Why Not Let Your Felines Outside???

[Cristos]

Howdy All,

Me new, you Great! Gonna be buying my first RV (Class A, Gas, 28-32', 'Excellent' Condition, $12-20k...) My question: I notice that lots of you who travel with Cats say you keep 'em inside. WHY is that? I've traveled quite a bit with my 7 year old Nebelung Cat Pal - we're currently in Ecuador - and he's smart enough not to stray but loves to go out when he can. Why not let him out when camping or in some other chill traffic-safe Boondock sitch?? Coyotes? Other wild things? (Besides people;~) Also, and here I'm *completely* ignorant, why do you feel it is necessary to cage them while driving??? (Besides brake-pedal anxiety.;( Zorba and I lived in a stationary - but nice - 5th wheel on an urban farm in Eugene, and I didn't have any issues with him getting "into" or stuck anywhere. (He did enjoy roaming the 'farm' We've also done about 7k in a Dodge Ram Van, and while the thing was moving - after about 50 miles - he'd find somewhere to settle in and be all good. I'd really appreciate hearing both sides of the Indoor-Outdoor dilemma as it pertains to FT RVing with a Cat. Safe Travels, C

[rk911]

the cat we used to travel with, like all cats, was curious. so curious that one day she crawled up into dash and made her way through the dash all the way to the right side. i had to either take the dash apart or find a way to persuade her to retreat. i pulled the dash vent covers off and used a small phillips screwdriver on her butt to encourage her. took a while but she backed out. from that point we had to block the area in front of the driver. suggest you do the same.

if you want to put your cat out put her on a leash or in a kennel. predators, disease, vermin, ticks, etc. don't just let her run loose.

after trial and error we learned to use sifting litter box liners with clumping litter. easiest way to keep the box clean.

[jmltech]

We purchased a couple of collapsible enclosures for cats about 15 years ago. Our cats love them, especially at night when we’re sitting around the campfire. They are called KittyWalk.
http://kittywalk.com/penthouse.asp

(stock photo)

[aether_one]

Originally Posted by Cristos

Why Not Let Your Felines Outside?

Same reasons you don't at your house if you care for them.

https://pets.webmd.com/cats/features...-outdoor-cat#1

https://www.americanhumane.org/fact-...-outdoor-cats/

https://icatcare.org/advice/keeping-...ersus-outdoors

[Mr_D]

3 of my 5 cats that I take with me. These 3 are Japanese Bobtails
We used to have these RV Kitty Kondo's made and sell them. I have two, one on each side of the motorhome.
Two of them are trained to walk on a leash too.

[V3600]

Do you stay at RV parks? Is your cat going to do it's business under my RV? Is your cat going to wander the park and get all the dogs excited and barking? Nothing against cats but they need to be on a leash just like dogs.

[Skip426]

Originally Posted by V3600

Do you stay at RV parks? Is your cat going to do it's business under my RV? Is your cat going to wander the park and get all the dogs excited and barking? Nothing against cats but they need to be on a leash just like dogs.

X2. There is no off leash area in the park where I spend the winter ; for dogs or cats. Just as it should be . Equal opportunity pets.

[jmltech]

Originally Posted by Mr_D

We used to have these RV Kitty Kondo's made and sell them..

That looks great! Do you still sell them or willing to sell/share the plans?

[chuckbear]

Most RV parks and campgrounds have leash requirements and that includes cats. Ours walks on a leash and harness just fine. That is until she sees a dog. It seems that most RVers now have at least one dog and many have multiple. Unfortunately not all dog owners obey the leash requirements just like all do not clean up after their dogs. Our cat has already been attacked twice by dogs off the leash at RV parks while she was on her leash. We are now very cautious with her outside even when we are with her and on her leash. If she gets afraid and runs away from something, there is no guarantee she will find her way back. Not a chance we want to take. Chuck

[tcg]

All of my cats are indoor cats. I have no idea what they would do if I let them out. At home every once in a while one manages to follow me out the door or escape when bringing in groceries.

They tend to just keep going. I love my cats, their staying indoors.

And... we also take care of several stray/feral cats in our neighborhood. Feral cats might not be such a problem if people quit letting their cats wander the neighborhood.

We have finally got all of our local feral cats rounded up and fixed. That should break the cycle for a few years until someone lets their cat out to be a cat.

Please keep your pets under your control so I don't have to put heated houses in my backyard to care for "your pets".

[bigchick]

we travel with our cat. she is getting along in years which may have some bearing. we let her out unleashed. that being said there are a few precautions we take:

if we are just staying overnight while traveling we do not let her out.

we do not let her out on the day we arrive. we allow her to sit in the window and look out to get familiar with the place.

the first few times we let her out i go out with her and watch her and let her know she is being watched. or we set up the cat tent and put her in it.

we do not let her out at night

we contact the park management and let them know we have a cat and ask if it is ok to let her out. most all have said it is ok. only one place said she would have to be leashed. we also tell the neighbors next to us about her and ask it she would be a problem to them.

her basic routine is to go down the steps and make a place for herself under the trailer. after a day or so she will get a bit more adventurous and go under the trailers next to us.

she'll watch dogs go by but we have not yet had a problem. she'll find a place under the trailer between the tires and just watch. most dogs don't even see her. those that do take a look but keep walking.

flea and tick med each month

[Pyropete]

I have an old kitty as well that might not get to come with me. She's 18 1/2 years old. She's the one that I can walk without a leash. She runs next to me and follows me when I go on walks. The young one though is still learning and she does follow but gets ADHD at the first sign of a moving leaf or bug and darts off after it only to sit and wait until she sees me coming back from my walk.

I was thinking when I am leaving to go on my adventure my old one might still be alive so I don't know if it would be a good idea to turn her life up-side-down at 24-25 years old. It might kill her. She's in excellent health right now. A little arthritis in one of her fingers (which I am gentle with when I am clipping her nail on that finger), and hearing issues, but her eyes are perfect and not cloudy at all, and she has good tracking when playing with a laser. She's still very playful and looks pretty young for such an old cat so I think she might still be around when I am ready to leave. I might have to postpone unless she takes to the trailer well. She's OK in car rides.

[JC2]

Originally Posted by V3600

Do you stay at RV parks? Is your cat going to do it's business under my RV? Is your cat going to wander the park and get all the dogs excited and barking? Nothing against cats but they need to be on a leash just like dogs.

Agree. Good points. Have seen to many incidences where peoples cats have slipped out or been let out regardless if the cg rules and failed to show back up or got injured. Rules are for a purpose; don't agree with them, time to move on. Can hear it now; but, but, but, mine is this or that and would do this are that. Bottom line folks, be a responsible pet owner.

[winniman]

Lots of animals that like to make dinner out of cats where I live. Fishers and coyotes are the main ones. If they are small, there are large birds that one might add to the list of predators. Small dogs could also be included in the risk column as well. Best keep your loved ones safe, and not let them out in unknown areas.