Can Cats Ride in TT While Moving?

It depends on the animal.

Some animals have more stress being confined in a small crate than they do loose in the vehicle (where they curl up and go to sleep); others have more stress being able to see the world moving around them than they do covered and crated.

In a crash, as BCSnob says, it doesn't matter where the animal is located, it matters that the animal is in a secured crate (meaning bolted or strapped to the vehicle/RV frame so the crate can't go flying). Most folks won't go to that extreme figuring just a crate is good enough. An unsecured crate is not much, if any, safer than being loose in an accident - other than keeping an injured animal from attacking would-be rescuers or running away. Talking risk will never get a consensus because everyone's own risk level is different. You have to determine your own level and go with that.

Issues like slides, hidey holes, etc. are a problem regardless of whether you're moving or not in regards to the cat. A cat can just as easily slip into a hole when you're on the road as when you're parked. Knowing the basic things (no opening/closing slides until you have the cat safely elsewhere, etc.), watching for any new things (spend a night in the TT in the driveway with the cat and see if he/she finds any hidey holes), and using common sense can minimize these potential problems.

Generally speaking, a relaxed cat is much safer than a stressed cat. A relaxed cat is likely to have less injury in an accident. A relaxed cat will not be fighting against the situation injuring itself during the ride. A relaxed cat will usually not be looking for an escape route. A relaxed cat won't make itself sick.

If you can make traveling a relaxed experience for your cat (at whatever risk level you can feel comfortable with), then go for it. If the only way to have a traveling cat is to put it in a situation that YOU are uncomfortable with, then don't do it. Outside of that, make your TT as cat-proof as possible.

rvten wrote:
When that TT separates from the TV and crashes. You lost more than your TT.

No worse than what can happen to most motorhomes in a crash.

RV Motorhome Crash Worthiness

Don't be lulled into a false sense of security simply because your pets are not in a TT or 5th wheel. A secured crate is (IMO) the first line of defense for safely transporting a pet.

Every now and then you hear the story on here that their cat or dog got killed when the slides were let out and no one asked where the animals were... Bad news real quick...

My sister wanted her very large dog to travel in their 5th wheel. SO the first long trip they left him run inside the 5th wheel. They stopped at the first 50 mile rest stop and let the dog out. He was very wide-eyed and in big distress... When they got ready to leave you could not drag that dog back into the 5th wheel. Even today you can't hardly get the dog to go into the fifth wheel when parked at the camp ground... Scared the pooh out of him...

I've heard it is a very bad ride going down the road. Not like a motorhome...

We have a small pooch and he rides in the truck with us. I know good and well what would happen to our cat if he came along on our trips. The first time he got a chance he would be long gone laying under a bush somewhere watching you trying to find him. Then you finally just give up and go off and leave him I suspect. More bad news...

Roy Ken

My cat would get very vocal in the truck, for hours on end. One day, while letting her use the litter box inside the 5er during a lunch break, she found a hiding spot and refused to come out for the rest of the day's travels. So, I boogied on down the road. Ever since then she's ridden in the 5er. I've NEVER seen her in an agitated state when we stop. She usually saunters out from wherever she's been to get a scratch.

Having said that, I do take precautions to make sure she's not in a dangerous spot when slides are going in or out.

When that TT separates from the TV and crashes. You lost more than your TT.

We had to change RV sites one time when we had a TT. Kids and wife road in the TT. when I got to new site. all were laying on the floor. Said they would never ride there again. Even the short distance we moved.

Our cats hate traveling in the trailer, and don't hate being in a crate in the rig.
We have even tried a crateing them in the rig, with one large enough to hold a litter box.
The only down-side to being in the truck is us learning the clues when they need to go to the litter box.

We would never let them loose in the rig, too great a chance they would be come a cat missile if something violent happened

Comparing the ride in a TT to your nice cushy foam seat in a TV is not a fair comparison. Try comparing the ride on the floor or in the bed of a PU to the ride in a TT.

I'll bet the ride in our dogs' crates in our cargo van is not that different to riding in a crate in our TT (especally near the front of the TT close to the hitch). Both locations will be noisy; both locations can get hot.

In all locations pets should be secured; my preference is protected in a crate (from flying debris in the event of a crash).

I dont see why not. They need to be warm or cool and comfortable. It's probably best that they are crated as you dont know what they might get into. Cats are probably more mellow than dogs but will be in a new situation. All animals have different personalities so one dog may lay out and enjoy the motion of the road and the next one will chew the arm off the sofa.

Stop every couple hours to let them out and water them hold them and connect with them.

Well ...... here's our story. I thought I'd never do this ... but ..... sometimes you DO change your mind....

We've always taken our pets camping with us. We've had just about everything at one time or another, and some times, many at the same time: Birds,cats, dogs, fish, rabbit, chickens, prairie dog, and even an iguana!

Now that my kids are grown and out of the house, it's FINALLY just the wife and me, and one dog and one cat!

We always carried all of our pets in the truck in cages. Yes, it was crowded sometimes, but we did.

Cats were always in a crate. Our current cat goes nuts in the truck. He cries and cries and cries. He will eventually work himself up until he vomits and poops. Not fun when trapped in a truck for anyone and no way to pull over dragging a 35 foot trailer. We tried everything, even letting him out of the crate. Then he wants to sit on the drivers lap (me), which isn't so good when driving.

Over Christmas we went to Florida. My son also came along and brought his cat. We started in the truck. But after the first night, we decided to leave them in the camper, not knowing what to expect except massive amounts of vomit and poo everywhere, but we took the chance.

Turns out, both cats did quite well. My son's cat made a bed on the master bed, and our cat made a bed under the table. Both seemed very content riding in the camper. No messes anywhere.

On our way home, I wanted them back in the truck, but I was out voted, so they were let loose in the camper again.

Our cat ended up in a cubby hole beside the bed and never came out the entire ride. My son's cat ended up under the couch and never came out. Both were quite content. Never made a mess.

Well, I'm still not very comfortable with this new arrangement, BUT ... things were much calmer this way.

davidshq wrote:
We are planning on doing full-time RV'ing for a while and I have two cats - both very friendly and fairly adaptable. Trying to decide whether to bring them with or try to find a home for them...would be difficult to give them up, but also want to do what is workable for us and will be best for the cats...

One of the questions I have is whether the cats can stay in the TT while we are traveling? Or do they need to be in the vehicle with us? That would be a lot of time in a crate. :-/

Dave

Ride around the block inside the trailer yourself and the answer will be very very clear: NO NO NO. Besides the jostling sometimes trailer gets very hot inside.

The inside of a travel trailer going down the road has been accurately described as a magnitude level 3 on the Richter earthquake scale. Do you really want your cats exposed to that for hours?

They need to be in crates safely inside the tow vehicle.