Moving Interstate

[Nushie]

We are moving from Sydney to Melbourne in October and i just wanted to hear from people that have done an interstate move or other long distance move. Give me your list of suggestions or what to do and what to avoid. We will be driving down with our pug and cat. Have to get the car down there and i would rather spend 2 days on the road than worry about getting them both on a plane.

Also any recommendations for a place to stay overnight midway down would be great. Jager is great in the car and i hope he will sleep the entire way, i figure we should just stop every 2 hours for a stretch and pee break for him, but i dont want to rush it so want to spend a night somewhere on the way.

What things did you take with you on the road for your pets to make it more comfortable and less stressful for them? Jager is crate trained and often sleeps for 2 hours in the car when we visit my mum but is there anything that you can suggest to help him settle for a longer trip (2.5 hours is the longest car trip he has been on in one day). Do i feed him on the morning of the trip?? can i give him a pigs ear on the drive if he starts getting restless or is that just asking for car sickness??

Any and all suggestions appreciated.

[*kirty*]

Do you need to take 2 days? It only takes about 11hrs and we always do it in 1 day. I wouldn't feed him before or during the trip, just give him watwr. And then normal dinner.

[Esky the husky]

Huski had a similar thread in offtopic not too long ago.

We did albury - adelaide with Esky and the cat.

We had to do it all in one go because we had limited time with the trailer.

Only had a few stops for wees etc. Stopped for lunch and carried on.

Esky was only very young about 3 months but she was very patient and slept most of the way.

Cat was way more annoying :laugh:

[Nushie]

Do you need to take 2 days? It only takes about 11hrs and we always do it in 1 day. I wouldn't feed him before or during the trip, just give him watwr. And then normal dinner.

I just thought it would be easier on the animals if we took our time and stayed overnight. Do you think it would be better to just get it over with in one day???

[flame ryder]

If it was me I'd do it all in one day and get it over with. You might find it hard to get somewhere to stay with a dog and a cat. Unless you have friends or family who will put you up half way? Dog probably wouldn't be a problem but cats don't travel well. Mine spent the four hour trip here yowling loudly most of the way...very traumatic experience for a cat.

[huski]

Huski had a similar thread in offtopic not too long ago.

I sure did! I just moved from Brisbane to Sydney last week in fact. We did the 12 hr drive down over two days and stopped overnight at a dog friendly B&B. That is probably one of my number one recommendations - if you do stop somewhere make sure it is definitely dog friendly, where we stayed allowed the dogs inside and was actually designed specifically for dog owners and was really well fenced and secure. It made it SO easy not to have to stress about the dogs that night.

My two had never been in the car for longer than a couple of hours and they were so easy and didn't make a peep the whole way down. I had Daisy in a crate and Micha on his bed next to her as I can't fit two crates in the back of my car. I didn't have to stop anywhere near as many times as I thought I would need to for them. It was actually heaps easier than I thought it would be!

ETA: I actually flew my cat down separately, I am glad I did. I don't generally stress about flying pets though as I've done it a few times. I had her picked up from the airport and taken to a boarding kennel where I picked her up a few days later. I actually think it was less stressful for her than being driven down.

Edited August 26, 2012 by huski

[aussielover]

I would find a pet friendly B&B, although if you're with someone else, you could share the driving but its a pretty long day in the car.

Is your dog used to going for longish trips in the car?

I don't think giving a pigs ear would be a problem, I've given my dog pigs ears when we do 4 hour trips and she has no problem.

I could not bear to do a long drive with a cat, unless it was well trained and used to travel. Its much harder on cats as you can't really let them out for toilet breaks and they don't generally like change or moving house which could make staying at a B&B a bit stressful for both yourselves and the cat.

[Staff'n'Toller]

Yep - a cat would drive me bananas. They annoy me enough taking them to work and it's only 30 mins.

Somewhere either side of the border would be fine. You might find some inside dog accom on Stayz..I'm not sure about the hospitality of the cheaper hotels. I don't believe many of them accept dogs inside.

