Community Forums

AloraDanin · 01-11-2012, 02:45 PM

Hi,

Just in the process of buying our first DP and then at the end of February on the road for four months...with at least one cat.

Any suggestions to make this comfortable for the cat...and for the owners.

Also, what do you recommend for cat litter container. I've heard of people putting them in the basement...if you can get to it from inside the motor home. And I've seen some that look like a piece of furniture.

Any suggestions welcome...and any advice for a newbie fulltimer with a cat.

Barbara

CorLynn · 01-11-2012, 03:17 PM

Hello

I have a regular cat litter box with the lid. It dont look like a piece of furniture. I put it under my dash passenger side, i have a mid door coach. And i only use fresh step litter, its real good for holding orders back. And when i travel i put kitty in his holding bag, its actually a dog bag but i have a big kitty. I put him in there because it helps him handle traveling better. if i let him roam free he ends up getting sick

GENECOP · 01-11-2012, 04:55 PM

We use a the small size concrete mixing pan sold at HD or Loews for a litter box. We have 3 cats so the large box works well. If your MH has a low floor level cabinet with a door you can remove the door and leave the litter box in the cabinet. Or cut a cat access door into the face of the door....

DAN L · 01-11-2012, 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AloraDanin

Hi,

Just in the process of buying our first DP and then at the end of February on the road for four months...with at least one cat.

Any suggestions to make this comfortable for the cat...and for the owners.

Also, what do you recommend for cat litter container. I've heard of people putting them in the basement...if you can get to it from inside the motor home. And I've seen some that look like a piece of furniture.

Any suggestions welcome...and any advice for a newbie fulltimer with a cat.

Barbara

we have been full timing with 2 17 year old cats for 4 years.

we use an electric litterbox with arm and hammer multicat litter. we are presently using a modified simple clean litter box.

i do not recommend it. the littermate works better. they both work on 110v house power or inverter power. we keep the litterbox on the shower floor. i made a wire fixture with 2 eyelets to keep the bathroom door open about 6 inches all the time.

we keep the dry food feeder and the spill proof water container on the floor under the dinette table. we use filtered water.

when we are under way, both of our cats hide behind the bed or behind the couch. there is no need for us to put them in their carriers. they hide when we start to retract a slide and come back out when we extend a slide.
both of our slideouts are constructed so that there is no chance of the cats being hurt in the mechanisms.

Mr_D · 01-11-2012, 06:20 PM

We take all seven of our cats with us, the oldest is 17 and the youngest is about 1½. Each has it's own place to stay when we travel although sometimes the oldest likes in my wife's lap. A couple of them curl up on the dash in the pet beds we have there. One likes on the couch on a pile of blankets. Another is under the rocker. The big one sticks his head under the couch, he's too big to go under completely. One or two may lay on the floor beside me.
The litter box goes in the shower and is scooped daily or more often depending on what our noses say!
We had one dog, a Maltese, that liked under the dash, right under the brake tredle, not a good place!!

AloraDanin · 01-11-2012, 07:12 PM

Thanks for the comments. Another question...do you take the cats outside? I think ours will go nuts if he can't get out. I just ordered him a harness...guess we'll try and walk him.

Also thought we might be able to tether him up outside...only when we're there...some sort of stake in the ground and a chain.

Thoughts
Thanks
Barbara

DAN L · 01-11-2012, 07:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AloraDanin

Thanks for the comments. Another question...do you take the cats outside? I think ours will go nuts if he can't get out. I just ordered him a harness...guess we'll try and walk him.

Also thought we might be able to tether him up outside...only when we're there...some sort of stake in the ground and a chain.

Thoughts
Thanks
Barbara

our cats had their front claws removed before we got them.
they are and always have been totally inside cats.

there are wild animals and free ranging dogs in much of the us.

i would be leery about leaving a cat outside in an unknown area especially if it is tethered.

