I travel solo with dogs extensively for dog shows, so I’ll share some of my tips and tricks. Most are more related to dogs but maybe it’ll help someone else.
What I will say specific to cats is that I’ve had friends who both drove and flew with their cats and both have their stressors. An airport is busy and you have to take them out of the carrier and hold them as you go though security. It’s potentially quicker, but I think the environment can be scarier…it’s a balancing act which is worse. Cars take longer but they’re a little more consistent/not totally new, and you shouldn’t have to take them out unless secured in a room. Even if the cat is pretty chill I’d still consider talking to your vet about meds…they just make things less stressful for everyone. And if you dose in the morning, it should be wearing off by evening when you stop and the cat is getting out to do its business.
For general driving with pets tips, plan your route ahead of time. Some people stop frequently, but my dogs rarely do much on walks when traveling, so I will go 10 hours between “get out” stops. We usually only travel 5 hours max though. I do offer water but they rarely take any until we stop. I’d prefer to get to our destination and let them decompress and pee and eat/drink there.
Get gas well before you need it in case it’s far to the next station. I don’t like to get below 1/4 tank. I try to stay in well traveled areas on well maintained roads. One of my dogs gets nervous in traffic and with constant accelerations/decelerations so I try to take straight highways rather than windy routes with lots of turns, even if it’s a little farther.
Spend the money to book a nicer, safe hotel and check out the areas on google maps before booking. Be smart and safe when taking dogs out at hotels, especially late at night and early morning. I’ve never had anyone bother us, but I know people who have.
La Quinta hotels are pretty widely known for being pet friendly, but quality is wildly variable in my experience. I like Hilton hotels and often stay at their Hampton, Tru, and Home2 chains. What I like about Hilton is their app; you can check in via the app and choose your room. I like to be on the second floor near the stairs…2nd floor for safety and near the stairs for ease of going outside. They charge a pet fee and I always mark ‘traveling with a pet’ at booking, but when I check in via the app, mind my business, keep the dogs quiet, and leave the room clean, I am almost never charged the pet fee. I stay in hotels like 30-40 nights a year and I’ve only been charged a pet fee one weekend in three years. If you show up at the desk with animals they’ll add the fee, but if I just mind my business it saves $75. But ymmv especially if you have heavy shedders, barkers, or leave it dirty. I recommend you take an extra bedsheet or two to cover the furniture if your animals shed and are going to be allowed to roam the room. DoorDash or curbside pickup is your friend for dinners…I don’t like to leave animals alone in hotels even if the hotel does allow that.
My dogs always travel in crash tested kennels, but like was mentioned above, if this is a one time move I can understand that someone might not want to make that investment. But in general, secure your pets! It’s safer for you AND them. I have a video baby monitor I bought off of Amazon that sits on my dash so I can see what they’re up to in the kennels. The kennels are strapped down securely and have emergency contact info and medical info on them in case of emergency.
The ones I bought could be tied down so they were a little more secure.
