How to travel with an 8-week old kitten on a long road trip?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Cat | Siberian | Female | unspayed
Hi! I am adopting an 8-wk old Siberian cat in a few weeks. I'm going to my parents' house for the holidays (about a 4-4.5 hr drive) a few days after picking up the kitten and staying there for 3 weeks. I was wondering if this trip would be stressful for a young kitten? Can she go that long without food/litter? Any advice for the trip? Also I'm wondering whether it will be confusing/distressing for her to get used to one house and then move to a different one so early on. Thanks for your help!
3 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on December 3rd, 2017
Hello. No, I do not think a drive that long will be particularly stressful for your new kitten. Offer food & water up to about an hour before leaving. Keep the kitten crated on the floor of your vehicle ( not the seat ), with a light sheet covering it. This will help to decrease motion stress. While at your parent's house, you will continue to bond with the kitten. You do all the feeding & litter box cleaning, but everyone else can, of course, play with her. She is so young, that once you return home, she will figure things out pretty quickly. Take care.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on November 29th, 2016
Great question! I would take your kitten out for car rides in a carrier before the big trip to see how they handle car rides. Some kittens will ride quietly, while others will get car sick or stressed out. If your kitten gets stressed out or car sick, then I would take her into the vet to discuss medications to give her to help the ride less stressful. She should be in a carrier that is large enough for her to turn around and lie down. You can bring along some food and water for her to have, and have a litter box in the car that she can use during breaks on the trip. When you take a break, you can let her out of the carrier in the car, but I would not let her out of the carrier outside the car. She may get freaked out and run away. I would also make her carrier comfortable with blankets and toys.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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Published on August 9th, 2017
While the car ride may be stressful, and she may vomit/urinate/defecate in the car, I think it would be much better to take her. Kittens are extremely active and inquisitive animals, so it doesn't take them long to go stir-crazy in isolation. It is also beneficial to get cats used to different things (like car rides and new environments/people) at a young age. This will help to make her a more sociable and adaptable adult. You'll want to make sure she has a good enclosure while in the car though. A loose cat can be quite dangerous. And, expect to change the bedding at least once. I hope that helps.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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