Why, oh why, is a ride in the car so fraught with anxiety? Your Friday Art Cat has to be tricked or stuffed into a carrier to go anywhere. (Most often the vet, of course.) Once en route the protests range from quiet mewling to plaintive wailing to outright caterwauling.

There are ways to desensitize kitties to the stress of car travel by leaving the carrier out, wiping the carrier with happy cat pheromones, and depositing occasional treats in said carrier. Some cats are prone to motion sickness. According to PetMD, the initial signs are:

• Excessive drooling
• Crying out in distress
• Immobility, or acting afraid to move
• Vomiting or regurgitation
• Urinating or defecating

If that happened to me every time I got in a car, I wouldn’t want to go anywhere either! Check with your vet to determine the best remedy for your cat’s symptoms, and considering trying some strategies to destress the cat carrier experience.

I write about art, cats, and books all of the time. Check out my posts at Art is Not for Sissies. Thanks much for your interest!

Filed under: The Friday Art Cat, Uncategorized Tagged: #katzenworld, art, car ride, cat, cat carrier, cat tips, cats, drawing, katze, katzen, kawaii, motion sickness, painting, watercolor