7 replies to this topic

[Cathe]

I have struggled with this question for sometime.

I have two small dogs and two cats at home. I have seen many cats in RVs of many sizes while traveling. How do people get a cat initiated to a rig, and how do you live with them in a rig? What about litter boxes, how do you exercise them, how do you deal with them when they run and hide when the motor starts? I have been able to entice one of my two cats to come into the motorhome while parked in front of the house, but she doesn't stay very long. I have many questions about taking them with me on the road. Perhaps, some of the experienced pet owners can shed some light on the how to's of cats in the RV lifestyle.

[tmoning]

Cathe:

Here are some articles on FMCA.com's Motorhoming with Pets pages that might help:

• My tips for traveling with cats
• Canyon the cat can travel
• Zandr and Kazmr: contented cats
• On the road with Rusty

[berginaperzina]

We have been traveling with our cat for many years now and he loves it! At this time we have an 8 year old Siamese and he loves it! Before him we have traveled with 2 other cats and they liked it also.
We put kitty in a cat carrier that is on a stroller, we bought it online at a cat site. The carrier is heavy cloth in the back with a window and the front half is mesh for a view, it attaches to a base that has 4 wheels. We put him in the carrier in between us and use a bunji cord to secure the carrier on both sides, when we first take off he comments a bunch for the first 10 miles or so and then he curls up, and sleeps. At the campsite he has the run of the motorhome (he is an indoor kitty) he loves to sleep in one of the cabinets where the blankets are and he loves to sit in the big window up front and watch chipmunks and fun stuff. The litter box is not a problem we keep it in a corner by the shower and we just make sure to clean it several time a day, a couple of times a day we take him for a walk through the campsite in his stroller and people laugh - it is a great way to meet people and pass the time chatting. Often when we are sitting around at the campsite we will bring him out in his carrier to sit with us and enjoy the birds or chipmunks.
Cats are great in motorhomes because they are fun, good company, sleep allot and are self entertaining, we can not imagine travelling without kitty.

[F223975D]

Cathe, on Jun 9 2009, 06:24 AM, said:

I have struggled with this question for sometime.

I have two small dogs and two cats at home. I have seen many cats in RVs of many sizes while traveling. How do people get a cat initiated to a rig, and how do you live with them in a rig? What about litter boxes, how do you exercise them, how do you deal with them when they run and hide when the motor starts? I have been able to entice one of my two cats to come into the motorhome while parked in front of the house, but she doesn't stay very long. I have many questions about taking them with me on the road. Perhaps, some of the experienced pet owners can shed some light on the how to's of cats in the RV lifestyle.

Our cat, Chessie, has traveled with us since 2004. We tried to acclimate her to her new surroundings while we were parked at home. We put her box and some food and water in the coach then went out with her for a few hours while we packed and organized. We also try to do this before the first trip of each season. She stays in a collapsible canvas dog crate while we are moving. It is large enough for her to sit up and turn around in. It doubles as her bed when we are parked. My concern is that in an accident, cats tend to hide and you may not be able to retrieve them quickly if you have to leave the coach. We let her out of the carrier at rest stops for a treat and she know to use her box then too. She willingly goes right back into the carrier when we set off again. Once parked at a camp site she really enjoys sleeping in the front window so we have a padded dash cover to protect the dash area We always bring a fresh catnip mouse for her to play with. She also likes to run from one end of the coach to the other. I always carry her vaccination papers with us in the pocket of her cat carrier since you never know when a campground will ask for them. Taking a carrier is also a good idea if you ever need to seek veterinary care or have to have the coach towed. We never intentionally let her out of the coach. However, she has accidentally escaped twice while we were camped. She ran up the tire once. The other time she ran under the coach. Both times she was scared to death. For this reason we always try to confine her to her carrier if we exit the coach at rest areas. We keep a large covered litter box for her so the mess stays in the box. That has never been a problem. I hope that answers some of your questions. I think Chessie is just happy to be wherever we are.

[Stan4d]

We've traveled with a pair of cats for over 10 years, and wouldn't be without them. One passed away a couple of months ago, so we've just adopted an additional pair of kittens, and are just starting the process of getting them familiar with our RVs.

Litterbox hint: We prefer to keep the litterbox in the rig's shower, and hold the door open with a short length of swimming "noodle" and a bungee cord. Before you do this, consider your pet's preferred litter!

Clay-based litter is NOT a good thing for your gray tank. We use a brand that's made strictly from corn, so when the inevitable odd bits of litter get washed down the shower drain, it doesn't cause any problems. We've found the "World's Best" brand nationwide at pet and feed stores, but there undoubtedly are competitors. The corn product does very well at odor control, "clumping," and other functions you want in a litter. When we brought our new kittens home, we set out a litterbox with corn litter, and covered half of it with the litter the breeder had used. Both kittens ignored the litter they'd used all their lives, and used the corn litter. So in our experience, kitty acceptance is also not a problem.

[PappaBull]

We fulltime with 2 cats and 1 yorkie. One cat is 15 years the other cat is a newbie at only 2 years and he has never lived anywhere else. We have had as many as 5 cats and until recently 2 yorkies. We have tried many types of litter boxes and the best by far is one made by "clever cat"-- excellent at controlling litter. Of course we vacuum often, every day or two or three. We rescue all of our kids so most are older when they move in with us and they all live very long lives so I do not feel the RV lifestyle bothers them a bit. I do recommend keeping all vet records current and close at hand and I also keep 3 or pet carries stored in the basement in case the M/H breaks down. Several I have talked to find it harder to travel with a spouse than a pet.

[deen_ad]

We have seven cats, all of which we take with us. Each has their own place to lay or hide when in motion. One likes the back of the couch, two like under the chair, another likes back in a cubbyhole by the bed, one likes on the floor between us, and once in a while one will want up in my wife's lap. Once we stop they show up, although one starts "yelling" at me to get the kitty Kondo's out so she can go out.

The oldest is 16 and the youngest is less than a year but we haven't taken him out to the MH.

Deen
F47302S

[JRAZZ]

deen_ad, on 02 March 2011 - 08:28 PM, said:

We have seven cats, all of which we take with us. Each has their own place to lay or hide when in motion. One likes the back of the couch, two like under the chair, another likes back in a cubbyhole by the bed, one likes on the floor between us, and once in a while one will want up in my wife's lap. Once we stop they show up, although one starts "yelling" at me to get the kitty Kondo's out so she can go out.

The oldest is 16 and the youngest is less than a year but we haven't taken him out to the MH.

Deen
F47302S