Anybody RV with a Cat?

[jkkinder]

Anybody RV with a Cat? Lots of comments about dog problems but haven't seen anything on cats. Any suggestions? We have a kennel we can zip her into but does anyone have any other suggestions of "need to have" equipment before we start our journey? Any great ideas or where to put the cat box. Thinking of doing some mods to accommodate out of the way spot for the litter box but not sure if she will use box in a dark spot? Any experiences?

[paparazi]

Just one comment. Make sure you know where your cat is BEFORE moving a slide. There is space behind the bed that cats can climb in and be crushed.

We put ours in our carrier before moving the slides.

[vsheetz]

We travel with a couple cats. They are in large crates for their safety when driving. They are in the crates when slides moving.

Potty box is a covered one to contain most of the kitty that flies. In the current coach it sits in the shower. The crates fit on top of the litter box when camped. Easy to set out when we use the shower.

In a previous coach I had a hole cut in the floor leading to the litter box in a basement compartment.

Each kittie is chipped. Have collars with phone number. Plus a bluetooth location Tile on the collar. They are inside only, never go out. But in case of an escape...

[wildtoad]

Took our cat several times. One of the reasons we bought the mh we did was for the bunk beds so we could use the lower on for cat cage and litter box, dog beds. Be extra careful as they will try to get out. Once or twice the cat almost became “citizens” of Utah as she got out and we could not find her quickly. She ended up climbing into the engine area.

If the cat has claws then make sure you cover where it goes with material unless you want claw marks.

[rgvtexan]

Tink has been traveling for 13 years. She enjoys the Balloon Fiesta and the winters in TX.
Leash trained, chipped, and name tags. She roams free when traveling, lots of couch time. Watched when slides move. She also likes the golf cart and 4 wheeler. She enjoys being outdoors on a leash.

[BOOZE TRAVEL]

Our 2 go into hiding (napping)when slides come in and engine starts. They are not interested in going out but love to watch bunnys. No worries about rodents some folks agonize over!
We have the covered litterbox behind pass seat and a small rug in front of it to keep litter from rolling all over the floor from their feet.

[TEFFY]

I am like Booze Travel. I travel with three cats, when either the gennie or the motor start, two of them are under the sofa and the other one is under the recliner in a flash. After a nice nap they will come out and ride either on the bed in the back or on the dash.

If the coach is a little bit cold they will all be on the bed since the motor is under it. The litter box is behind the co-pilot chair with a towel in front to catch the litter that is on their feet when they step out.

They are inside cats and have no interest in going outside but they do like laying on the dash and watching out the front window when I am parked. If I am in a CG you can just look at their heads and see where a squirrel is.

[Eastham]

We put a litter box under the kitchen sink and put a motion light in the cabinet. It took her a while to get adjusted to the smell of the new cougar. Other than that no problem with her.she sleep or hides most of the day and at night comes around waiting until someone will pull her tail .she would let you pull her tail all night and rub her back with your foot.i think she has a pretty good deal going on.

[HikesInRain]

We've travelled with out two since we bought the rig. They travel in a cage/tent something like this: https://smile.amazon.com/Pet-Gear-Po...ed+Bottom+Pane (Original doesn't seem to be available anymore). It rides on the bed (covered), bungeed down in three places (escape window in back, dresser drawer and right side under counter cabinet handle). Took a while, but they're become accustomed to it. Oh, with a cat box inside while we travel. Usually scares the &#%^ out of one or the other! We stop after an hour for a rest and to clean the box.


Normal cat box goes into a "mud room" in the stair well. Has a light so we can clean it easily, and they like the privacy. Our ACE that has an articulated bunk in the front that drops down over the captain chairs. Took the mattress out, since no one would use it. Food, water, treats and a retreat are up there. We found a cheap cat tree pole that I could cut down a foot, so it fits the 7' ceiling, with three levels so they can clime easily up to the bunk. There are also three storage bins up there we can't reach, which seem to make good "beds" for them. Getting down is easy; they mosy over to the side with the couch, stare down at us until we notice and move, then jump down onto the couch. They then give us permission to resume sitting.


