Travelling with a cat

Shazza5 · Member

Travelling with a cat

Happywanderer · The Master

Thats an interesting concept Shazza. I have a toyota campervan poptop. Just wondering where you intending putting the dirt box ,as the cat won't be leaving the van at all there would need to be a good spot for it. My suggestion would be the floor in front of front passenger seat.
I also wonder if you can train your cat to go on a leash. Would make life a lot easier.

Shazza5 · Member

I thought the litter box would be ok on the floor in front of the passenger seat. She uses the litter at home all the time and doesn't go outside much at all. I am going to try and get her uses to a leash but she can't handle even a collar on, so it's going to be hard and stressful for her.

Sharon

Rip and Rosie · Guru

I have seen people travelling with cats, always on a lead though.
Perhaps the cat might be happier at home.
Rosie

jetj · Guru

A harness would be better than a collar, there are plenty available. I had a cat who loved the car. If you have a cat cage with you, you can put puss out in the sun in it.

Brenda and Alan · Guru

Sharon, you could try getting her used to a harness a short while at a time, perhaps when she is about to be fed, so her mind is on other things. Try the reward system if she has any special treats that she favours. Saw a couple of cats recently wearing a harness and they looked quite content, so it's probably a matter of perseverance. Good luck with it. Brenda.

Jinda · Newbie

Hi Sharon, I have been traveling with my 15 year old cat for 2 years now, we would not be without him now, although the first few days he nearly drove us mad with his yowling (he is a siamese tabby) However he took to the lead without much trouble, we tried a harness but he just laid down and refused to move or slinked along on his belly, he now walks everywhere with us on the lead. We have a toilet so litter tray goes in there which he uses, but prefers to do his ablutions outside when we go on his walk. The longer we were on the road the better he became and now lounges alongside me on the front seat or drapes himself along the windscreen when travelling. We have not had any trouble with him staying close to the Bus wherever we are as it is 'home' the hardest thing is to stop him visiting others at happy hour so keep him on a lead on his favourite chair. Do perservere as cats are great company and as ours sleeps all day he is not desperate to get outside all the time. Guess yours will take his (her) own time to adapt, Best of luck.

Happywanderer · The Master

Welcome Sharyn and Frank. Thats an interesting story, I'm amazed at how well your cat adapted because of his age. You would imagine him to be quite set in his ways, but as you say they lay around and sleep most of the time anyway.
Is that him in your avatar.. I'm impressed.

Oxley · Veteran Member

I'm not on the road full time (yet) and I have just purchased a cat enclosure from http://www.catnets.com.au.

I haven't assembled it yet, so can't give an opinion on portability. but it is light weight and packs small.

Mainly purchased it due to living in a rural area and some dog owners (a small minority) seem to think its ok to let their dogs run riot in the adjoining paddocks and poor old kitty has had a few too many close calls.

Cruising Cruze · Guru

thanks Mark

we were looking for some thing like that for when we are on the road
It has to be collapsible so we can put it back in the caravan when traveling

But thanks for the tip we looking further in to it

Regard John & Marjoleine

Oxley · Veteran Member

I have now had time to assemble and get Puggys' review.

Humans review:

Defiantly not easily assembled or collapsible, but the square tube frame and joiners are similar to what can be purchased at Bunnings, and the netting only zip ties to the frame, and can be purchased separately, I don't think it would be to hard toMacGyver a collapsible frame, so this maybe a future project for me, and a trip to BCF to look at collapsible poles.

Cats review:

As kitty has had free roaming on large property, being restricted while outside, to such a small area has been stressful (as I get free range of the house while the human is working to feed me). So we are doing 1 hour a day under supervision, and the human will have to look at a climbing gym of sorts, as the supplied hammock is avoided, so other items will need to be included in the enclosure, such as a favourite outdoor chair etc.

weezanikinoff · Member

We have just started our new life in our motorhome and our cats were always a top priority in our 3 years of planning, they are both happy so far (2 weeks in) Hubby Ash, made them a cat enclosure which so far they ask to go in and we carry them into it but we're in the process of making a hatch and cat door in the side of the motorhome into a tunnel which joins the cage.

We want to grow a pot of grass as they seem to want that a lot. We so far have no intention of leashing them as like Oxley said, there is any chance of wayward dogs frightening our girls it's just not worth it. Love to, but nothing is ever out of the question.

-- Edited by weezanikinoff on Friday 26th of October 2012 05:47:41 PM