42 replies to this topic

[Norske]

Greetings......

as we progress in planning to do some traveling, the question comes up as to what to do with our pet! We would love to hear from any of you travelers who may have traveled in your 5th wheel with a cat? How did it work out, how did you do it, etc., etc.

Again........thanks in advance for your thoughts on this!

[Caroart]

Greetings......

as we progress in planning to do some traveling, the question comes up as to what to do with our pet! We would love to hear from any of you travelers who may have traveled in your 5th wheel with a cat? How did it work out, how did you do it, etc., etc.

Again........thanks in advance for your thoughts on this!

We have traveled with at least one cat ever since we started as weekend campers before we retired in 2000. That last cat was with us 16 yrs and had a lot of miles on him. We now have a new kitty, that will be going for the first time when we leave Sunday. Cats travel very well and are no problem to care for. No stopping for them to go potty or walks in all kinds of weather! Our cats have alway ridden in the 5th wheel. I know some prefer to take them into the tow vehicle. Whatever works the best for you and your kitty. The favorite travel 'hidey-hole' for mine was under the pillows on the bed. Enjoy your travel companion.

[FurBall Express]

We travel with 5 cats and don't have any problems, just have to provide a litter box and that's the hard part finding a place to put it. They never travel in the 5er but rather in the TV. have to make sure they have some toys and something to scratch on if they have their claws. They seem to like the changing scenery.

[Brianwl]

I'm one of the ones that carries the cat in the tow vehicle. I had a crew cab dually and he had the whole back seat area to himself, food, water, litter box, and nice bed. All fit on the floor nicely.

[Technomadia]

Our cat, Kiki, adopted us along our full timing journey a little over 3 years ago. She was 7 weeks old at the time and won our hearts. We were in a 17' travel trailer at the time, and she's been raised on the road. She always traveled in the tow vehicle with us.

We immediately trained her to wear a harness and walk on a leash. She regularly goes on walks with us, and loves hiking the trails. We kept her adaptable - visiting people, hanging out with other cats, dogs and bunnies. As such it's generally not a problem if we get parked next to someone with a dog.


We did have some problems with motion sickness in the beginning, usually on the first travel day after being stopped for a while. We now travel in a 35' bus, and she absolutely loves it - having inflight potty and food is a dream come true... and she never has motion sickness anymore. She's learned how to turn on the headlights and turn signals to gain the attention of our neighbors.

She also travels with us when we fly by air - and is such a trooper. She joined us for a 5 month stay in the US Virgin Islands.



We have encountered some problems along the way:
- While in Colorado, she got bit by a rattlesnake (right at our campsite). A night in the vet college, and she recovered fine. But it was super scary. We now inquire about local threats more diligently before letting her outside on her leash.
- She has gotten loose a couple of times. We've just trained her to not freak out about it (ie. we don't chase her when she does... just casually follow her and pick her up). She always comes back.
- Keeping on top of medications for different pests can be a hassle. Some treatments work better in some locations than others. (We're going through a flea infestation right now, despite diligent use of Frontline.. it just doesn't work where we're at).

For vet records & services - we've found Banfield to be worthwhile. They have offices in most Petsmarts across the country, and have a centralized records systems. Makes it easier to keep on top of her shots and history. They offer an annual plan that includes all the vaccines, exams and unlimited office visits. That way we never hesitate to bring her in if we have a concern.

Best wishes... we know a lot of traveling cats. Most do great with it!

- Cherie

PS. You can follow Kiki's adventures on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/kikinator

[SueMac]

We travel with 2 cats. One hides the other one loves it. One is declawed (shelter rescue-came that way) and the other one has a full set of weapons. I carry a scratching post and I do sew covers for the tops of the captain's chairs and recliners so when a cat lands on top, they don't leave claw marks. We take the cats outside at the RV park with a harness and leash so they can get some fresh air. One isn't real fond of the idea but the one that loves to travel, likes to go for walks and when he's had enough or a dog is a bit too close he stands on his hind legs and paws at my leg to be picked up. We really do have a lot of fun with them.

[dmcb]

For the most part cats are great travelers. We have always had a cat and it goes where we go. We spend 3 months on a boat every summer, all at anchor, and our cats have all loved it.
I think you should take them in the tow vehicle. Some cats will be upset when you first start out and may be sick but it should pass once you are under way. You should take your cat for a ride in the car to see how it adapts.
As we have two homes, a motorhome, and a boat, our animals (we travel with a dog also) are always subject to different things. A cat likes their home and as mentioned when taken from it they may be upset at first. It quickly passes and they love it. At least ours all have.
A full timer wouldn't have the problem I mentioned as their routine would always be the same.
Ours have been only upset with the change but quickly adapted.

[Rosita]

I've traveled with three cats; one was OK (not thrilled, but OK), one was flat nuts and hissed and spit and pooped in the driver's seat whenever possible, and one enjoyed the ride. I hope your cat is #3, or at least, #1.

I have a motorhome without a slide; most cats like "hidey holes", so if you travel in an RV with a slide, I strongly suggest knowing exactly where your cat(s) is/are before extending and/or retracting the slide(s)!

