20 hour road trip to Kansas with 2 cats and a dog

Helped a friend drive from Delaware to Kansas over the weekend with two ragdoll cats and a golden retriever. The dog was fine, but the cats let their dislike of car travel be known throughout the trip. Plus, there was the "essence of litter box" to deal with. There has GOT to be a better way to move cats.

We stayed at a La Quinta (in Effingham) and it was great. All packed up and ready to leave, we couldn't find the girl cat. My friend was about to blame me for letting her slip out, but we called the front desk to report the situation and the lady who answered the phone assured us that the cat was not missing---and that we should check under the sink vanity, which has a hidden shelf underneath it. I checked and darned if she wasn't in there. The clerk said that it happens a lot--with people calling in a panic.

Once in Salina, we ended up lying on our backs in a cemetery looking at stars. But that's a long story for another time.

We all made it, although I was covered in enough dog & cat hair to look like Chewbacca when I emerged from the Subaru.