Though dogs are more frequent passengers, there are times a trip is unavoidable for a cat. Carrying it to the car and placing it on the seat is precarious at best. Unless conditioned at a very young age, it will be sensitive to motor vibrations and the accelerated stimulation, which causes most cats anxiety. The majority head for shelter underneath a seat; others eliminate their bowels. The more determined character sets its mind to a quick escape and is left sandwiched between its instincts and the car window. The worst-case scenario is the cat that scrambles to the owner's feet for protection. Pedals are not a natural phenomenon to our feline friends. My advice? Driving is enough of a challenge. Secure your cat in a cage before starting the engine.
Travel plans should be made ahead of time. If it is a long trip, ask your veterinarian about sedatives. Regardless of where you are going, stressing about your cat's reaction before you have left the house is a recipe for difficulty. Before transporting your beloved bundle, make a cozy space in a crate or box. If your cat adores curling in your sweatshirt, donate it for the day. If it has its own security blanket, use that. Go about your business as if nothing special was happening; when the time comes, put your cat in with its tail facing the opening of the enclosure. Tucking the tail between the hind legs, ease your cat in backward and close the box.
The car ride should be relaxing. No heavy metal music, please! If yours is a people cat, let it face you. If it suffers alone, shroud the enclosure in a dark sheet. Drive smoothly, avoiding potholes and severe curves.
Dogs
Structure is the key in canine car travel. Without it, problem travelers tend to fall into three categories. There is the wild bunch, bouncing from seat to seat; the reserved types that suffer their motion sickness quietly, throwing up all undigested matter in the most inopportune locations, and finally the territorial lot that prides itself on how fast it can drive all potential invaders away.
Car conditioning should start as young as possible. Pick an area for your dog in the back seat or cargo area. Front seats are a death trap in an accident. To insure your dog's security while driving, buy a car gate, secure a lead to a seat belt hook or get a crate. Dogs must not be free to roam. Keep the area cozy with a doggy mat and a favorite chew. For the truly energetic, a hollow bone with peanut butter is the best distraction. Each time you are ready to ride, direct your dog to its area with a familiar phrase, ''In the car!'' Repetition and consistency will pay off in the long run.
Is your dog a holy terror when people or other dogs pass the car? Although watching a dog savagely biting at a closed window can look humorous, it is no laughing matter. Such a dog, whether it weighs 2 pounds or 200 pounds, has an attitude problem and at this point you are viewed more as a chauffeur than a pilot. Each time you approach the car, keep your dog at your side. When the door opens, instruct ''wait'' and do not proceed until your dog is standing next to you respectfully. Secure or enclose your friend, and the picture is perfect. Before you attempt travel, however, work on the exit. ''Wait'' on the way out: it's protocol. If your dog bounds from the car, stick him back in and hold the lead until he relaxes. Some additional training may be in order to communicate your leadership, but you need to start somewhere.
One of the most frustrating problems is car sickness. Some grow out of it. Some are helped by incrementally making the trips longer, from around the driveway or the block onward. Securing them in one place and blocking their view of motion can be of great help. It is trial and error and extra sheets and paper towels until your dog snaps out of it.
