Can my elderly cat handle moving to college and travel stress?

Wow, exciting move! Very thoughtful of you to be thinking about what's best for Selena. In my experience, animals are quite resilient and adaptable. While I'm sure the day or two of travel will not be her favorite thing, my personal feeling is that 1-2 days of stressful travel is worth it if it means she gets to stay with the human she's attached to. Of course, you'll need to get a health certificate from your vet saying she's fit to travel - and I recommend giving your primary vet a call before that and chat with them in case they have additional input based on her specific temperament and medical history. However, my input would be that as long as your vet thinks she can handle the trip, you should take her with you. I hope this helps!

You may be surprised at how well he will take the move. If he becomes car sick, you may want to discuss anti-nausea medications with your vet that will ease this stress. Supplements like Zylkene or Comfort Zone Feliway Diffuser Kit for Cat Calming can be used during travel and when he gets to his new house to help with the transition. I would recommend keeping his food, litter, and litterbox the same. Give him plenty of attention. If he has any specific behavioral concerns once you move, post a new question and we would be happy to help again!

If Shakira stresses very easily, I think the best thing to do is have her seen by her vet before she goes on this trip, and discuss using medication to help ease her stress during it. The medication would be safest to use on a long car ride, not a flight. Make an appointment with her vet to discuss options. I hope this helps!

I would not recommend such a journey in an older cat especially if her routine will be changed from a free ranging cat to an indoor cat as this would provide an ongoing environmental stress even after the journey. Contact local humane societies and shelters to see if they can help provide a foster home for her or inquire of your neighbours if anyone is willing to monitor her and take responsibility for her ongoing care and health needs as she gets older.

I would recommend that you schedule an appointment to with your vet to discuss prescription anti-anxiety and anti-nausea medications that can help with stress of traveling for North. 6 hours isn't that long, but it can feel like an eternity if you have motion sickness or intense fear. I usually prescribe enough for a trial run to make sure there are not any odd side effects before the day of travel.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! You can definitively do this and it should go well. I recommend you use a product called Feliway which can help him feel more at ease and help with the transition. You may obtain this from your local pet store or online. Best of luck!

The move may be slightly stressful and unsettling for Emmy to begin with. With time and your support she will be able to adapt to her new surroundings. I would suggest some of the following tactics to help her as she adjusts. Feliway diffuser Increased interaction from you inclaying games like fetch or laser tag chase Bringing her articles with her such as her cat bed, or post If Emmy continues to display signs of stress, such as hiding behaviours or potty accidents, consult your veterinarian af discuss the possibility of the short term use of stress alleviating medications. Best of luck with the move and please feel free to ask any further questions you may have here on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! We are happy to help.