Logistically, ragdoll cats, despite their docile demeanor, may not be the ridiculously easy breed to travel with. There are somewhat fair reasons behind their quirky behaviors. Ragdolls inherently like to stay indoors, getting comfy in their surroundings, and sticking close to you. You’d hardly see these kitties flouting your snuggles or goofing around.
Chances are If you take them out of their comfort zone whether on a road trip or international flight, they might get anxious, meow off and on, and even throw an outburst.
Turns out, If you ask us, “Do Ragdoll cats travel well?” The short answer is literally no. They may not enjoy it for the most part, though, you could use some techniques to make their travel ordeal less daunting.
Relaxing Road Trip Tips for Your Ragdoll
Use Comfy Carrier
Ragdoll cats are territorial rather than nomadic by nature. They don’t like to deal with a lot of transitions at once, it’d be great if you could use the same carrier in your car that your kitty uses for trips to the vet or cattery. Tied down it securely and placed a soft blanket inside to content them.
Keep your Ragdoll in the carrier as much as possible during the trip since the car’s motion and vibration during road trips can bother them. If you’re using a little box instead of a carrier, make sure to fill it up with water, food, and extra bedding beforehand.
Take Periodic Breaks During Trip
You won’t go so far before your Ragdoll cat needs a breather. They have somewhere to retreat to (their carrier), though they need access to stretch their legs and roam around a bit, too. Plan stops every couple of hours, but don’t feel held up by a strict schedule.
If you need to slow down, do it. Your ragdoll will admire the chance to wiggle it out, perhaps even enthralled by the scent of a branch or plants along the way.
Yet, after all that, don’t expect your ragdoll to be out and about in a dense way during these breaks. They’re pretty sensitive to new environments, a good rule of thumb would be to take breaks every six hours at most.
Bring Toys and Treats
Unlike siamese & japanese bobtail, ragdolls are less high-octane and more low-key. For them, a day in their lives might include hanging out with you, napping in their sweet spot, and getting some playtime in. In saying this, ragdoll cats may not be always up for a road trip, since it interferes with the way they had things fixed (mostly snoozing).
You can’t do much about their inherent disposition. On the on-and-off event, if you need to travel with them, you could bring some toys they adore and treats to reward them. This can help distract your Ragdoll kitty if they get anxious.
Ask Your Vet For Medication (If Necessary)
Ragdolls are terrible travel partners. They often don’t easily calm down all the way long to your destination. Most ragdoll owners don’t face severe issues like drooling or vomiting, their motion sickness could be heavily problematic.
You can try out calming medications that contain synthesized pheromones to ease down anxiety if you find their behavior is so off. As always we recommend you not to start any medications without your vet’s go-ahead. Your veterinarian will prescribe medications with the right dosage after scanning your ragdoll’s health status, age, and stress severity.
Related Read: How To Choose The Right Veterinarian For Ragdoll Cat
Go Slowly & Have Patience
To put it simply, patience and the right strategy are the keys to traveling successfully to most extent with a ragdoll cat. Go at their pace, and don’t rush the process. Start by getting your ragdoll cat used to your car well before the big day.
Let them roam around the car or in the car if they’d like. For better, you can take them out first for a short ride – maybe just down the block and back – to get accustomed to being in a moving vehicle. They might not love it right away (we’re pretty sure they will!), but give it some time, and they’ll start enjoying some quality moments with you.
Additional Tips!
Pack your ragdoll’s recent photo and put a tag on its collar with your contact information to avoid the worst-case scenario. Besides, bring along extra blankets that have familiar scents, paper towels to clean urine, vomit, or feces, and grooming essentials (brushes, nail clippers, ragdoll-friendly shampoo, lint roller) if you have to take a long trip.
It’s most OK if you have an emergency kit already set up in your car before taking off. You can include gauze pads, adhesive tape to treat wounds, antiseptic wipes, and antibiotic ointment to prevent infection. More so, add a digital thermometer and tweezers for any unforeseen issues. If you’ve had success with a particular treat or toy, bring it along for the journey.
Ragdoll Cat Air Travel Requirements
You’re allowed to bring Ragdolls as a carry-on on most airlines. There are however specific requirements that you must read over to make sure you to the rules. The most general ones are to have up-to-date ragdoll health certificates and vaccination records.
Airlines typically require either a hard-sided travel carrier or a soft-sided travel carrier. We recommend a soft-sided carrier for raggies of around 11’H x 18’L x 11’W that could lightly fit under the airline seat in front of you. The carrier should be fairly large for your Ragdoll to stand, turn around, and lie down snugly.
Refrain from giving your raggies food a couple of of hours prior to the flight to avoid drooling or vomiting. Or at least It would be a good idea to reduce at least half of the normal meal. For ragdoll cats, air travel is way more harder as compared to road travel, even if they are flying in a cabin with you. The airport rush, plane vibration, smells and the quite small space can be a real trouble for them.
To minimize stress in your kitty, you can spray a calming pheromone in the crate for about 15 minutes before putting your ragdoll kitten in it. Line the carrier with an absorbent puppy potty pad in case they urinate or defecate during the flight. Pack some paper towels, a water bottle, bowl, and some of your cat’s food for the journey to feed them right away as the plane takes off.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How to reduce anxiety in Ragdoll cats during car ride
To ease your Ragdoll cat’s anxiety during cat trips, start with short trips to acclimate them. Follow a proper strategy and keep the pace slow. Let them get used to the car first, start with it parked, and then take it out for a spin. Use comfortable old carriers that have smell they’re familiar with, cozy blanket, the food they love the most, and playful toys.
How long can Ragdoll cats tolerate travel?
Ragdoll cats and kittens generally tolerate shorter trips only, around 2-4 hours after decent training. For longer journeys, plan frequent stops every 6 hours at least to offer water, carrier or litter box breaks, and stretching time.
How can I keep my ragdoll safe while traveling?
- Don’t let your ragdoll kitty out of the carrier when you’re driving, especially if you’re on your own.
- Secure the carrier with a seatbelt or put it in the backseat.
- Ragdolls don’t like to travel for longer distances, so stop frequently, bring along their favorite toys, and keep talking with them periodically to reassure and make them calm.
- Pack extra supplies (food, treats, litter box) and an emergency kit for any unforeseen delay.
- Put a tag on their collar and never leave them in the car alone.
Wrapping Up…
Most ragdoll cats don’t like to travel, whether it’s on the road or air. They get anxious real quick, though, strategic training and the right travel essentials could do wonders when it comes to traveling and make them less fussy. All you need is a whole lot of patience. No matter how long you’ve had planned the trip, be courteous with your raggies. They are truly docile and easygoing kitties that want nothing but your attention. If your floppy feline is resisting a car ride or air travel and gets super anxious that thing shouldn’t put you off, it turns out. Hopefully, our guide and tips have cleared your doubts about traveling with ragdoll cats or kittens and how you can make the most of your journey together with a lot less stress.
Written By: Usman Malik | Reviewed By: Ali Abbas | Fact Checked By: Aqib Zulfiqar
