Tips for Traveling with Your Ragdoll Cat: Ensuring a Stress-Free Trip

The start to any good trip is preparation, that includes a trip with your Ragdoll kitty! Wether you are driving or flying there are a few ways you can prep that can help tremendously with ensuring your adventure with your kitty is safe and stress-free for both of you!

Preperation Before the Trip

The key to a successful trip starts way before your kitty enters their carrier. Gradually acclimating your cat to their travel crate at home can make a world of difference. Making their carrier a safe haven rather than a scary box helps tremendously while traveling.

A few days before your trip we recommend setting out your kitties carrier with a cozy blanket and treats so they can explore it at their own discretion. This allows them to self acclimate to their carrier without getting placed into it forcefully and accidentally creating a hatred for the carrier.

Another option to consider is a trial run. Making a few short trips in the car to a nearby park or store, gradually increasing the duration and building their confidence can also help immensely in preparing for a long trip.

If your cat is still suffering from extreme travel anxiety we recommend taking a trip to your vet to discuss any recommendations that they may have. Some veterinarians will recommend potential sedation when traveling by car (sedation is not recommended when flying).

Packing your Ragdoll Kitties Travel Bag

There are a few essentials that you are going to want to make sure to bring along for your trip. First things first is a travel carrier, if you are flying you are going to want to make sure to get an airline approved soft carrer. Here is a link to our favorite soft carrier. We also recommend adding some of your kitties favorite things from home, a blanket and some of their most favorite toys seem to give them a feeling of security when traveling. Another important item on your packing list should be food and water. You should also consider bringing travel food/water dishes on your trip, foldable dishes can be an amazing space saver! If you are traveling by car bringing a disposable litterbox and pee pads for your car ride can be helpful for avoiding accidents. Most importantly, if your kitty is on any medications make sure to bring the correct amount for the days you will be traveling.

Here is a Travel Bag checklist you can print off to help make packing a bit easier!

KITTY TRAVEL BAG PACKING LIST

During Your Journey

What you do during your journey is just as important as preparing for your journey.

When you are traveling in the car it is best to secure your cats carrier in the backseat away from any airbags that could potentially go off in the case of emergency. If your kitty does great with traveling and you decide to let them out onto your lap it is so important that you do not have the windows down, cats can be super curious and try jumping out of the window. For super long car trips you can stop and offer them food/water and change out any dirty peepads or litter. It is super important to never leave them in a hot or cold car alone.

When you are traveling by plane it can look a litter different. It is always recommended that you have your kitty in the cabin with you. Most airports allow this option, cargo can be extremely stressful on your kitty. When going through TSA it is also recommended to have a harness and leash to avoid any unwanted runs. Another important thing to remember when traveling by plane is to keep your kitty inside their carrier at all times when in public.

Another helpful tip is to just stay calm. Your kitty can sense if you are stressed out or anxious and it could contribute to stress for them as well. Staying calm can help both of you enjoy your trip even more.

Home Away from Home

Once you reach your destination it is important to set up a small safe space or a "Home away from Home" for your kitty. Here they should have access to their litterbox, food, water and toys. The easiest way to transition them is to set them up in a small bedroom or bathroom, we recommend just opening up their carrier and allowing them to venture out on their own. A calm enviornment allows them to asjust more quickly.

Traveling with a Ragdoll cat can require a little bit more planning and preperation but if you do it right it can be a super fun experience for both you and your kitty.

Getting your PurrCozi Kitties Ragdoll Kitten Home Safe

When you add a PurrCozi Kitties kitten to your family we are here to help through every step of the way. Our kittens have been well acclimated to traveling by car and typically travel extremely well. We always want to ensure that our kittens get home as safe as possible. That being said, you are more than welcome to come pick up your kitten locally but if you find the drive to far then we offer ground transportion as well! We work with the most amazing and trustworthy transporters.

We hope this blog post helped ease some the anxieties of traveling with your kitty! If you have any other questions or need advice please feel free to email us at PurrCoziKitties@gmail.com

Much Love,

The PurrCozi Kitties Crew