Our travel safety tips are based on our experiences travelling to cat shows with our Gentle Giants.

Carriers

Above, our favorite type of carrier, the SturdiBag Pet Carrier, comes in different sizes. These carriers are durable and light weight, perfect for the occasional trip to the vet. Some are small enough to be approved for traveling with your pet in the cabin of an airline, under your seat. When selecting the size you will need to accomodate a fully grown Maine Coon, please keep in mind that Maine Coons are known as the gentle GIANTS. A kitten takes about three years to reach its full size, so that small inexpensive carrier that looks plenty big for taking your new kitten home will soon be obscolete.

Before loading your Maine Coon into its carrier, you might try allowing your Coon to explore the carrier. This process can occur hours or even days before the travel event. If you are making an unexpected trip to the neighborhood veterinarian and find yourself a little anxious, please take time to insure your carrier is closed securely. You wouldn't want an unanticipated escape.

Carriers are intended to be used for carrying your pet, and are not really designed for safe car travel. As they have very soft sides, they may not adequately protect your animal in the event of a sudden stop or accident. Below, for longer trips, we recommend a plastic-sided crate that is large enough for your Maine Coon and a litter box.

Crates

A plastic-sided dog crate works excellently for car travel with your Maine Coon. Below, our favorite brand is the Furrarri made by Pet Mate and distributed by Petco, Kahoots, and other pet supply stores. Easily disassembled for cleaning (no screws required), the hard plastic sides can help protect your Coon against impact.

The crate should be roomy enough that your Maine Coon can turn around and stand up comfortably. In cold weather, we drape the crate with a blanket. We line our crates with a towel or fabric cushion (available from Sturdi Products) for added comfort. (Since these crates also meet airline regulations for dog transport, we use them to ship our puppies to new owners.)

Other travel supplies

When you're on the road for an overnight trip, you can't always count on being able to locate the food to which your Coon is accustomed. We recommend that you travel with food, so you minimize your Coon's digestive upset during the trip.

It is also useful to have bottled water; towels, which your Coon can lay on and is easily replaced in the event of car sickness; blanket (in cold weather, place it over the crate to help hold in warmth); litter, litter scoop and litter pan; and plastic bags (leftovers from the grocery store work well) to use when disposing of used litter.

Foldable plastic boxes such as the Sturdi Box from Sturdi Products can serve as food bowls, water bowls, and litter pans, and they are inexpensive enough that you can buy a few. They don't take up a lot of storage room at home when not in use and are easy to clean.