[dancinbcs]

If your dog is used to car travel and normally doesn't get carsick there is no reason he will on a longer trip. I always feed as normal. The dog won't be an issue no matter if it is one or two days and if you cannot find anywhere to stay overnight where he is allowed in, then let him sleep in the car. I usually stop every two hours for a leg stretch, toilet and drink for the dogs when they travel. The longest I have done is 4500km in 16 days with two dogs and it never fazed them at all. We stayed in everything from caravans, motels, B&Bs and friends homes to dog friendly houses on that trip and stayed somewhere different nearly every night.

The cat may be a very different matter. Some will settle in a crate but even if harness trained they tend to be terrified if you get them out anywhere so two days is a crate is a long time. The only way we managed to take a cat from Sydney - Albury and back again a few years later was to carry a litter tray and litter and when we stopped we put the litter tray on the floor of the car and let her out of the crate. Then cat back in the crate and and tip the litter out. She was a very layed back cat but travelling further than to the vets was a bit of a nightmare. With a cat I would do the trip in one day if you have two drivers. I have no idea how to stop a cat yowling for hours though.

[Nushie]

I will be sharing the drive with my boyfriend but even so, i do tend to get bored and restless whether i am the driver or not, i cannot sleep in cars.

Our cat is pretty used to car travel, as long as she has her crate and fleece blankets she doesnt tend to make a fuss in the car. However you do make a good point about the stress on the move on her. When we moved to our current place it took her hours to even venture out of her crate and then a couple of days to settle in and confidently wander around the house. So doing it all in one trip would make that part easier on her i guess, but i just dont know how i would give her the chance to go to the toilet on a 12 hour trip. She would be too timid to take out on a leash at a park so how would we manage that for her comfort?? Probably the wrong forum to be asking that question on :)

there is just so much to think about. Its driving me nuts!!

[dancinbcs]

I will be sharing the drive with my boyfriend but even so, i do tend to get bored and restless whether i am the driver or not, i cannot sleep in cars.

Our cat is pretty used to car travel, as long as she has her crate and fleece blankets she doesnt tend to make a fuss in the car. However you do make a good point about the stress on the move on her. When we moved to our current place it took her hours to even venture out of her crate and then a couple of days to settle in and confidently wander around the house. So doing it all in one trip would make that part easier on her i guess, but i just dont know how i would give her the chance to go to the toilet on a 12 hour trip. She would be too timid to take out on a leash at a park so how would we manage that for her comfort?? Probably the wrong forum to be asking that question on :)

there is just so much to think about. Its driving me nuts!!

I found placing the cat in the litter tray in the front passenger footwell, worked if we stopped in a quiet spot and kept the car doors shut while she went. Then cat straight back into the crate before opening the car doors. Not easy but it worked. Sydney to Melbourne is only about 8 hours driving time plus stops.

[Staff'n'Toller]

I will be sharing the drive with my boyfriend but even so, i do tend to get bored and restless whether i am the driver or not, i cannot sleep in cars.

Our cat is pretty used to car travel, as long as she has her crate and fleece blankets she doesnt tend to make a fuss in the car. However you do make a good point about the stress on the move on her. When we moved to our current place it took her hours to even venture out of her crate and then a couple of days to settle in and confidently wander around the house. So doing it all in one trip would make that part easier on her i guess, but i just dont know how i would give her the chance to go to the toilet on a 12 hour trip. She would be too timid to take out on a leash at a park so how would we manage that for her comfort?? Probably the wrong forum to be asking that question on :)

there is just so much to think about. Its driving me nuts!!

If you do take her and you do stop overnight, and she won't come out of the crate she will have to hold on approx 5 + 8 + 5...might be unreasonable for a kitty. Just a thought.

[dianed]

I regularly visit the kids in Vic and take a dog with me. I,m on the coast so its a 2.5 hour trip to the Hume Highway. Last trip I left at 7am arrived central Vic around 4pm( after taking the wrong road)

If you are travelling Sydney to Melbourne its a day trip if you leave before 7am. Its 4 lanes the whole way, once the Holbrook bypass is open it will be all freeway, 110k,s an hour.

I stopped twice for doggie to walk around.

