I am in the exact same boat except that I have 6 outdoor/indoor cats. We are going to be moving from NW IL to TN either in the late fall or spring.

We will be taking a 5th wheel camper and my husband thinks we can just let them ride in the camper without carriers. I can't imagine them even trying to use a litter box in those circumstances but any suggestions will be appreciate by me also! (We are also transporting 2 large labs who will be riding in the back seats of the truck.

I haven't moved them across country, but even across town, I've put every cat in a carrier. (If they're friends, 2 to a carrier, so they're not freaked out.) Do not, I repeat, do NOT put cats in a trailer uncrated. I made a mistake like that once, only once. I was driving from Phoenix to L.A. with a beloved black cat - who flew out the door at a gas station stop and streaked off across desert land. I don't remember how long it took us to get the cat back, but eventually we did. Now think about that scenario with 6 cats.

A friend of mine moved her entire colony of 42 (yes, 42!) rescues from FL to NY several years ago. She and her husband rented a trailer, crated the kitties and took off. Along the way, she managed to feed, water, clean litter boxes and tend the ones on medication. They made it with all 42, though I am sure it was an ordeal.

You are both to be commended for taking all your pets. I can't believe the number of people who simply drop them off at shelters - or just leave them on their own - because "I'm moving and I can't take them with me." What a crock of caca! It will work for you, just think it through.

I'm dying to move away from here so I hope other people will post their experiences, too.

We moved from Texas to Northern VA with 2 rescue cats (and 2 boys!) We put both cats in a medium size dog crate with a small litter box, food and water. The cats hated every minute of the drive and let us know, but it was the best solution for us.

My husband drove 1 car and I drove the other (with the cats). We stopped overnight twice at pet friendly hotels.
The cats did not use the litter box I had in the crate but did use the regular size box I set up for them in the hotel room.

One of the biggest challenges we faced was finding our particularly skittish cat in the hotel room on the final morning. She found a perfect hiding spot for herself but we had a heck of a time finding her.

It was a long ordeal but my kitties arrived safely and are happy in their new home.

what everybody said, especially the part about crating them.

Several years ago, I sold a house to a woman who had, not cats, but Australian Shepherds, seems like about 12 of them.

& Aussies, like Collies, are prone to carsickness.

She had a van outfitted like a kennel, with crates bolted to the sides, & drove from Washington State to Texas.

They all made it.

It seems that college/university kids get a cat while they're here in school. Come the summer and they go back home, tons of cats get abandoned.

There was a cat being given away. A tenant left him behind, and the landlord didn't go in to the apartment for a number of days. How sad, and absolutely heartless of the tenant.

I would like to suggest that you get one of those aromatic cat plug in devices for where ever you move in. It will keep them calmer and also keep them from bad behavior in your new home. I would also suggest that you either contain them somewhat or watch them carefully, bc when cats get upset they may have some out of litter box behaviors that will be hard to alter later on.

Also they have the same spray to spray into their carrier ... get some and do it before you leave... but do NOT spray when your cat is in there nor on your cat!

Before I moved down alone with my animals my husband came with me with a trailer attached to our car and we moved a number of our things into a rental. We did this a week before I officially moved down with the animals. There was NO way I would be driving down with them and pulling a trailer!

BC I was leaving early to get a job in the new area before my husband I had to drive down alone a week later with the animals.
While there during our first trip to the rental, I set up the bathroom for my cats. I added one of those aromatic plug-ins for cats to help them adjust to the move. It is supposed to calm them down and make them think that the place is OK. I left it running for when we came down later.

When I moved my two cats and toy poodle. I had a 12 hour drive. My poodle had taken trips alone but not my cats. Since I didn't know what to expect from them I ended up leaving after dinner and drove through the night.

I stopped several times to let them out of their crates and to use a litter box in the back of the car. Neither cat would use the litter box nor did they eat or drink the whole ride down. My dog was fine on the other hand.

But even though it was grueling to drive through the night alone. I think it was the best solution for my cats. It really didn't disturb their eating or bathroom patterns as much. And neither of them even used the litter box I set up anyway.

