Car Rides

[steffiexxweffie]

Patches takes an hour car ride twice a week... since I go to college and he comes home with me every weekend.... yet he still freaks out every time we get in a car. Is there anything I can do to make him more comfortable?

 

[MikeScone]

steffiexxweffie wrote:

Is there anything I can do to make him more comfortable?

I found that Scone does much better if I have his cage on the passenger seat and I talk to him as we travel, especially if we're going to go around a sharp curve or stop or something like that. He seems more comfortable if he knows there's some change coming along.

 

[Orchid]

Simon didn't travel well...not even 2 minutes and he would be freaking out and breathing like he was gonna pass out. SCARED the crap out of me so I finally asked the vet for sedation meds..I just got too worried he would give himself a heart attack. We only ever had to travel 30 minutes or so too...he was bad about it...

I tried keeping him in the passenger seat next to me, and his cage had a space I could slip my hand in the top and pet him...I would try to keep low classical music on as well...it always made me feel better so I tried that with him



Best of luck!

 

[Saudade]

My best advice would be to cover the cage with a black cloth, make sure it's a fairly small cage too restrict his movement so he can't stress out too much. Talk to him and slip him a treat or two.

Always give him a treat when you finish the trip and tell him he's a good boy.

Perhaps putting him in your car for ten minutes each day, get him used to this environment, give him a treat at the end and lots of pats. Work up to having the car engine on and continue with the reassurances.

 

[Orchid]

Saudade wrote:

My best advice would be to cover the cage with a black cloth, make sure it's a fairly small cage too restrict his movement so he can't stress out too much. Talk to him and slip him a treat or two.

Always give him a treat when you finish the trip and tell him he's a good boy.

Perhaps putting him in your car for ten minutes each day, get him used to this environment, give him a treat at the end and lots of pats. Work up to having the car engine on and continue with the reassurances.

I think this is a great idea on how to work up to being alright with travel.

Once again I am glad to be an RO member