination. It would be more expensive probably than buying an SUV at your point of origin, but at least you won't have excise taxes and you won't be stuck having to get a vehicle in a single day.
And for those who say cats don't take up much space, they forget you also need to pack a box. Another reason my husband won't have the animals with him....he doesn't want a litterbox in his car all day.
Wishing you the very best and looking forward to hearing how it all turns out!
So, going to look at SUV's today. I need to order two cat carriers for the trip. The one I have is small for a long trip. Miss Binx is 8 pounds but Grayson is a chunky 15 pounds.
Are soft sided or hard side carriers better for a long distance move? I realize with a hard crate you can put stuff on top but I'm thinking if the cats are put up high in the back seat they may not freak out as much if they can see out the windows.
Please share your knowledge and experience.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
We had CBs, which were really handy for communicating—much easier than cell phones.
