Dear Sinéad and Siouxsie,
OK, Girls . . . please do us all a favor and tell those silly humans how to travel safely with cats. I ran across a lady who was moving to the southern US in a rented truck. In an effort to move some items from the truck to her car on the trailer behind the truck, one of the cats got loose. Fortunately for the lady, the cat was caught two hours later and she was on her way south with a borrowed cat carrier. According to this woman, her vet told her to travel with the cats in a pillowcase if she didn't have a carrier. The pillowcase would give the cats a sense of security. This sounds like hogwash to me and opens the door for scared and suffocated kitties. So please give hints on safe travel.

Signed,
Concerned for Kitties

Sinéad: Oh, my goodness! Those poor cats, forced to travel in a big moving vehicle inside a pillowcase! No wonder one of them ran away. I would, too.

Siouxsie: That's dangerous, too. I can't believe some silly vet told this woman to put her cats inside a pillowcase. That is hogwash, plain and simple!

Sinéad: Most of us cats don't like to travel even under the best of circumstances, so it's important to make sure we're safe and enclosed in a small space. When Mama travels with Siouxsie and me, she puts each of us in our own cat carrier and then uses the seat belts in her car to buckle us in so our carriers won't move too much. We still cry and wail, especially when she goes around corners, but at least we don't go flying all over the car.

Siouxsie: It's very important to restrain any animal while you're traveling. Dogs, too. They have these cage things that you can put across the back of a station wagon car to keep your dogs in the back part. Not only does this keep the yucky, smelly dog fur off the car seats that belong rightfully to your cat friend, it keeps your dog from flying through the windshield if you have an accident or bumping into you if you have to stop suddenly. Mama says they even make doggie seat belts!

Sinéad: So, yes, kitties go in carriers all the time. That will keep us from running off when you open your car door, and it will keep us from distracting you while you drive or getting under your feet and making it hard for you to work those pedal things.

Siouxsie: And we prefer the kind of carriers that don't have wheels, because they make us feel more like we're on a solid surface once we're settled into the car. The wheels can make our crates wiggle and roll around, which makes us sick to our stomachs. Yuck!

JaneA: And of course, if you're traveling far away, make sure that your cat friend has a collar, tattoo, microchip, or some other kind of identification device, so that if your cat does get lost, there's at least a chance you might get him or her back.

Sinéad: We hate collars! We won't wear them!

JaneA: Stop stamping your feet, Sinéad; I know how you and Siouxsie feel about collars. If we go traveling far away, you'll get tattooed or microchipped.

Siouxsie: Yuck!

JaneA: Would you prefer never to be back home again if you get lost?

Siouxsie: Well . . . I suppose it's best for us to have some kind of ID. Just in case.

JaneA: And of course, air travel with cats can be very tricky. If you intend to fly somewhere and bring your cat, check with the airline to see what their procedures are regarding whether cats are allowed in the passenger compartment or if they need to travel in the baggage hold. If you're traveling to another country, check very carefully about regulations regarding documentation of your animal's immunizations and any possible quarantine periods. If you are allowed to bring your cat into the passenger compartment, use a soft-sided carrier (available at many pet stores and luggage stores) and make sure your cat has a leash and harness on, because security officials will want to X-ray or hand-examine the carrier itself and will--naturally--want you to remove the cat before this process. You don't want little Fluffy running in a panic through the airport as you're trying to catch your flight, so be sensible.

Sinéad: The way you complain about airplanes, I don't think I ever want to go in one!

Siouxsie: Me, either!

JaneA: Don't worry, Ladies. Unless I had to go to another country across the ocean for a long time, I wouldn't dream of subjecting you to the multitudinous joys of air travel.

Siouxsie: Whatever that means.

Sinéad: It means we don't have to worry about Mama taking us on a plane ride unless she gets a job in a foreign country where she'd live for a long time.

Siouxsie: Oh! Why didn't you just say so? No wonder Sinéad kisses up to you so much, Mama; you're a smartypants just like her!

JaneA: I'm also the one who feeds you and keeps you healthy and gives you loving petties and catnip parties, so you'd better watch it there, Miss Thang.

Sinéad: Hee hee hee!

Siouxsie: Hey Sinéad, this isn't my paw, it's the Bat-Mobile! And it's headed your way!

JaneA: Ladies, please!

Sinéad: So the bottom line here is, if you travel with your cat friend, please make sure he or she is in a carrier. And make sure that carrier is big enough for the cat to turn around inside of it once the door is closed. And put a nice soft towel in the bottom of it so that we have something comfortable to sit on.

Siouxsie: Don't forget to carry extra towels in case your cat friend gets an upset stomach and vomits sometime during your travels.

Sinéad: If you let your cat friend out of his carrier for any reason, make sure that all the doors and windows of your car are closed so that he can't escape.

Siouxsie: Speaking of cars and windows, I'll remind our readers once more that you should never, ever leave a cat (or a dog) alone inside a car. Even if the windows are open, cars get very, very hot, and animals can die of heatstroke very quickly.

JaneA: And here's a little more common-sense traveling advice. Bring supplies for your cat friend--food, water, dishes, cat litter, and a litter box. If you stay at hotels or campgrounds during your travels, do your research and call ahead to make sure that they are animal-friendly. Many hotels don't welcome animals unless they're guide dogs or service dogs; you don't want to discover this fact when you're exhausted from traveling all day. Also, be polite and don't assume that if you're staying with relatives or friends, they'll welcome your 120-pound Rottweiler-St. Bernard-Akita mix that sheds all the time, barks constantly, and lunges to attack whenever he sees another dog. Always call and ask permission to bring your cat or dog with you, and if they say no, be good-natured about it (there is certainly a practical reason) and board your animal or hire a pet-sitter. It's so easy to avoid the animal-related dramas that make vacations un-fun for everyone; all you have to do is use your brain.

Siouxsie: And if you're allergic to animals and you're staying at the home of a friend who has cats or dogs (or whatever), don't spend the whole time complaining about the animals setting off your allergies. It's the animals' house as well as the person's, and you have no right to expect that the animals will be exiled for the duration of your visit. If you can't deal with it; either stay at a hotel or up your dosage of allergy medicine.

Sinéad: And for heaven's sake, wherever you are--at home or traveling--clean up after your dog! It's nasty, not to mention unhealthy, to leave your dog's poop all over the place. There's no excuse for ignoring your dog's messes! If you're too lazy to pick up after your animals, you shouldn't have one.

Got a question? Need some advice? E-mail Sinéad and Siouxsie at advice@paws-and-effect.com. None of the advice in this column is meant to be a substitute for regular veterinary care.