Originally Posted by quiltmouse
You travel in the car with the cat in the carrier. You stop & let the cat relieve itself in the greens at travel stops. Use a leash. In the motel, put familiar bed, food/water bowls, litter box in the bathroom, with the cat loose in the bathroom.
I suggest a drive of 30 min to "test" the cat. If it never calms down, get a tranquilizer from the vet. (Valium or whatever.)
my cats went berserk at the rest stops. with all the hubbub all around them they were scared out of their minds and almost pulled themselves right out of the harnesses, and don't think for one minute they can't do it. put them in a carrier that makes them snug but not tight. they don't need a lot of stretching room. use a familiar blanket under them. throw a blanket over the carrier so it's dark in there and they think they're hiding. try not to feed them too much. every hour get out and stretch yourself and when you do, lock yourself in the car with a litterbox and then open the carrier and offer the cat a chance to use it. be patient and wait. she may pee on her bed during the trip, so have an extra bed ready, or an extra blanket or towels that you can throw out. once she soils bedding, it's her toilet. don't let her use it again. the carrier may become the toilet anyway. don't be surprised if the cat hides under the car seat and you spend an hour trying to get it out. it sounds cruel, but try not to offer food or water until you settle for the night. the fewer times the cat has to go, the better for the two of you. bring plenty of extra rags or towels to clean her up when she has an accident out of nervousness. i've had to wrap mine tight in large towels, take her into the ladies' room, (don't be embarrassed and don't try to hide - it smells and everyone knows what it is) dunk her right into a sink and splash her little backside - you hang on to her really tight and run warm, warm water in the sink with one hand - then i had a towel ready to dry her. with the wipes you're carrying in your pocket, be sure to clean that sink. if you don't have real rest stops, with real ladies' rooms, carry loads of baby wipes and plastic bags for disposal. if this cat messes, and she squirms, it will be the worst experience of your life. have trial runs at cleaning her with one hand and holding her tight under your other arm. she will squiggle and try to escape, so practice.
in the real ladies' room, you can wash her backside with a wet, almost hot rag and throw it away. in a woodsy rest stop, use the baby wipes, they won't hurt her. i totally agree with the testing idea, especially since she doesn't know or trust you.
when you carry a cat, make sure you hang on tight against your chest and that the leash is on. always cover their heads. they're much more relaxed when they don't see strange stuff around them. if it's cold after you wash her, hold her tight and close to you in the car and cover her with lots of blankets until she warms up. sticking her into your jacket is good. remember she's now wet. turn up the heat. cats like to be warmer than we do.
in the hotel room, there are many things to look out for. watch out for places where the plumbing comes out of the wall and goes to the bathroom sink. those wall holes can be just big enough for her to slip into to hide. on the pedestal sinks, there's a hole in the back where a cat can crawl in and not get out. if you see those places, stuff clothing into them really tight. keep the toilet seat down. keep her closed into the bathroom. they only need 3" to sneak out of the room. in the bathroom, put down the bed, water, food. keep the litter as far away as possible. if the cat can jump, put the litterbox in the tub.
don't let the cat get under the bed. it takes forever to lure her out again. they can creep up into the box spring. furniture is often a few inches away from the wall. look out. friends had to stay an extra night getting their cat out. keep the drawers closed.
take away her food after she eats at night and again in the morning. and her water a few hours before you drive again. try to have breakfast in the car so you don't leave her alone. same with lunch. there's no place to bring her in to, and you don't want to leave her alone in a car. either take turns or eat in. they know when they're alone and they get frightened and feel abandoned. remember to throw a blanket over the carrier in the car. she may actually sleep.
i hope you're not traveling alone. doing that with a strange cat is not easy. definitely have the vet give you something for her and show you how to give it to her.
i hope i didn't scare you out of your mind, but do take precautions. she's a prisoner and she wants to escape, after all.