Traveling with an older cat

[Sanity Claws]

I have two cats and moved cross country with them two years ago. I also took a couple of other trips with them. They may not have liked the travel but they managed.
However, this past week, I took them on a car trip of about 4.5 hours and the older one (he's somewhere between 12 and 14 years old) did not manage well. He moved his bowels on the trip down and peed on his way back. Poor baby had to stay in his carrier after soiling it.
My guess is that his senior status does not allow him to control his body functions as well as he could before. Unfortunately, another move may be coming up. How do I help him cope with the discomfort of travel? Would a sedative before travel help or hurt? Shipping him by plane does not sound like a solution because he would be confined for many hours and would probably have to relieve himself before getting home.

Any ideas?

[Habibi]

1. Once I started giving my cat tranks before travel,

the pooping in the crate stopped. Of course I haven't traveling more than 2 hours with him, so that might be a factor. Do you limit food and water before a trip?

[Sanity Claws]

2. What is/are tranks?

I have not limited food and water. They finish eating a couple of hours before a trip. Is that enough?

[Habibi]

3. Sorry--tranquilizers.

They really helped calm down all the howling, too. ;-)

No, I would think you would want to stop food and water at least 8 hours before a trip, but I'm no vet, so I would ask one.

[Sanity Claws]

4. I should have figured that out

I'll ask the vet.
This trip made me realize that my kitties, particularly the older one, are now senior citizens. Sigh.

[ginnyinWI]

5. I have a cat who has always gotten carsick when in a carrier,

but when she is allowed to sit on a towel covered back seat, she's just fine. The carrier would stress her out so much that she'd do it all--poop, pee and puke. (The kids referred to it as the "three P's".) Since letting her free she's been just fine. Of course there would have to be a second person in the car besides the driver for you to try this.

She's 16 now and a pretty good traveller--if she's not in her carrier.