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Easygibson · 04-10-2021, 02:17 AM

Thanks for the input so far. Mr_D, I saw the pics you shared and those wouldn't work for my herd. I'm trying to come up with a way for them to be as active as they are now. Cat carriers or cages aren't what I'm thinking. Chewy has a couple of tent-like ideas but they are nylon and I don't think they'd slow a couple of mine down for very long. They'd chew their way out in no time. I'm still thinking it all over.

tetranz · 04-10-2021, 08:02 AM

In October we drove from New Hampshire to Texas with three cats and back again a couple of weeks ago. We picked up another so there were four cats on the way back which was at least two too many for my liking but we all made it home in one piece. My partner breeds Siberians. The one we picked up was one she had flown there a year or so earlier.

This was strictly just a trip with parking overnight at Cracker Barrel and Walmart. We haven't tried real camping with cats yet.

Our Minnie Winnie has a sliding door which separates the main house area from the bathroom and bedroom. The cats were behind that while traveling. Litter box was in the shower. They were free to roam around when we were parked.

It worked pretty good. The biggest issue is blocking off places that they can get into and hard to get them out of. We got some blocks of foam plastic / sponge type stuff to jam into those places. Our departure was delayed several times when the smallest insisted on getting under the driver's seat.

For this trip we didn't really need to worry about doors. I only ever got out at gas stations while the cats were locked in the back. Planning for some real camping, we have built a system for getting in and out. I'll have to take a photo but it's some decorative panels with a hinge which we can open around the door to form kind of an "airlock" to then hopefully open and close the real door safely without anyone escaping but ... that system is still untested.

These are all strictly indoor cats. Camping with them isn't really a serious or sensible option until we build some sort of outdoor "catio" type thing for them.

geordi · 04-10-2021, 12:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tetranz

In October we drove from New Hampshire to Texas with three cats and back again a couple of weeks ago. We picked up another so there were four cats on the way back which was at least two too many for my liking but we all made it home in one piece. My partner breeds Siberians. The one we picked up was one she had flown there a year or so earlier.

This was strictly just a trip with parking overnight at Cracker Barrel and Walmart. We haven't tried real camping with cats yet.

Our Minnie Winnie has a sliding door which separates the main house area from the bathroom and bedroom. The cats were behind that while traveling. Litter box was in the shower. They were free to roam around when we were parked.

It worked pretty good. The biggest issue is blocking off places that they can get into and hard to get them out of. We got some blocks of foam plastic / sponge type stuff to jam into those places. Our departure was delayed several times when the smallest insisted on getting under the driver's seat.

For this trip we didn't really need to worry about doors. I only ever got out at gas stations while the cats were locked in the back. Planning for some real camping, we have built a system for getting in and out. I'll have to take a photo but it's some decorative panels with a hinge which we can open around the door to form kind of an "airlock" to then hopefully open and close the real door safely without anyone escaping but ... that system is still untested.

These are all strictly indoor cats. Camping with them isn't really a serious or sensible option until we build some sort of outdoor "catio" type thing for them.

Good for you on indoor only - they don't need a catio when you are camping, their safety is more important and they like the windows and the dash just fine in my RV. Over the holidays the cats were with us (three adults) in my 40' coach for three weeks, with 10 days spent in NY parked in the snow. The kitties don't have any interest in the door area, and it's usually easy enough to ensure that there aren't any nearby when opening the door.

They will get used to traveling pretty fast and no longer be looking to hide in tiny places - I used furniture blankets from Harbor Freight and some spring clamps to completely seal off the underside of the dashboard area, but it's been a couple years since any of them tried to get in there and hide. What they want is consistency, knowing that their people are there and so is their food dish. When that's right, all the world is right. They don't "need" a catio, even though they have that at the house. The risk of one of them getting out and lost or hurt on a trip in a strange place is just far too great.