Linden almost rips her claws out trying to escape her cat cage just on the 10 min car journey from home to the vets. I also think she has Inspector Gadget arms - she seems capable of clawing the nearest person from an incredible distance away just by stretching an arm out through the gaps in the door of her cage (and she hooks in REALLY deep and then pulls)!

Any ideas on how to make things happier for her for the 20 min trip to airport, hour or so wait for plane ride, 2 hour plane ride, more wait at other end + 40 min or more car ride to the new place?

Not keen on sedating her, but am worried she will really injure herself.

(repeat of post in tips and advice section =)

Maybe you could try some Feliway spray. Spray about 10 to 15 minutes before you put her in the carrier. It seems to help Jupiter a bit, as she doesn't like long car rides either.

Have a safe trip!

_________________
Carol Goodall

"People that hate cats will come back as mice in their next life!"

I don't think you could take a sedated cat on a plane. The lower air pressure in the plane can magnify the effect of the drugs, so many airlines won't take a sedated cat on board because of the risk of it dying from the enhanced drug effect during transport. Feliway works with some cats. Make sure the carrier smells like home, e.g. put a used blanket and maybe a piece of your clothing or a washcloth you have used in there. Some cats are calmed by catnip, so you could try placing a catnip toy into the carrier as well. You might want to consider a zippered soft carrier with mesh across the openings if you are worried about injuries. She would not be able to stick her paw through the mesh. You could try getting her used to the carrier ahead of time by taking her on short rides, gradually increasing the time spent in the carrier etc.

i posted a reply in the tips & advice section for you...similar to what others have said

Thanks for the responses =)

I'm going to try get hold of some rescue remedy. Hopefully that in conjunction with the feliway may calm her down (feliway on its own doesn't seem to have any effect on her). Will also invest in some cat toys.

Unfortunately the mesh cages aren't up to safety requirements for flights - here they must use the cages with the metal doors that have me concerned =\

She quite enjoys being in the carrier - just not when it is moving. It's a game to her until it starts moving, then she just REALLY wants out. I'm very concerned that she's going to do some damage to her paws - she seems intent on just about declawing herself the way she wraps her claws around the bars and pulls =(

And yeah - they seriously recommend not drugging them (but will do so if necessary). I REALLY want to avoid it. If I could leave her out of the cage in the car I'd just drive the 14 hours over with her - but it's no longer legal here to have cats out of cages when in a car.

We have a vet visit this Friday to have checkups for all three cats and to discuss what they think we can do for Linden. I'll try the rescue remedy and feliway and catnip toys for that small trip and see how she goes! Keep fingies crossed

I've never been on a plane before, but can you really tell its moving?? if she likes it when its not moving, will she be able to tell she's moving on a plane??

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I don't know what your vet said, but I am taking my two on an 8 hour car trip for Thanksgiving, and I asked the vet for something that would make their ride (and mine) more comfortable. They are both so loud in the car! She gave me some pills that she cut into quarters to give them that don't knock them out but just make them calmer. i don't know if you got anything like that, but I'm hoping that it will do the trick.