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So you’ve already booked a flight for you and your cat and now you wondering about the messy situations that could occur if the cat wants to use the bathroom. Whether it’s your cat’s first flight or not it’s good to be prepared for your cat’s bathroom breaks, especially when flying long-distance.
Here are 2 ways to help handle cats’ waste when traveling.
1. Carry a Portable Litterbox.
When traveling it’s very important to carry a small portable litterbox. Cats in specific don’t really prefer traveling, some cats may enjoy it while some may not, therefore they become tense, and stressed out and may tend to defecate or urinate in that state.
In this case, you will need to carry a litterbox. It’s preferred that the litter box is small enough to fit in the cat’s carrier. This will ensure that the cat is comfortable inside the carrier while also being able to freely use the bathroom if it needs to. The Disposable Cat Litter Box tray is awesome for travel and adventure and can be tossed out after each use.
Diy LitterBox.
If you dont have a portable litter box, you can make one using cardboard, plastic, tape and cat litter. Follow these simple steps.
- Get a small shallow cardboard box that can fit inside the cats carrier. You can also use cereal boxes.
- Place the box flat on a surface and cut the top using scissors.
- Line the inner parts of the card box with a plastic bag or clear film wrap. Seal it unto the box by sealing the sides with tap.
- Add cat litter into the box enough to cover the plastic lining and you good to go. To change the litter simply pull of the tap off and remove the plastic bag disposing of the litter.
Remember to make this in advance to give some time for the cat to adjust to it.
Steps to Remove waste.
Remove the Cats Poop.
Planes are normally very full and busy, therefore before you attempt to clean up your cats mess you should exit and go to the restroom that’s normally at the back of the plane. Note that most airlines do not allow pets to be taken out of the carrier for any reason. So before you decide to take kitty for a bathroom break check with officials.
When cleaning up using paper towels or hygiene wipes to scoop the poop with your hand in a controlled manner. You also want to remove the litter that’s messed up so that no odor remain. Be careful not to mess anything with poop since cats poop have a really bad smell.
Dispose the waste.
Disposing of cats poop is very difficult since cat waste have a really bad smell, however since you traveling on the plane and you restricted from effectively disposing of the waste you can safely seal the faeces into tightly sealed ziploc bags.
Scoop the faces and the litter and empty them carefully into the ziploc bags preventing any spills. These bags work well and they also trap the odor within the bag. keep them tied up and safely stored until you are able to dispose of it after you land.
Clean your cat.
Now that you’ve probably taken care of the faeces and the litter it’s time to get kitty all cleaned up. Using fragrant hygiene wipes you can clean the cat properly and remove any left over mess.
Normally this isnt required but because you traveling in a plane with many other people you really have to be considerate. You want to remove any trace of bad smell and cat poop.
Use air fresheners or fragrances.
To combat the bad smell in the cabin spray a little fragrance just to be sympathetic to those surrounding you. The last thing you want to get into a conflict with any other passenger.
While doing so, apologize to the surrounding passengers as we all know cat poop has a really bad stench. The PET HOUSE AIR FRESHNER is a great odor neutralizer that’s safe for cats.
2. Get pet diapers
If your cat isn’t too familiar with travelling or maybe they arent yet potty trained you can use pet diapers to prevent any messy situations. Diapers are great when travelling as you never know when your cat needs to relieve itself. This option works well for airlines that do not allow bathroom breaks for your cat while flying.
Normally cats that are sick and also kittens who are untrained use diapers. This method is more convenient and also travel friendly. When using diapers make sure you train the cat to get used used to it before the actual flight.
In this way the cat will be properly acclimated to using it and wont feel uncomfortable. This will ensure they dont freak out and will use the diaper to relieve itself.
So the next time you travelling with your cat feel free to throw in some diapers as it can greatly assist in making your travel stress free.
Changing a Dirty Diaper.
Changing a dirty diaper can be tricky since cats waste smell really bad so do this at the rest room or wait until you land if you aren’t allowed.
- Get the cat fixed on a flat surface.
- Remove the Dirty diaper and seal it in a ziplock bag. Dispose of it properly.
- Its preferred that you use throwaway diapers for easy disposing.
