I drove with my cat (Tutah) once from CLE to Chicago, and flew with her from CHI to TPA. Veterinarian gave me tranquilizer for the flight--it made it much easier. Fortunately Tutah is tiny (only about 8 lbs) so the cat carrier fits underneath the seat.

Separately, had an interesting experience last month with hurricane Georges here in Tampa. I live in a slightly low-lying area which is officially an evacuation zone when the windspeeds get over 123 mph. The kennels more inland are official pet sanctuaries during hurricanes, because animals aren't allowed in shelters. Anyway, I boarded Tutah 2 days early to be sure I got her in somewhere before I left for vacation. They asked for all kinds of information, and for you to bring water, but in the end, the hurricane missed TPA, Tutah was fine, and boarding was actually cheaper than having someone come for a week to look in!

Bravo Murphy Animal Hospital, Tampa, FL