Ah ok
If we have to go further we would use the carrier. When we get kitten we are going to do lots of training from an early age with the carrier, even put a blankie in it so he can sleep in there if he wishes!

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Mummy to;

Sooty 9.6.1996 - 28.04.2011 Rest in peace my love!
Storm (Sueragdandy Phantom) 28.02.2010
Benji (Kassaro Benjamin Franklyn) 08.03.2011

I am about to attempt training with a seat belt car harness for our 2 kittens as we are moving in 4 months and it's an 8 hour drive and they yowl when they go 10 mins in the cat carrier to the cattery. Wish me luck. Would be interested to hear how anyone else has been getting on. ???

I really would discourage anyone from trying this, as it is potentially unsafe unless you are literally going a few yards slowly down the road from A to B. It certainly would not be a sensible practice for a long journey.

As catlovers know, cats can easily become spooked if something frightens them, and their behaviour at such times is unpredictable. Their main instinct when spooked is to flee the scene. If they were harnessed to a car seat belt they might not actually be able to wriggle free, but in terror, trying to escape, they could injure themselves, possibly severely. I am thinking of situations (which of course we hope will never occur) if one is in a minor accident, hit by another car. Something like that would certainly spook most cats.

If a cat yowls in a car whilst in a carrier the chances are he will yowl if he is harnessed to a seat belt. Basically he hates being in the car and wants to get away. If you have a cat like that, it really is best not to plan long car journeys with him, unless as a one-off when moving house of course.

Cats who are more tolerant of car journeys will travel best on long journeys (anything over 1 hr) in a crate which is larger than a carrier, and has room enough for bedding, a small litter tray and a water bowl. If you have a hatchback car, remove the security/parcel shelf and secure the carrier firmly in the boot, so the cat has some daylight but can't actually see out to the traffic. Years ago I travelled by car from London to Cornwall with 4 cats -- 2 in each crate. 3 of them were fine, one was unhappy, and for that reason I never took them with me again on that journey.

Folding crates can be bought quite cheaply these days (around £20) from amazon or ebay, are very sturdy and can be stored flat when not in use.
If you are putting a crate on a back seat ensure it is secured safely, perhaps by using the seat belts.

I personally would not be happy to drive a car with loose cats in it,whether harnessed or not.There is far too much risk of them being spooked by something and becoming a danger to both themselves and anyone in the car.Much better as chillminx says to invest in a crate or two and have them and everyone else travel in safety .

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I really don't like the idea of travelling with a cat that is not safely contained in a carrier or crate. If your cat is nervous of travelling long distances you could try spraying the carrier with Feliway first or use zylkene tablets to calm her.
Cats can escape from harnesses if stressed and in the event of an accident they would be far safer in a carrier anyway.

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How we behave toward cats here below determines our status in heaven. - Robert A. Heinlein
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