Edited by Rosita, 08 March 2012 - 09:37 AM.

[Roger & Debbie]

(We're going through a flea infestation right now, despite diligent use of Frontline.. it just doesn't work where we're at).

- Cherie

We have used Cedarcide for years on our pets, a natural product that works extremely well on pets as well as in or around your home/ RV and campsite. Here is a link for more info. My link
Hope this helps.

Debbie

[Dick&Joyce]

Our three cats (one 20#, one 17# and a 3#) travel in our Dodge Mega Cab in a large dog carrier with an extra floor added. They seem to love it. In the 5th wheel they have a "Cat Condo" that I've added two extra floors to. They spend nights and times when we are gone for extended periods in there. Again, they do well.

[brokeboater]

My biggest concern on our trip from Florida to Alaska was how was my precious little girl cat going to handle it. I knew the dog would be ok as he either sleeps between us in the front seat or sits in my lap with his head out the window. We left Florida with the cat in the truck. After about 150 miles my nerves were shot so I tossed her in the fifth wheel. As she's my little precious, I checked on her at about 15 minutes, 1/2 hour, one hour, half a day, not at all. It quickly became apparent she was willing to let us spend the night in her RV after a long hard days drive. Towards the end of the trip I was comfortable letting her out of the fifth wheel in campgrounds to take a walk. She was well aware the inside of the RV was a safe base to run to. My cat was my biggest worry planning the trip but she was, in fact, the least of my problems. I love that kitty.

[JimK]

Full time with 2 adults and 2 cats in a truck camper. If we can do fine with the limited space, you should be able to handle it with no issues. Cats stretch out and sleep a lot especially as they become older. We do not let our cats out ever.

[Jessica]

We have two cats and so far they have done really well. They travel in their carriers in the back seat, and settle down really well and go to sleep. We sometimes forget they're back there. We switched the two recliners to one nicer one, and have the cat tree in the place of the second recliner. I was nervous before we started about one of them getting out, but so far there have been no issues.

[Lynn & Andy]

Our cats are a huge part of why we got the camper. We love to travel and because I was in the travel business for 30+ years we saw a lot of the world, we had not, however, seen the US. We started planning on visiting national parks but could not imagine leaving our boys behind to do it. Then we adopted a kitten that was abandoned here, and may be taking in two others that showed up. So we will definitely be hitting the road with 4 and possibly 6! Two of them do really well in the car, unsure about 2 and know that two of them protest but will adjust. I guess we will find out!

The litter box issue was one of the things we considered when we looked at units, we had it at #2 on the list of things we looked for in each unit. And tho we did not want a bunkhouse, we did consider it 'for the kids'. Having enough room for them and everything that comes with them, was the number one most important part of picking the unit. Our boys are large, 2 of them break 20#, Bob is 14# and luckily Baby Bull is small. The other two are also smaller, but they are only 7-8 months old.

Dick & Joyce, would love to see your kitty condo! We were just at a cat show and brought home a window watcher for them, it may go into the camper with us when we travel.

[Kirk]

I think that once on the road, you will find that well over half of the fulltimers travel with a pet of some sort. I have seen pets ranging from a Great Dane, to a Macaw, a very large Boa, all sorts of cats & dogs, a Vietnamese pig, and perhaps a few others that I can't recall. I believe that there was an article in Escapee's magazine recently by someone who has 21 or so birds. There are some parks which have facilities for those who travel with horses. Most of us who keep pets just would not be willing to leave them behind. You can find a way to make things work.

Edited by Kirk, 21 March 2012 - 06:37 AM.

[FurBall Express]

Our cats are inside cats but like to watch out the window. We had a 6ft. cat tree with 4 shelves and a barrell with 2 scratching posts from the S/B that replaced one recliner and a glider rocker that replaced the other recliner, four of the shelves are occupied most of the time because it's on the end of the rear picture window. Four of them travel great and one complaines a lot, but after awhile his heart is not in it anymore

[Sun Seeker Barb]

I posted this earlier, but don't see it now. Sorry if it shows up as a duplicate. When you travel with cats (or other critters) that never leave the RV, are you subject to the same pet add on fees as you would incur with a dog? Do most RV parks charge extra for pets?

[SueMac]

Most parks do ask if you have pets, but so far we have not been charged for our cats. Don't have a dog, so can't comment on that.

I posted this earlier, but don't see it now. Sorry if it shows up as a duplicate. When you travel with cats (or other critters) that never leave the RV, are you subject to the same pet add on fees as you would incur with a dog? Do most RV parks charge extra for pets?

[Barbaraok]

Yes, you will run into places that will charge for any pet, even those that don't go out. Most times you will be asked and when you say "we have a cat" you will be told "that doesn't count" Some places will have pet areas where every one with a pet stays and there might be a different fee for those sites. We even have someone with birds one row over at our current place. But the pet sites are bigger and nicer so we don't mind. Evidently there are some people who get upset at the sight of a pet. Maybe it is because Shadow looks like a little Black Panther as she takes her nightly walk on her leash.
Barb

[JoeZ]

Do most RV parks charge extra for pets?

Our experience has been that some campgrounds charge extra for pets, most do not.