Camping with a cat

[gsmith364]

This is our cat Nellie. He’s awesome. He plays fetch, meets us at the door when we come home and loves to cuddle. He has been a blessing with dealing with my PTSD. He’s just great. We rescued him from under an abandoned mobile home when he was just 8 weeks old and I am absolutely in love with this cat.

We also love camping. We like to do week long or longer trips. We always have family come to the house to feed him but this apparently isn’t enough for him. It’s very obvious that it stresses him when we are away.

We would like to take him camping with us but don’t know how he would react. If anyone has any advise on camping with a cat I’d really appreciate it.

[Marianne]

Just bought our first RV. Hoping to bring our two cats with us sooner vs later. Hoping that some bedding and toys from home will help. Plenty of cat treats. We have very small tents(display models from stores) we hope they can use to hide in since they can’t go under the bed. Litter box in the shower on a litter mat when we are not using the shower. At least these are our first thoughts. But cats do have a way of letting you know what they like and don’t like.

Beautiful cat!

[Ilovemywife]

Wife was against us taking the cat for years. We made the leap and the cat has been the best pet to take camping. Although she is an inside cat, she behaves well when she is outside and will run inside when we ask her to do so.

Worst thing about a cat and a small camper is finding a good spot for the litter spot.

[Reverse_snowbird]

Depends on the cat.

You've got a beautiful cat! Looks pretty laid back.

Our cat is too much of an escape artist to travel with us, but we've met lots of people who travel with them. We've also seen lots of 'lost cat' signs at campsite offices.

Most people who we've met have trained their cats with a harness so that they can take them outside.

However, we have friends with a main coon cat who camp with him and he's learned how to open the screen door by grabbing the handle. Luckily he never goes far.

First, see how your cat reacts to rides in your vehicle. If he freaks out, you've got a problem.

[jonzer12]

Cats will camp just fine camping but the biggest problem is what to do with them when your on the road. If you want to stop for lunch for an hour or half or go shopping they are stuck in the car or the trailer which quickly becomes a sauna.

[Kevin & Judy]

We travel with our cat Kodiak. He travels very well. always finds a spot between the seats or on the couch. He has about 25,000 miles under his paws. Loves to lay on the dash and sleep or look out the window. I cant imagine not having him go with us. Even when we take weekend trips with the car he goes with us. When we are on the road the liter box is under the table , and when we stop we put it between the seats, works out very well.

[tenttotrailer]

We travel with our two cats. Mostly no problems, I agree with the above about stopping for lunch and the vehicle getting hot. Our cats are trained to be on a harness and leash so they can get fresh air. Are one cat will go for a short walk with my wife. Like kids, if you keep them in their routine all will be fine. One point is to keep the blinds up a bit at night so they can see out, keeps them calm.

Kevin

[CHICKDOE]

we take our cat. the worst part is the first 100 miles as she meows quite a bit. after that she settles down and is pretty quite and sleeps. we travel with her in the tow truck. we have a cat box, food, and water setup in the trailer. when we stop we put her in the trailer to do what ever she needs to do. we can close a door to limit her to the bedroom area only. if we are going to be stopped for a length of time we turn on the generator and run the bedroom a/c for her in the trailer. we check to see if she made any deposits in the cat box.

when we get to a site we do not let her out for at least one day. she can look out the windows. we have one of those cat tents that we sometimes set up and put her in outside. after a couple of days we will let her out while we are out. she explores but pretty much ends up curled up under the trailer just watching things. she has at time roamed 2 or 3 trailers away but we walk down the road keeping an eye on her. she's much better behaved than we would have originally thought.

she's been known to bring us presents of lizards she has caught.

[DSurette]

We travel with three cats and for us it is no problem at all. We have a bunk model and the litter box is in the lower bunk and their "beds" are in the upper bunk. There is a combination scratching post and platform that they use to get to the top bunk. Their litter box is cleaned twice a day.
One of them has a problem with travel but only on the first day and then for only an hour or so. He gets an upset stomach that we attribute to nerves because he will sometimes throw up before we even start moving. But it passes quickly.
One of them enjoys getting to ride around the campground in his cat stroller with his human dutifully pushing him. We also have a folding playpen so they all can get some outside time.
I think you will find that travelling with your cat will be much easier and much more enjoyable than leaving her or him at home.

[JohnD10]

We have four loveable furballs of joy (Mainecoones) that travel with us.

It ain't easy...but it can be done!

Two large pet carriers in the back seat of the truck (two cats in each one).

They all give me the meows (I call it 'The Kitty Choir') for maybe a half hour or so after I round them up and put them in the carriers, but after that they go to sleep.

I can get around 400 miles or six hours before they start telling me they need to pee.

And if we need to stop to go into a Walmart or something and it's hot outside we just know that we must be fast...put the cats in the rig...go in...get what we stopped for...and get back to the rig!

No goofing around!