- Get the Cat cleaned up properly with Hygiene Wipes. Remember you trying to eliminate any odor.
- Put on a clean Diaper.
- Use a fragrant spray that is cat friendly to remove any odor.
Travel Preparation.
Travel Essentials.
1. Airline-approved Carrier, the Sherpa Travel Airline Approved Carrier is ideal for safe traveling. With both safety and comfort as its best features, this carrier is a perfect travel essential. Check the latest prices on Amazon
2. Portable Litterbox.
3. Hygiene Wipes.
4. Leash and Harness, The Rabbitgoo Cat Harness and Leash is a great Escape Proof Adjustable Vest. Perfect for traveling.
5. Portable Food and water dispensers. The 2-in-1 feeder is a perfect space efficient travel accessory for pets. Get it Now
6. Fragrant spray.
7. Pheromones sprays are Must-haves when traveling. This spray helps reduce stress and relieves anxiety. To ensure a smooth trip. The Feliway Cat Calming Pheromone Spray is the best in the market. Check the latest prices on Amazon.
8. Calming collar.
9. Ziploc bags.
10. Ziploc bags of clean litter.
Training.
Before you head out for that road trip or flight it’s important to follow some steps to try and prevent your cat from pooping while traveling
- As the cats owner you will have an idea of when your cat poops. It’s not always accurate but cats do have routine under normal situations. Therefore you can let your cat poop first then head out.
- Try to balance your cats feeding time with your travel plans. Its ideal to feed your cat about 1 or 2 hours before the journey so that the cat will be able to properly digest the food in case of motion sickness.
- Dont over feed your feline, I like to feed my cat half the normal portion of its meal so that the cat will not be hungry while not being entirely full either.
- You can also decide to not feed the cat a meal and substitute it with light quick digesting snacks while traveling.
- If its your cats first road trip or flight you should be prepared. Cats that are not familiar with traveling can easily get frightened and they tend to release poop. So you need a small travel portable litter box.
- Planes especially have alot of turbulence and noise which can easily cause fear and anxiety on your feline. In stressful situations we know that cats freakout and they will pee and poop. You must be prepared.
- If you know your cat isnt too good with traveling, try out some calming herbs but do not use sedatives or tranquilizers. The Veterinary medical association of america stated that the use of sedatives while flying can affect your pets heart and breathing, due to the altitude and the environment within the plane.
Even if you put all these measures in place and carefully plan your cats diet there is still a chance that your cat may poop. Therefore you should carry A litterbox and disposable bags for cleaning the mess.
You can also choose to go with pet diapers if your cat isnt potty trained. If you do have time, you can potty train your cat.
Litterbox Training.
First you need to choose a good litter box that is proportionate to the cats size, you can choose either covered or uncovered. Preferably choose a box that is 13 by 9 inches. This size is best for most cats of average weight and size.
Decide on the right litter as they are a range to choose from. Next up is to pick a good location, make sure the area has no distractions and is freely accessible. Remember once you find a proper location you cannot change this area.
Step 1: Show your kitten the location of the litter box and let your kitten sniff around.
Step 2: Gently place your kitten in the litter box. They may instinctively start pawing at the litter or even using the litter box.
Step 3: You can run your fingers through the clean litter to demonstrate the pawing action. Make you cat see that there is no danger in it.
Step 4: Place your cat into the box after meals and every morning or after naps.
Step 5: Be patient and reward your feline whenever they use it. At first kitty will reject and become tense since this is something new but with time your cat will get used to it.
Step 6: If your cat isnt using the litterbox it’s probably because the cat doesn’t know what the box is for. In this case take some of the cats poop and place it inside the litterbox. Let the faeces sit in the litterbox for some time so that kitty will know that this is the place to poop.
Give some time for the cat to sniff around and make sense of it, your cat will come around.
Once your cat is properly litterbox trained you also need to help the cat feel comfortable pooping while traveling. This transition from home litterbox training to car or plane litterbox training is a big step for your furry friend.
A good idea is to get a small litterbox that fits in the cats carrier. As time passes the cat will get used to the carrier and the litter box inside therefore when traveling tag along the carrier with the litterbox inside. Since the cat is already used to it
