To most, taking a ride in a car is a leisurely, even enjoyable, experience. It’s something that we do every day. When most people think about pets riding in cars, an image of a dog sticking his head out the window, tongue wagging, drool flying, eyes closed in bliss is what usually comes to mind. But what about cats? While it’s true that some cats enjoy riding in the cars, the same cannot be said for all. Travel anxiety is a very common condition in cats, and it can make the process of getting your cat to the vet, to your relative’s house for the holidays, or to your new home across town an overwhelming ordeal for everyone involved.
At Wapiti Labs, we create natural supplements that can help pets with everything from common ailments to travel anxiety. Because when your pet needs to see the vet or you want to bring him on your next trip, the last thing you want to worry about is whether they’ll be able to handle the car ride. By using relaxation techniques, natural supplements, or a combination of both, you can help your pet to overcome their fear of traveling and make the journey more pleasant for all involved. Use these tips the next time you’re traveling with your cat for a smoother trip.
Make Your Cat Associate the Car with Pleasant Rewards
Many cats get worked up when traveling because they only associate your vehicle with negative experiences such as being stuck in their carrier, jostled around, or woozy. But if we turn the act of traveling into a rewarding experience, then you can change your cat’s feelings about car rides all together.
Start with the cat carrier. Don’t wait until the last minute to introduce your cat to it; start as young as you can and introduce the carrier frequently. You don’t even have to be going anywhere. Set the carrier out and fill it with some of your kitty’s favorite things. Then, give your cat a treat every time he goes in. Continue with this until your cat chooses to spend time in the carrier on his own. Next, begin to introduce closing the door of the carrier in the same fashion. Do it only for a second once your cat has become accustomed to the carrier, and then open the door and give your cat a treat. Continue to do so while lengthening the time you keep the door closed. By the time their next vet appointment comes around, they’ll feel right at home in their carrier.
You’ll want to use the same method when introducing the car. Once your cat is comfortable in the carrier, begin to introduce the car in short intervals. Bring your cat in the carrier out to the car, treat, then retreat. Treat and retreat should be the motto of training your cat to get used to your car. Over time, start to introduce the car being on when entering, and then slowly introduce driving around with your cat secured in the back. If possible, having a second passenger sit in the back with your cat may help the process. But remember, for safety reason, your cat should always stay in his carrier while in the car. And don’t forget to treat, treat, treat!
Exercise Your Cats Before Crating Them
A tired kitty is a calm kitty, or so the thought goes. If you didn’t know you could exercise your cat, you’ve been missing out. Cats can benefit greatly from regular exercise. What kind of exercise can I do with my cat you ask? You could go all out and invest in a cat exercise wheel or teach your cat to walk on a leash. Or you could keep it as simple as playing with a laser pointer of other cat toys for 20-30 minutes. Anything that gets your cat up and moving will work.
Use Natural Supplements to Ease Travel Discomfort
A lot of the time, it’s the upset stomach or woozy feeling that cats can get from being in the car that can lead to a hatred of travel. That’s why we’ve engineered our G.I. Tract Supplement to help your cat during travel by combating some of the most common ailments that can cause a cat to hate the car. Here are just a few of the ways that the G.I. Tract Supplement can help your cat during your next road trip:
- Reduce stomach comfort
- Maintain contentment during travel
- Harmonize the stomach
- Soothe and protect the G.I. tract
Using natural ingredients like poria sclerotium fungus, coix seed, magnolia bark, and white atractylodes rhizome, our supplements can help your pet feel better while traveling in the car. And by eliminating the stress of pain or discomfort, you’ll be amazed by how much your pet’s attitude towards riding in the car can change.
Take on Your Cat’s Anxiety with Wapiti
Whether your cat is eight weeks old or years old, it’s never too late or too soon to start working on road trip etiquette. We hope that these tips will help you and your cat enjoy your future car rides together. If you’d like to learn more about how Wapiti supplements can help your cat both in and out of the car, feel free to give us a call.