Or, one of us will stay with the truck and leave the engine and AC running.

In the 5'ver I removed one of the cabinet doors under one of the dinette seats so that they have their own little bedroom...they love it!

These guys are all indoor cats (used to be show cats), so they don't go outside...which, out here in the wild west should be a no-no anywayz as they are an easy meal for larger wildlife...all it takes is one second and they can be gone!

When we were in Rapid City, SD back in June I saw a hawk fly over the campground with somebodies cat in it's claws.

Also, someone mentioned their cat can open the screen door...I had that problem, too!

Now what I do is flip that swing-out grab handle by the door over the screen door (same as when travelling)...that way if they do open the screen door it will only open about a half inch!

As previously mentioned, the cat pan is the hardest thing to deal with, especially with four monster cats like mine!

Used to keep the cat pan in the bathroom next to the toilet, but that was when only two or three of them went on the road.

Now that all four have to go each time, I've removed the couch from my 5'ver and had a desk in it's place, but now that whole spot along the back wall is empty, so that is where the cat pan now resides...for now!

Since I fulltimed in the 5'ver for the first six months of this year and traveled around 5000 miles these guys are pretty much used to the gig now!

[Dpelaez]

I travel with my 6 yr old cat . Threw hieroglyphics in the motorhome last year and left for 3 months . She's ok with it because I'm there and she trusts me. You should have no problems. I leave next week for 4 months. This time I got her a fish net tent to spend time outside. I'm also trying a leash. I'll see how that goes. Bottom line..cats travel well.

[ColonelRick]

We take our 3 kitties on the road for as long as 3 weeks at a time. Two litter boxes and several sleeping spots help. One is always nervous, one is ambivalent and the third fights with us over the front seats. She would drive if her legs were long enough. Our biggest concern is keeping them cool. If we stop for lunch on the road on goes the Gen and AC. If we have doubts about the campsite electricity supply one of us stays with them on hot days.

[mikel68]

Jerry, one of our cats looking out the window at Fishing Bridge in Yellowstone a few years ago. I remember seeing him from across the room. He's a bobtail, that little tiny tail started to poof, as did his back. I looked out the window of the RV to see this.

[Wilnel]

I wish. My cats are indoor/outdoor but if I took them camping I figure they'd spook and run off.

[pamMJR]

We have traveled with our 2 cats for 3 years, 5 months at a time. Their litter box is in the shower and we have a cat door installed in the bathroom door. When we are traveling, we keep them in their carriers for safety. We give them potty and water breaks. Make sure you carry their medical records and always know where an emergency vet is on your route. Our cats stay indoors.

[Whalenss]

We travel with 3 cats. Made the over the cab bed into their area. They travel well. No problems.

[jtesta1]

My wife passed 13 months ago and now im fulltime with her cat in tow . She was a feral cat my wife brought in. Now if I open the door she runs and hides. Don't want nothing to do with outside. She's pretty good in the truck. Meows 5 minutes then she's fine for up to 5 hrs

[kenandterry]

Over the years we’ve had 4 different cats, and they’ve all traveled with us. Even significant car trips they traveled with us. It doesn’t take any animal too long to figure things out that if the only time they get taken in the car......they’re going to the vet, then you’re going to have troubles. 😱

Heck.....if every time you took me in the car, we ended up at the proctologist’s office, I wouldn’t want to go in any vehicle either. 😁😁

Now we do have a motorhome as opposed to any form of trailer, so they always travel and camp with us inside a climate controlled environment. And even if we stop for sight-seeing, lunch or whatever, we have a generator to run the A/C or heaters, so there’s no temperature extremes.

Our latest, DUKE, wouldn’t miss camping anytime. This is more like home than home is. Just try to leave without him.

[MMMndp]

We travel w a dog and cat. I have always taken my cats in cars to get them used to traveling. We also get them used to a harness as soon as possible. Ours loves to be w us regardless of whether we are home or on the road (inside or outside). If not on a leash/harness for a walk we have a collapsible, soft sided cage w top/bottom enclosure that travels nicely and easy to assemble/take down. It also allows us to drape something over the top or sides in the event of too much sun, etc. the cage helps to avoid issues w other campers pets if they happen to spot our cat but then our cat is used to dogs. Inside the camper we were lucky enough to convert the laundry hamper under the sink to a litter box area. In our older class c the litter box went behind the captains chair or in the front seat cab floor area. We also converted our overhead bunk area into a ‘kitty’ condo area since we try to give the cat and dog separate spaces. It helps since we do not travel w kids. 😋😋Bring a few play toys, encourage exploring, make sure they can see outside since they enjoy watching birds, etc and they will adapt. Good luck.

[oldsmasma]

My SIL camps with 2 indoor Siamese cats. When driving they are in carriers. Litter box is in the bedroom. One will explore outside wearing a harness but the other is terrified of the great outdoors. They travel extremely well.