We moved with our one cat. We had her in a cozy travel carrier, and she was much happier with that. We kept a small litter box in the car, which she never used. We spent a couple of nights in motels, and she was spooked there too. We were very careful to have her crated when we opened car and motel room doors. She gave us no problems, but she was not really happy till we arrived at our new home and she had explored every inch of it. The arrival of the familiar furniture helped calm her down too.

Before you move check out if you can have 5 cats in the place you are moving to. Some neighborhoods/cities limit the number you can have Make sure they are all caught up on their shots. Good luck

Look at the smaller outdoor dog pens, like a 5x5 pen, and reinforce it with hardware cloth if the kitties are small and the space between the bars large. Set that up inside a camper or travel trailer, (You may need to move some of the furniture.) and do some hammocks and shelves to give them height and a safe place to rest. Put a litter box on the floor, and use a gerbil waterer for water. No food while you are moving. And don't let them out of it all all until you are at your destination. You'll have a double safe doorlock inside the RV.

And you can use the pen when you get there as a safe outdoor spot to sun them. It will help if you can practice getting them all into the cage at once, and also doing small trips individually with them in crates so they get used to a moving vehicle.

{{!gwi}}

Here is a link that might be useful: Pen example

When I needed to get a couple of kittens across country, I looked into pet transport services. Some drive in teams, non-stop, and one person stays in the back of the van with the cats. Others are just one person, who will stay at pet-friendly motels overnight or sleep in the van. Most use crates with litterboxes, but one let them roam freely in the back with a "guardian" to supervise them. Some are better about keeping in contact throughout the trip by text/cell. They can quote you out prices so you can compare. The prices were kind of high, but considering the stress it would save us, we were willing to pay it.

Another option, which is what we ended up doing, is having someone who worked for the airline bring them in-cabin to us. That probably wouldn't work well with 5 cats though.

This post was edited by kkllb on Fri, Sep 12, 14 at 9:09

We are currently living on acreage in the middle of nowhere in IL and will be moving to a similar type residence in TN so neighbors aren't a concern. As far as shots go, they all got rabies shots when they were neutered/spayed many years ago. Yes, I know they have expired.

As far as crating them together, of the six, only two like each other a little. I would have a bunch of beaten-up cats if I did that.

hollysprings, that's a great idea I'll remember if I ever get to move any distance. But, as RR says, it only works if they all get along. The imperative thing is to keep them contained, small crates or large.

It's easier traveling with a dog, they don't run off (not all cats do either...but if they get spooked...poof). My Aussies and I have had ten hour day drives, and stay in pet friendly motels. They bore up fine...though they didn't eat the whole trip (their choice..I offered at night)...not till we got to our new home.
I would suspect that the advise about just giving water and no food is apt because A) they won't eat and if they do B) they will get sick and that's neither good for them nor you.

When I moved from Illinois to Florida with my three cats, I bought a very large dog crate and put them all in it, along with food, water, and a little box (which they all used). The drive ended up being much longer than it should have, as Atlanta had a freak snowstorm and we were literally stopped on the expressway for hours, but thankfully everyone survived. I liked having a cage with litterbox much better than small crates. I also second the poster who said to use one of those pheremone plug-ins. They really make the transition much easier, and they also calmed the cats when we adopted a dog years later.

When we moved with our two cats, we used a small dog cage/"kennel" (puppy sized) which was large enough for two cat hammocks and a small litter box for the floor. We kept water on the rest of the floor, and provided a bit of dry catfood as well.

After arrival, we were careful to keep them shut in a small part of the house for several weeks while they adjusted to the new location.

With this method, you could probably fit two cages and one cat carrier into the back seat area of a vehicle, which would accommodate five cats. The most reclusive cat would probably prefer the carrier.

If the cats have to be left in the car for any reason, the windows can be left open and the car parked in a shady spot.

If your cats like catnip, you might want to place some in their containers. Any amenities added, such as cat toys or favorite snacks, will help to assure the cats that your plans for them are positive. Even if they do not eat them, it will help to keep them calmer.

Such kennels usually fold flat for efficient storage for later use.

[Edited to add:

We used old bath towels to cover the tops of each cage. Tis kept the cats calmer and also protected them from drafts from open windows while driving.]

This post was edited by eibren on Sat, Sep 13, 14 at 14:51