Travelling with a cat/kitten

Marnie · Veteran Member

Travelling with a cat/kitten

weezanikinoff · Member

Hello Marnie, We too have our beloved cats with us in our motorhome, which we live in full time since Nov 2012, Have not had any luck training them for lead, too mature and extremely stubborn!! Hubby constructed a cage which attaches to our bus via a tunnel through a hatch, they are perfectly happy and if the truth be told they sleep inside the bus more often than not anyway. We don't let them out except into their cage, would break our hearts if they were spooked by a dog or whatever and ran off. They are great company and are our best friends and we wouldn't have it any other way. They arnt overly rapt in travelling but we only drive about 2 hour stints at a time so is not a problem either.

Check out our blog to see some pics of Coffee & Coco our babies!!! & their cage. http://blog.travelpod.com/members/ash-wendyfrank

Marnie · Veteran Member

Thanks for the reply, Ash & Wendy. I checked out your blog - it's amazing! Ziggy writes a simple blog after each trip away, but hers is a bit biased as it's written by a cat ... hmmm, with a lot of help from Mum!
Love your bus! Quite impressive.
Thanks again,
Marnie

weezanikinoff · Member

Thanks for that, yeah, we love our home and couldn't be more grateful for it, it gives us and our girls a "flat on wheels" to live in.

I wouldn't be surprised that our cats weren't smart enough to write their own blog!! They manipulate us in all sorts of ways!!!

We really love Travelpod for our blogs as it is super easy to do, you don't have to make your pictures smaller!! You just upload them straight into your entry otherwise it would be too time consuming. Plus we like to reread it and bring back sensational memories. Couldn't recommend it more highly, Oh! they even print a book of your adventures if you like.........for a price, which we may look into later on.

Cheers and happy travels with our darling Moggies.

Marnie · Veteran Member

Thanks for the tip about Travelpod. It's a great site and I have joined up, of course! Ziggy has written her blogs on Blogger, but now she will be a Travelpod fan!

Happy travels,

Marnie

Marnie · Veteran Member

Hi Grandos. Your Tanzi is very cute. I like her colours! I hope that when you get a campervan she will be a "Happy Camper" just like our Ziggy.

Cats are very adaptable! Happy travels, Marnie looking out the door.jpg

-- Edited by Marnie on Monday 28th of October 2013 12:34:47 PM

Cricket · Member

We did the big lap in 2006/08 and took both the dog and cat with us. Our cat (Tabitha) was 15 (human) years old when we left and had never been on a lead in her life. It didn't take her too long to get used to it as long as we let her go where she wanted to go.

When we set off we were advised that cats don't like to see the world moving past them and that they travel better in an enclosed space so we bought a collapsible kennel for her. Turned out that she didn't like being closed in and so she travelled around the country looking out the windows all the way.

She was really funny - every time we drove in to a populated area she would sit up so she could see everything - she loved the adventure! There was no way we could do anything or go anywhere without her - as soon as we stopped she was on my lap waiting to have her lead clipped on. As far as she was concerned - if it was good enough for the dog then it was good enough for her too!

Tabitha made it all the way around. She saw amazing things, lived through record breaking heat (54 in the shade) and a Cat 5 cyclone and returned home to spend her last years lazing around in the sunshine. She left this world at the ripe old age of 19.

I think the trick to travelling with cats is to figure out how they want to do it. There is no right or wrong way.

Grandos · Member

Hi Marnie,

I am not yet a nomad ... only "grey"and "mad" at this stage, but looking for a campervan so I can join the great trek solo and do a bit of free camping.

I also have a new kitten named Tanzi (after the notoriuos man-eating Tanzanian lions of the 19th century) who is 10 months old now. But I was amazed to see how much your moggie resembles mine ... very similar tortie colours, but Tanzi has a dividing line down the middle of her face to her nose. I would also like to take her with me when I hit the track but have had similar concerns. Reading other posts here is reassuring though. A previous kitty companion of mine also preferred travelling outside the cage, as Cricket says their cat did ... can't blame her. So thank you for your encouragement. I hope to meet you and your gorgeous pets out there soon.

G.

Marnie · Veteran Member

Thanks, Cricket! Lovely to read about your beloved Tabitha. Our Ziggy is great with her harness and lead - she seems to know that she is safer with it attached when we are away. She hops up on a lap to get the harness put on as soon as she is out of her travel pen. Well... pretty much "as soon as" anyway. Usually she has to check her food bowl and make sure her loo is in it's right place first!
Ziggy went to Alice Springs with us when she was only just over 3 months old and she loved it. She only had a short weekend trip to 'break her' into travelling before that.
Then - we changed our motorhome for another one! She was fine - she has adjusted really well.
Yes, I agree - let your cat decide how she/he wants to travel with you. The old rule applies - you do not own a cat - the cat owns you!
Thanks again.

Grandos · Member

Thanks, Marnie. I hope Tanzi will be a happy camper too. I just wonder how folks cope when taking cats for a walk on a lead and they encounter a perceived enemy. I have visions of me being the nearest tree my cat scales! It's pretty painful. hmm

Marnie · Veteran Member

Don't worry too much, Grandos... Tanzi will take you for walks - not the other way round! She will make sure she checks everything out. If in doubt, just pick her up and head for the van! She will be far safer with a harness and a lead. Get her used to that first - go for walks in the garden at home!
Happy travels,
Marnie

Grandos · Member

aww Thanks, Marnie. I'll do that. Your Ziggy certainly looks a sweetie and very much at home in your van. This is one of Tanzi giving "hoodie" a new meaning.G.