Stopping overnight in my book is making it a very long road trip.

Edited August 26, 2012 by dianed

[mixeduppup]

I did a 12 hour trip at the start of the year with two dogs, a cat and a 1 week old lamb on my lap. Rule of thumb was only stop in towns that didn't look dodgy and that was every 3 hours or so. We also had one big break about half way through for lunch. The dogs had chew toys and were seasoned travelers, the cat is a cool dude and hung out, the lamb peed on me multiple times but lambs do that. We didn't feed them the night before and gave them water frequently but only in small doses. They did fine.

[Dogsfevr]

I have done Syd / Mel & no way would i make it a over nighter unless i had no option but to leave late afternoon.

We stopped 4 times simply due to having youngsters with us but if it was just the adults would have stopped only when they woke or when we did a petrol stop.

Stopping every 2 hrs will drive the dog bonkers & not allow it to settle.

The weather can also be warmer then & getting in/out of the car will just heat the dog .

Plus if you can't find a dog friendly place to allow the dog in the room & its warm i would be more concerned of a dog/cat in a hot airless car .

Our showdogs sleep in the trailers with great airflow & plenty of room to move .

[*kirty*]

The cat will be fine holding on for 12hrs, but you can try the litter tray in the foot well. Definitely don't take her out of the car, on a harness or not. Far too risky. If she gets away from you, you'll never get her back.

[Rebanne]

Cat would be fine for a day, so would the dogs. I'd only stop when I needed the loo or petrol. That's when the dogs would get their toilet time. My dogs are happy to toilet every 6 or so hours, they would never go every 2. Trying to get them to go that often would add a couple of hours to the trip.

[Starkehre]

Drive and only stop for fuel and emptying yourself and the dogs every 4-6 hrs.

There is every chance the cat will cry the whole way, it will drive you nuts. But there is every chance it will cry all night in a motel or B & B also.

It is not a long trip. I do this trip on my ear, drive it alone with the dogs and float, and only stop two or three times Melbourne to Sydney.

The more you stop, the more you disturb the resting pets. whilst driving the car can be kept at a cool temperature inside and all will be well.

I do suggest you have extra clothing for yourself in the car handy. The pets often hot when stressed or travelling, so you may need to turn the air-con up for them and rug yourself up. I don;t normally feel the cold much, but I have had to do this many times to keep my dogs cool.

[MadWoofter]

I did Adelaide to Sydney with two dogs & a cat. If you're taking the cat with you (rather than flying it separately) then I'd do the trip all in one go. I had two overnight stops and Reah was pretty darn stressed by the end of it with all the changes.

Other than that, a lot really depends on your pets and how they cope. My two dogs were fine on the trip and were much better off in the car with me than being flown separately. They actually needed far fewer stops than I thought, and spent most of it asleep on the back seat of the car. I had the footwells in the bag full with bags & things, and I had a heap of blankets and doonas on the backseat so they were nice & comfortable. We stopped every 4 hours for a big drink, a walk and a widdle, and at each place I stayed at overnight I made sure they went for a big walk when we arrived and again before we left in the morning.

Do you have time to get your cat used to a harness so you can take her out when you stop for a toilet?

[Aetherglow]

It really depends on both your dog and your cat. I have done the road trip with a nine month old puppy who wasn't used to long car trips and with an adult cat, and I've flown a 12 week old kitten from Melbourne to Sydney. I found stopping every two hours was far harder and more tiring on me than just driving through and stopping only once or twice, it was disruptive for me and the puppy and she would have been fine if I'd just let her settle and sleep in her crate instead of getting her out all the time. She would also have been fine with an overnight stop, but it's not really necessary. The cat my sister and I drove was completely traumatised, the kitten I flew as checked baggage handled everything like a total pro even though the longest he'd been in a carrier was an hour and he'd never been in one without at least one of his littermates before. That was partially because of their personalities, but if I ever had to do it again I'd definitely fly a cat. Much better for them to get it all over and done with quickly, and it's a short flight even if they have to go through with a freight company. Going as checked luggage is even quicker as you can check them in and collect them in the terminal yourself.