Hi Ya'll. It's me. The newly single crazy cat lady. Kitty is 18 years old and she doesn't do well being left at home without me anymore overnight. I used to be able to leave her at home for a week and just have someone come every day to check on her. She's VERY anti-social with people she doesn't know. And moderately anti-social even with those that she does know. She is like a puppy who follows me around most of the time. We communicate verbally and I believe she cues well off of me to stay calm. She would tolerate me leaving like that for many years. But now that she's getting older she's more clingy. She will get bad anxiety and poop all over the house if I leave for a few days.
I'm flying across America on Southwest for a vacation with my family (whom she knows and love and knows the home that we will be staying in). And have been planning to bring her with me, since H is no longer around to be with her when I go away. I figured it would be less traumatic for her to go with me than staying at home for 12 days virtually alone. And less traumatic than being boarded at a kennel stuck in a cage where she would not get much human interaction due to how anti-social she is. Now I'm wondering if flying will be more stressful, though? She has traveled in cars cross country and has been fine. But she's had free-range in roaming around the car. And a littler box and food and water set up in the car for her.
It's a 5.5 hour flight plus travel time to the airport and waiting to get on board. I'm concerned about her need to use the litter box and eat/drink. My flight there is non-stop. My flight home has a 1.5 hour stop (haven't found anything direct so far). I was thinking of using my carry-on bag as Kitty emergency supplies (fresh towels in case she goes in the carrier, clorox wipes, food, water, and maybe even litter and a small pan. Can I sneak her in the bathroom to use it during our stop or on the flight? She's never been on a leash before. This sounds kind of crazy. Help?
What do you guys think?
Edited: to delete the date of my departure. For creepsters out there.