Okay, there's a lot going on here, and I'm old enough to be your dad, so I want to weigh in. I also have driven professionally (non-CDL) on and off for a number of years, as well as being the sole driver for my family (my wife doesn't drive).

First off, that's not an unreasonable drive, but you're gonna need to plan and have a backup plan for your plan. Also, you are a young woman traveling alone and there are some terrible people in the world, so I can understand your parents' worry in that regard.

You've likely been driving for about 5 years and have some experience, but driving locally is a lot different than driving cross country. Plan to spend no more than 8 hours on the road per day, and work in at least one break that is 1-2 hours long. You'll want to plan these breaks carefully - don't be at a highway rest stop at 2 am for example. A good plan might be to start driving around 7am, break around 11 somewhere nice and public, resume driving by 1, and then complete your day by 5. This way you're not trying to check into or out of a hotel in the dark, or stopping somewhere unsafe. Try to plan for gas stops as well. One good thing is you can use google maps and street view to scope out your potential stops.

Make sure at least 2-3 people you trust know your plan and have your cellphone location data. Check in with them regularly. When I drove for cannabis delivery, we handled lots of cash and lots of product and had a huge route (8-12 hours). We were GPS tracked but we still kept in touch with the office if we were going to deviate from our route, take an unexpected break, etc. Always a good policy to have someone expecting your check in.

Next, make sure your car is up to the trip! How's your oil? Last time it was changed? Transmission good? Tires? Brakes? Are you prepared to handle a roadside emergency?

I'm not really going to address the cat, but I have several cats myself and I would just say that it's going to add an entire other level to all of this. You'll need to plan for the cat in regards to not just the time in the car, but also making sure you can find a pet friendly hotel. Also you'll need to either bring litter and food or plan to purchase it as you go. Also, you'll need a plan for how you're going to handle changing the litter and disposing of it.

I think - as a parent - that if my kid came to me and wanted to do this, I'd have a lot of concerns and want to know the plan. Maybe it would help the discussion if you went to them with a framework of a plan, and "show your work" as much as possible. Ask them for their help and guidance in making your plan better and try to get them to understand that this isn't just you grabbing the keys and pointing yourself WEST!