Avoid cat-astrophe when moving your felines

Q:We’re moving and have two cats and two dogs. It will be a two-day drive and I am concerned about the cats. I don’t know if a hotel would let us stay having four animals and I am afraid that the cats will get loose.

I can’t put them together because they don’t like each other and then there’s the issue of relieving themselves and feeding and watering them.

Do you have any advice?

A:Moving with pets is doable with advanced planning. Begin by calling hotels or search Airbnbs to find places that accept pets.

If there is a pet limit, you have three options. The first option is to ask the hotel or Airbnb host for permission to exceed their limit. Get this permission in writing before you set out on your trip.

Option two is to rent two hotel rooms so you can be within the pet limits per room. This also gives you more options for separating the animals that don’t get along.

Option three is to place them at a local kennel overnight.

Send vaccination verification to the kennel in advance of your arrival and be sure to carry copies in case of an emergency. The kennel option also gives you a little time to yourself after a long day and less worry about who doesn’t get along with who.

The cats are fine traveling in their carriers as long as they can stand up and turn around in it. In fact, it’s the safest place they can be.

You can let them out inside the car if you need to give them water or access to the litter box.

If you let them out in the car for any reason, stay inside the vehicle with them so you don’t have to open a door, and make sure all doors and windows remain closed until they are safely back in their carriers.

Wait to feed them when you get to your overnight destination.

Talk to your vet about getting medication to help them rest easier. Oftentimes though, the hum of the car on the road puts most pets to sleep.

Finally, make sure everyone has a microchip as well as collar and tag with your cell phone number. Safe travels.

Q: My daughter will be moving to London this summer. She has two rescue cats and wants to take them with her. Is it safe for the cats to take such a long flight?

A: If they are on a nonstop flight, they should sleep/rest during the entire trip, which I estimate is eight hours. The cargo hold is pressurized and climate-controlled, so it will accommodate them.

However, airlines won’t fly animals if it’s below 45 degrees or above 84 degrees. The concern is not the temperature in the cargo hold, but the holding area or on the runway where animals wait before boarding a flight. The temperatures at Miami International Airport during the summer will likely be in the 90s.

The agent may be planning for the cats to fly on an early morning or late evening flight to avoid these temperature restrictions, or maybe the agent knows of an airline with climate-controlled holding areas. But this is something to consider if flying cats during the summer. Overall, the cats will be a bit stressed during the trip but should recover within a few days.