First time travel with a cat

[Metalman]

Our cat has been traveling with us for more than a year. We don't travel by motor home often enough for her start out trips being relaxed, but after a few hours, she becomes accustom to riding.

We have a cat carrier but she doesn't like it. We travel with the carrier stored away in case we have a problem with the motor home and have to rent a car.

Her food and water is next to the stairs, behind the passenger seat. Her litter box is in the cabinet designed for storing boots and shoes at the bottom of the stairs. I removed the door and cut the opening a bit larger so her kitty litter box fits in without tipping much.

Often she sleeps on the dash, mother's lap, or on the floor next to the low window.

Claws are a problem and she has done some damage to the upholstery. Got to keep them clipped.

[Catsacrossamerica.net]

Originally Posted by VJRocky

I may be taking our feline friend with us on a 3 week stint. What are the pros and cons. Where to put the kitty pan, emotional stress (cat and owner) [emoji9] etc. The RV is a 35' Hurricane bath and a half. Not sure if it's a good choice. I appreciate any comments.

We have been on the road for 18 months in our Thor Ace 29.4 - with four cats. It has been a brilliant success. For a while you will be naturally anxious but we put them into two collapsible largish fabric dog ‘carriers’. One great success is our outdoor cat cage - this is how it works. We cut a hole for a cat flap into the locker by the exit steps. We then put a plastic grill across the front of the locker (behind the door which still closes) then create and walkway into the cage with a ‘tunnel’ like getting into a plane. They come and go all day, but we keep them in all day. You can find pictures on our blog CATSACROSSAMERICA.NET

[KC8RXQ]

When we travel we take our three cats along. One crawls under the wife's twin bed covers, one likes staying in the travel crate, and my buddy Mickey (see photo) roams around and visits while we travel. The litter box stays in the shower pan and the food and water dishes set behind the front passenger seat. So far so good but it does get a bit cramped at times and I'm sure they would like something longer than our motorhome to stretch their legs.

[grfenton]

We have been full time for six years and have had our cat with us from the beginning. At first he was a little unsure but has grown to put up with it. We have a Tuscany 42rq and keep his cat box in the half bath. We have a cat play ytent for outdoors when we are parked. Con- He loves to go outside, first thing in the morning, so at about six am he starts beating on the door to wake me up so I can take him out.

Best thing about having a cat is not having to take them out in foul weather.

[dfh]

We travel with one cat. Her litter box goes in front of the passenger seat when parked and the food and water behind the driver's seat. We have a Windsport, the Hurricane twin. She had a rough first trip getting used to the movement and noise but now she's a pro.

[Sam54]

I have two small Havanese dogs that I take with me in the same rig. I usually have them belted with an extension in the passenger seat, so they have enough slack to jump down and peer out the foot well window. I also keep food and water just behind the seat so they can eat/drink whenever they feel like it.

[CasaLoca]

For us, we needed a covered litter box to keep our two cats from turning the whole MH into a sandbox. We covered the dashboard with carpet and the cats love it with no damage to the dash. We have covered as much of the upholstery as we can with cheap towels to keep claws away. One cat takes well to the plastic claw covers, the other freaks out until he chews them off.
We travel with the cats each in their own carrier in case of accident. Free run when parked. We used a special "calming" food on our first trip. No longer necessary.
And when the cats run free I have make panels to put under the dash so cats can't get in behind the dash. That happened once, we stayed an extra night at camp waiting for the cat to come out.
CasaLoca

[VJRocky]

My biggest problem when deciding to take her with us is that she doesn't squot to pee but sprays instead. At home we use a tall sided plastic container from WM to contain the spray. I can't imagine how I would resolve that in our MH.

[Catsacrossamerica.net]

Originally Posted by VJRocky

I may be taking our feline friend with us on a 3 week stint. What are the pros and cons. Where to put the kitty pan, emotional stress (cat and owner) [emoji9] etc. The RV is a 35' Hurricane bath and a half. Not sure if it's a good choice. I appreciate any comments.

Here’s a thought...
We cut a cat flap through to the locket by the steps and then attached a collapsible dog crate. It is fabulous and our 4. Cats can sit out with us in the evenings. Follow us on CATSACROSSAMERICA.NET

[tcshr5@yahoo.com]

our cat travels in our mh and in our truck when we commute 2 hours to our camper on the lake. we keep a covered litter box in mh shower and on floorboard of truck backseat. cat travels great.

[skag101]

We have two dogs and a cat and they all absolutely love to travel. The cat sleeps on the bed most of the time when on the road. Dogs in the floor. Our 2018 ACE 30.2 has a compartment with an outside door and a sliding door inside on the step area. This is where we put the cat box. Easy access outside to place and remove the cat box and when traveling she enters and exits through the small sliding door on the steps. Works perfect. Like it was made for it.

