Traveling with diabetic

Hello Everyone!

I was curious if anyone had any insight/info on the safest/best ways to travel (domestically and internationally) with a diabetic feline. We are a new foreign service family and I am naturally very concerned on how our four legged family members will adjust to the traveling every 2-3 years lifestyle...particularly the one with diabetes. Has anyone had any experience with this?

Thank you!!

 

We've had a few people who travel, or go camping.
Some important things:
Microchip / tattoo for loss recovery
Leash training - if traveling via air, you may need to remove the cat from the carrier. Only do this in a closed room and with a harness on.
Desensitization to being in a crate - leave one out and about, with a comfy towel, toy(s), catnip &/or Comfort Zone &/or other positive scent.

 

I have no experience with this myself, but i think it depends on the cat's personality as to how travelling will affect them. Some are fine and there would be no difference here to a Diabetic cat or not.

I also think for any cat, having certain routines is important. Regular feed times, no matter where you are. Incorporate brushing them and giving treats with these routines. Try to make sure they feel safe.

If there is an anxious cat, try always having something that smells of you, or of "home" (safe place) with them while travelling.

Obviously give the Diabetic kitty the insulin at the required time and keep up the good diet.

Apart from that, i think it should be fine!

 

You really won't know until it happens some furries will be more sensitive than others. There are pheromes you can try for reducing stress levels, also many members have had success with rescue remedy (the childs version with no alcohol) - I think you rub it on the ears. For safetys sake if you can't test BG while in the midst of travel you may have to reduce or skip an insulin shot

 

I've taken Neko on a three day car trip, 9 hours in the car each day, and then back again after a week at Colorado State University Vet Clinic. We've also had people fly their kitties across the country to CSU or to visit family. Here's a document one of our members wrote about traveling with her kitty, she had to commute each week with him while he was on insulin. He eventually went into remission, making life much easier.

Neko used to hate traveling even 10 minutes to the vet. After our long road trip, she's now a pro at car travel.

 

J.D. and I flew across the country from our home in New Jersey to visit my dad in California once a year for 8 years.
Micro Chip, snuggly fitting Harness with Leash the whole time your traveling while driving to the airport, at the airports, flying and driving to your destination. Lots of pee pads lined in the carrier. Bach's Rescue Remedy for Pets before flights. I would get his blood work done within 10 days of travel and get his Health Certificate and Rabies Certificate and a letter from the vet saying that I needed to carry syringes and insulin on board the plane (all of J.D.'s supplies were in my carry on). I would test him in the bathroom (on the fold down testing tables that they provide at airports) and I would carry some canned food and a plastic spoon in my jacket pocket and give him some to break up the monotony of the long flights. He had two plastic bowls and I would ask for ice water from the stewardess and give him that. When he went pee in his carrier he was not a happy boy and wanted out of there, now. I would bring a gallon sized plastic baggy to put a used pee pad in, so I could take off the top layer as needed. I found it hard to reach down to him under the seat in front of me, so that last time we traveled, I just bought an extra seat and he stayed under the empty seat next to me, that made it a lot easier to get to him and pet him and feed and water him. I always unzipped the front of his Large sized Sherpa Pet Carrier once we were up in the air and he would stretch out full length, but he was a big cat. I always wrapped the end of the leash tightly around my wrist in case I fell asleep as he had an uncanny knack of knowing when I fell asleep and would wander under the seats. You may not want to do what I did, and keep your cat inside the carrier as the airlines want. I always had stewardesses come by to visit and ask about J.D. and never said anything about him being out, as long as he was hanging out on the floor by my feet.
We always skipped the insulin the day of travel. You might want to ask your vet about that.
I always asked my Dad to bring a litter box and put it on the floor of his car in front of the back seat in case J.D. needed it, but he would never go in the car. It was always a long car drive on both ends, and so he kept that harness and leash on at all times. Cats can slip out of small places, like a cracked window in car (I once was holding the tail of a cat on the inside of a traveling car while the rest of the cat was on the outside of the window, so I have first had experience. It was not funny), so you want to keep a hold of your cat even in the car, or keep all windows and doors closed when you are not.
J.D. was a pretty mellow cat at the vets and even though he was once a feral and didn't ever warm up to most people including my dad, he felt at home at my parents house as we went there every year and he remembered where "our room" was and the lay of the house.
Let me know if you have other questions, and I'll try to answer them the best I can, from our experiences.

 

Great tips everyone, thank you!!!

Hopefully I can get ours to resemble Neko and J.D.; we will take incremental steps in exposure to travel before the big ones. I'll be sure to come back with any questions. Thank you everyone who responded, this community is superb.

 

This is great reading! I have already prepped many items ie. disposable litter boxes, garbage bags; FF of various carbs (low, medium, high - all cans are marked) Treats; gravy style and tuna pouches; water; bowls with lids; cooler for insulin and leftover food....will continue to review our lists and add as we prep this final few days before leaving on Friday morning; carrier, leash and collar with ID tag are ready to go. Luci inspects it regularly.