As others have said, don't move the slide unless the cat(s) are located and secured safely! Lots of places they can get themselves into that could be dangerous (or worse!!) to them. We don't like them to be able to move around while driving; again, too easy for them to get into trouble. One of ours managed to escape from the tent while we were driving. He headed up our way, but discovered that the closer to the front he came, the louder and noisier it got! (He's got medical issues that make loud sounds hurt his little ears) Got to a point where he just froze! DW was driving, so I bolted back, grabbed him up and reinstalled him. Found out it's surprisingly quiet back in the bedroom. He's not tried that again. Smart little fella


So, they're a mess, high maintenance, and a bit of a pain to travel with. But they're very entertaining to have along.

[l1v3fr33ord1]

In our former Class C, we put the litter box behind the driver's seat while traveling and in front of the doghouse when stationary.

In our current Class A, I removed the doors to a floor-level storage cabinet. I built a floor protector and then modified the covered litter box so it just fits inside.

Our cat has traveled with us in both coaches. In the Class C he rode under the passenger seat when underway. In this coach, he rides under or beside the driver's seat.

We have a "procedure" for moving slides. We both check the cat location in advance and prevent his getting into pinch points, should he be inclined not to sleep through the process (as he does, sometimes).

We have gone through several types of scratching "posts" before finding one that is compact and which the cat deigns to use. It was important to solve that problem; the carpet was suffering.

He is an indoor cat. He is chipped, and we have a tag on his collar. We keep him worried about the dangers on the outside of the door, so he doesn't try to rush the door when it's open. He does like to look out the screen and sit atop the dash cover, looking out the windshield, especially at night.

Make sure you carry up-to-date paperwork on your cat, in case he needs medical attention.

Finally, this year we left the top-loading hard-sided carrier at home. Instead, we bought a collapsible cloth carrier. It's for emergencies only, and a lot smaller. We keep it in the wardrobe, so it's quick to grab if we and the cat have to bail out the emergency window.

[Vinster30]

We have a wonderful 3 legged cat that adopted us 7 years ago. Tried an over night trip her and no one got any sleep. She is not a camper. You could probably hear her at the front gate of the State Park.

[baraff]

We used to take Annie with us, she loved to travel. We'd put her box in the shower, easy to sweep up excess any litter and hose down for cleaning. When she passed in 2014, we tried taking Daisy with us but she could not get used to the noise and the motion. We finally accepted that she was happier at home.

As others have said, be sure to know where they are when operating the slides. This photo was taken during a lunch stop, surprised us both because we thought Daisy was asleep on the bed! Fortunately we didn't deploy the slide. Lesson learned!

[johnhicks]

The cats have let us travel with them for about 10 years.

House...put out a tray with a bowl of water. You wont see them drink water but it'll mysteriouly disappear. Cats don't have much of a drinking reflex so the more the better to avoid bladder crystals etc. The tray is to keep the water from going everywhere when you kick the bowl or a fight gets a little out of hand.

The litter box goes in front of the toilet. Birds of a feather. You will _NOT_ neglect to scoop the poop; what else do you have to do? Astroturf welcome mats will knock off most of the stray litter and dingleberries. A handheld vac is your friend.

Travel: the cats are ALWAYS in hard crate/cages when we travel. I'd hate to have a cat under the brake pedal and the choice is to crush the cat or crash into the school bus. Nothing moves until they're in their cages. _However_ they've learned that their cages are safe places and none of those loud things can get to them. When we travel they spend most of the time snoring. Even when parked they jump into their cages when a thunderstorm comes over.

[grindstone01]

Attachment 228573Attachment 228573We full time with a cat we picked up at a shelter 2 years ago and she adds a lot to our lives. In one of the closets made for the washer/dryer, I installed a combo unit and mounted it 18" off the floor on a platform. This leaves enough room under the platform for the litter box and a cat door. I also added plexiglass to our screen door and made a slide door for the cat to go outside. We usually put her on a long leash tied to the steps which allows her to go in and out as she pleases. Lately she has learned to open the slide door herself, so I have now added a brace to lock it shut. I do a lot of cat fishing with a toy mouse on the end of a childs fishing pole and the cat lets me know when it's time to play.