Ideas to make the car less stressful?

[Peggy Ankney]

I have the same problem when taking the cats to the vet.  I’ve found that each cat is different.  Montana (an older cat) hates the car but prefers to be allowed to sit on the passenger side floor.  (But before you try this for the whole trip, I recommend driving around the neighborhood or a parking lot just in case your cat freaks out and distracts you – that can be a disaster!  Best if you have a friend go along just in case.)  Montana does OK but he drools and poops – it’s a sure way to get a stool sample, though not the most pleasant on the olfactory nerve.  My other cat, Karma, prefers the security of the cat carrier, though she cries the entire way to the vet.  For very long trips I get drugs from the vet (for the cat, not me) to help them relax.  Scoter only had one trip so far, and he did OK in the carrier.  I’ve never tried drugs for short trips because I don’t want anything to affect the results of the physical more than the ride in the car already does, but perhaps I’ll give them a little catnip next time and see if it helps.