So I'm a cat lady...

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Specializes in psych, med-surg, oncology.

I'm coming up on two years of experience in Med/Onc/Tele and recently started giving travel nursing serious thought. I've been doing a lot of reading, and most companies say traveling with a pet is no problem, but I wonder, is it really? Specifically, I have two cats. Driving across country seems like a totally different scenario with a dog rather than a cat. I'm wondering, have any of you tried to travel with a cat? Have any of you had problems with pet deposits?

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Specializes in Short Term/Skilled.

I would never put my Cat through that unless it was just once a year or something like that. I am sure that there would be a pet deposit required wherever you stay, and many places don't take pets so there is that also. Other than those things I don't see how It would be any real issue, just make it more difficult to find places to stay.

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My cats travel with me all the time.

One of them is about seven months. The other is thirteen years old. They both do very well with it.

My oldest's personality is not what is typically considered "conducive to travel". He's shy and afraid of his own shadow, but I make sure to give him a lot of attention and reassurance when we get to new places and to bring items that smell like home so he knows this is going to be home from now on. Cat treats and catnip seem to work for him, too. I think having the kitten helps, but he did well with travel even without the kitten for reassurance. If your cats tend to freak out in the car, ask the vet about kitty Valium. It works pretty well.

On the polar opposite end of the spectrum is psycho kitten, who is only too happy to go wherever I want to go whenever I want to go there. He has no problems settling into new locations, though I use the same tricks for him as I do for my old guy just so he feels comfortable.

I don't travel nurse myself, but as much as the Army has been moving me, I might as well! I also have a fiance who lives 4 hours away, so I'm moving around a lot, too. Sometimes it's just easier to bring the cats for a short weekend instead of pay for the sitter.

Most places I've lived do have pet deposits and some also charge additional rent for each cat. I have lived in both rural areas, suburb-type areas and a very large US city. However, I have yet to encounter a location that explicitly bans pets, particularly cats. I've seen breed restrictions on dogs and there's usually a 2 pet max per apartment. On the off-chance that you do find a place that you like that doesn't allow pets, the probability of there being a place that does allow pets just down the street is pretty darn good!

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The host of another travel nurse forum travels with cats and talks at length about traveling with them. She has to sedate them for car rides. Her cats are indoor only and I would expect you don't want to travel with outdoor cats. Too many hazards in new neighborhoods for the unwary cat.

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Specializes in Tele/PCU/MedSurg/Travel.

I traveled with my indoor cat this past year. We drove from the Midwest to Seattle, from Seattle to LA, and back across the country once more. She was an excellent traveler! I didn't know what to expect, but after about an hour of meowing on the first day of each trip, she mostly settled down and slept. We stayed almost exclusively at Comfort Inns when we stopped, because most of them accept cats.

When I rented from individuals found through friends or on Craigslist, I didn't have a pet deposit. In my first apartment, which the travel company set up for me, $150 of the $300 pet deposit was refundable.

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Specializes in psych, med-surg, oncology.

How do you handle the potty situation? Do you bring a litter box in your car? That's what concerns me the most.

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We bought pads and lined the carriers. It worked for 3 days for us.

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Specializes in Tele/PCU/MedSurg/Travel.
How do you handle the potty situation? Do you bring a litter box in your car? That's what concerns me the most.

I used a large pet carrier (about the size you'd use for a small dog). It was large enough to fit in a small makeshift litter box; I used a small plastic container from Target, about the size of a shoebox. That was helpful, especially to take into the hotel room at night.

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I took a litterbox when I travelled, but my oldest is usually a little tense. Not a huge fan of using the facilities while on the road. Tiny, however, will inhale his body weight in food and spend 20 minutes in the moon room at a rest stop. For shorter trips, I will also line the carriers and deal with the consequences at the next stop.

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I just loved your title for this thread- cracked me up

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Specializes in psych, med-surg, oncology.

Thanks for all the tips, everyone! Sounds like I could actually pull it off.

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Specializes in psych, med-surg, oncology.

Haha, thanks. I feel like that's how most people see me when I bring up cat problems.

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