CorLynn · 01-11-2012, 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AloraDanin

Thanks for the comments. Another question...do you take the cats outside? I think ours will go nuts if he can't get out. I just ordered him a harness...guess we'll try and walk him.

Also thought we might be able to tether him up outside...only when we're there...some sort of stake in the ground and a chain.

Thoughts
Thanks
Barbara

My kitty goes outside almost every day. He don't like to stay out too long though and he always sticks right close, he knows what RV is his

and i have a basket holder on my bike, i also put him in his cat bag and strap him to the bike and take him for short rides

okmunky · 01-11-2012, 08:41 PM

I installed a Cat Genie http://www.amazon.com/CatGenie-120-S...6338900&sr=8-2 system for my former employer's 2 cats. She enjoys no longer scooping litter. It needs pressurized water and access to a drain which might be challenging if you drive far.

My puppy, who has yet to understand what "come" means, wears a tag with my cell phone # on it. She is also microchipped with the cell # as the only one registered. My biggest fear is her getting lost when we are traveling. You might want to put something like that on your wants outside cats.

PyrateSilly · 01-13-2012, 09:23 AM

We have a big, scardy cat. He likes to claim the bed until the MH starts up then he goes to "hide" in a tent I made on the couch for him. He can see out but feels secure in the "dark". If we are traveling longer than about 2 hrs he then gets the courage up to leave his tent and will venture to my lap (no I am not driving) or the dash or the bar counter.
His litter box is a covered one and it goes under a desk in the LR area. The food and water is also in the LR area on the floor. Since he has not claws on the front we have gone thru several different litters to make sure that the pieces are not too big or too small to hurt or to get stuck in his paws. We also have to make sure that we do NOT get any litters that have any type of perfumes, not only for the cats strong sense of smell but also cause of Thom's allergies.
He has 7 toes on each foot and the previous owner had him declawed on the front. No he does not go out, he did sneak out at the S&B and I can tell you it's not a pretty site. He really is a big, scardy cat.
Not sure if we will get another cat when he passes. Thom is quite allergic to cats but he is the one that picked all three animals that we have had - Hershey, Grommet and Gascap.

RanCarr · 01-13-2012, 03:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AloraDanin

Hi,

Just in the process of buying our first DP and then at the end of February on the road for four months...with at least one cat.

Any suggestions to make this comfortable for the cat...and for the owners.

Also, what do you recommend for cat litter container. I've heard of people putting them in the basement...if you can get to it from inside the motor home. And I've seen some that look like a piece of furniture.

Any suggestions welcome...and any advice for a newbie fulltimer with a cat.

Barbara

We travel and camp with three cats. We use two large totes from Wal*Mart for litter pans and scoop twice a day. The shallower pans allow too much litter to scatter around. The cats took to the totes at once since we also use them at home.

Bring some of the cats favorite toys and blankets and scratching post. Familiar things will help them feel more comfortable.

RanCarr · 01-13-2012, 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AloraDanin

Thanks for the comments. Another question...do you take the cats outside? I think ours will go nuts if he can't get out. I just ordered him a harness...guess we'll try and walk him.

Also thought we might be able to tether him up outside...only when we're there...some sort of stake in the ground and a chain.

Thoughts
Thanks
Barbara

Never tether a cat. Too many CGs have dogs that get loose. It's certain death or injury for your cat. There wont be much you can do if a vicious dog decides to grab your cat.

num1dgh · 01-13-2012, 04:31 PM

Our kitten took to RVing like he was born for it. We do walk him on a leash with an H harness, but we started by just putting the harness on him, then walking him outside at home with the leash. He's trained to the click of the leash and comes running . . . he gets a treat, then gets his harness on and out we go. I have seen people with their cats on tethers but I would be terrified that a loose dog might attack him! While we are traveling, he happily snoozes in his carrier. He'll go 5 hours if necessary without a peep . . . we generally need to use the facilities before he does!