[Kbs]

We have a Thor pd31 and travel with a cat. She has the most sensitive stomach of any animal we have ever owned. She gets sick within the first 30 min. The. Fine for the rest of the trip, so we reduce her food in the hours before we head out. Seems to work .....for the most part sigh... She sleeps on the copilot or on “her” pillow on the couch when we are moving. We keep her food and water under the dinette. My wife found a litter box with high sides and the opening on the top. Works great!!
We keep it in the bathroom (appropriate) when rolling then move it between the driver and copilot seat when we are stationary. It’s the same box both in rv and home so she didn’t have to get used to. Good luck !!

[VJRocky]

Originally Posted by Kbs

We have a Thor pd31 and travel with a cat. She has the most sensitive stomach of any animal we have ever owned. She gets sick within the first 30 min. The. Fine for the rest of the trip, so we reduce her food in the hours before we head out. Seems to work .....for the most part sigh... She sleeps on the copilot or on “her” pillow on the couch when we are moving. We keep her food and water under the dinette. My wife found a litter box with high sides and the opening on the top. Works great!!
We keep it in the bathroom (appropriate) when rolling then move it between the driver and copilot seat when we are stationary. It’s the same box both in rv and home so she didn’t have to get used to. Good luck !!

Thanks for the input.

[Slickrick racer]

We were more worried than our cat. She did fine after our first trip. Let her visit the motorhome a couple of days before we leave. Litter box normally stays in back bath. Of course, Leon keeps her company also.

[Gail B]

We travel with our cat in a Mirimar 34.2. We installed a cat door to access the space under the bed. Our cat now has her own en-suite with her litter box and bed. As soon as we start packing up she goes there and doesn’t come out until we’re settled again. I use Arm and Hammer brand litter; it doesn’t track or smell.

[Metalman]

Originally Posted by Gail B

We travel with our cat in a Mirimar 34.2. We installed a cat door to access the space under the bed. Our cat now has her own en-suite with her litter box and bed. As soon as we start packing up she goes there and doesn’t come out until we’re settled again. I use Arm and Hammer brand litter; it doesn’t track or smell.

What type of Arm and Hammer litter do you use and where do you buy it? I saw several types of Arm and Hammer litter in the Internet. I don't believe I've seen that brand locally.

[Gail B]

Clump and Seal. I bought it at Walmart in Calgary but I don’t know if they carry it everywhere.

[KCKim]

Originally Posted by VJRocky

I may be taking our feline friend with us on a 3 week stint. What are the pros and cons. Where to put the kitty pan, emotional stress (cat and owner) [emoji9] etc. The RV is a 35' Hurricane bath and a half. Not sure if it's a good choice. I appreciate any comments.

First, make sure you have your cat chipped and registered with a locating/return service such as Home Again (there are others, but this is the one we use).



Second, make sure your cat has a collar with the return service tag on it.


Third, make sure your cat has been vaccinated for rabies, and carry the vet's certification with you.


Litter box -- put the box wherever you can find space for it. There are online "plans" for hiding it away, etc. It's not rocket science -- do what works best for you. Will it smell? Of course. Solution: use odor-suppressing litter, clean the box at least once a day.


Our cats are terrified of riding in their travel kennels, so we let them stay loose in the RV. We have a class C, though, and have inserted a sheet of plywood fit to size between the "house" and the cab, which keeps the cats out of the driver's way when we're on the road. I'm not sure what you need to do with a class A.

Our cats aren't particularly fond of being in the RV when we're moving down the road, but each (we have 2) have found a space where they feel secure. The skinny cat zips behind the sofa and has found a safe space beneath the sofa. The big furry cat started out slipping behind the pillows on the bed, but has recently figured out how to get behind the sofa and join the skinny cat.



They seem to have figured out the difference between our preparing to just leave the RV for the day (they stare at us for a moment and then find their beds and go to sleep) versus our preparing to hit the road (they stare and watch and their tails flick with concern), and the minute they hear the RV motor engage they fly behind the sofa.

So, I think there is some stress on the cats while they learn the routine, but ours have settled into the routine, and once we set up at a campsite, they come out, demand (as cats do) some loving attention, and all is good and well.

For us, it's less stressful to take the cats with us, than it is to board them or find someone to come into our home and feed them and clean the litter boxes, etc.



One thing you did not enquire about: food and water - many RVs now have a drawer dedicated to pet food and water dishes. If yours does not (ours doesn't) just find a convenient place for it. Water will slop out of the bowl while you're moving. I empty ours, because our cats don't come out of their safe space while we're on the road.


You and your cats will be fine. Enjoy your travels.

[Metalman]

Our cat prefers to drink out of a glass, so as long as the water level isn't too high, there is no spilling.