Multiple cats in travel trailer full time

yes I am the only one they know here, but I have already very firmly told them they can not stay on my property with that many animals. I have a large garden and I raise chickens. I do not and will not have that many animals I would be breaking the local laws regarding animals. Not to mention how furious my husband would be and I don't blame him for feeling that way. So NO they can not stay here, I will not have it. But they are coming out here anyway.
So good to know they might find a place to stay.
Personally, I think hygeine will be an issue because it is at their house.
The health hazards come from the all the kitty litter and some of their cats do pee and poop on the floor etc. Also the dander from the 2 birds plus all the cats could indeed cause problems especially lung infections. I do not think they will be as dilligent as they will need to be to upkeep the trailer and the animals. This is my opinion. Plus they plan on not letting any of the cats out, so overall I think the quality of life for these animals and their owners will be affected negatively.

n7bsn wrote:
BTW, the success rate of people keeping cats on the road, that they let out to roam, is almost zero. I only know one person that gets away with it.

Make that two.

128NW wrote:
Code2high, I will pass your advise on..Thank You. I think 13 animals in a trailer is too much, no matter how you rig it. But since they are determined to make this potentially disastrous mistake, I thought I would get some info, ideas from folks who do Rv with pets,because we have never traveled in an RV with pets before. I do not know enough abt. animal hoarding to say if that is the case here. Their cats are fixed, thank goodness. I just foresee many potential health concerns for the animals and the people. Also I fear they will get out here only to be homeless because I really doubt the campgrounds and RV parks will let them stay, because 13 pets is just plain excessive given the circumstances. Thanks to all for your responses. Hopefully, all will be well.

Well the good news is that it won't be your problem.

There is no reason for a campground to ever know or inquire how many indoor pets they have, provided they are taking proper care of them. The birds may need to be declared it they make noise.

As far as odor, again, if they maintain their litter boxes and have an air purifier, that will certainly not be enough of an issue to bother the neighbors. Longer term places to stay may be an issue, but I can think of some nice parks I have spent months in where I could have had a trailer full of cats with no problem. As it was there were only two, along with three dogs at first, and later two dogs and two rabbits. No one batted an eye.

I don't know what "health concerns" you are referring to but if they have a stable group of cats getting appropriate food and care in a well maintained indoor space, the only worries will be temperature control and any chronic problems those cats may have already.

The only real concern is if they are willing and able to be diligent in providing proper care and sanitation. The fact that their cats are all spayed/neutered and vaccinated would appear to indicate that they are people who take their responsibilities seriously.

Hoarders keep adding and adding animals or whatever, even when they cannot care for what they have. They do not provide appropriate care. Filthy living areas are a hallmark. Sick animals don't go to the vet. Dead animals get left to rot in a cupboard. They are often very secretive and won't let people into their homes or on their property. Having a bunch of animals is not hoarding. Having a bunch of sick dying animals not getting care is hoarding. Or a house piled to the rafters with trash that they identify as "treasures."

Are you the only friend this couple has that they are determined to move 3000 miles to be near you? If so, get ready because they will be camping on your acre before long! Yes, they will be booted from whatever park they end up in and you will be their 'go to' person: be ready with a firm 'NO' should they attempt to force their way onto your property. Better yet, that
should be a pre-move conversation I would have with them so there are no misunderstandings! We have never attempted to rv with more than 1 dog and she was/is plenty!

When they open the windows or vents, very close neighbors will likely complain and they will be booted from the park.

Code2high, I will pass your advise on..Thank You. I think 13 animals in a trailer is too much, no matter how you rig it. But since they are determined to make this potentially disastrous mistake, I thought I would get some info, ideas from folks who do Rv with pets,because we have never traveled in an RV with pets before. I do not know enough abt. animal hoarding to say if that is the case here. Their cats are fixed, thank goodness. I just foresee many potential health concerns for the animals and the people. Also I fear they will get out here only to be homeless because I really doubt the campgrounds and RV parks will let them stay, because 13 pets is just plain excessive given the circumstances. Thanks to all for your responses. Hopefully, all will be well.

This should be linked to the mice in rv threads...

n7bsn wrote:
I've met AmandasGrany's cats. Like our two they are (sorta) used to travel, but I can certainly see her statement on after months in the trailer.

I'm assuming that the OP's friends plan to let the cats out at each campground, well, they will probably end up with (many) fewer cats. First the ferals will not return, then the others

Why would you make such a stupid and baseless assumption?

Cat ignoramuses should not comment on things they do not understand. Really.

You are all assuming facts not in evidence. Plenty of people have that many cats and are not hoarders. A hoarder is someone who has animals in numbers and under conditions that they cannot care for them, or a mental illness that prevents them from providing care. Heck, I've got eight with the ferals...plus the dogs. Every one of them is fed an appropriate diet, provided with clean (Bottled!) water and appropriate potty faciliies that are cleaned twice daily, gets daily attention, and has appropriate medical care as needed.

Now, that's a good sized trailer in general but it's going to take some effort to manage that many cats in a trailer and not have the birds end up as dinner. Secure rooms are hard to come by in trailers. Though that may depend on the cats and on the birds... if they have big birds, that may not be an issue. If it is an issue, they'd need to plan for some extra secure cages for the birds.

Eleven cats can easily live in that much space, if it's properly organized and well maintained. It might be a little "catty" for humans with that many...there's going to be a lot of fur... but there is no reason for conditions to be unsafe or inhumane for the cats. Cats are not St Bernards. They like small places. They can play in a trailer that size and have a high old time, trust me. I've lived in a thirty foot trailer with cats. No, not eleven of them. Just two, but since they are only each awake a few hours a day, they can take turns doing laps up and down the length of the trailer.

As far as the ferals, it depends on temperament and conditioning. I have one former feral who has NO desire to leave the house whatsoever. Home is where the food is, and he's staying where the food is. My current garage ferals do go out, but that would not work in a temporary location... and so they would not be let out if I had to travel with them. Having learned to you know, operate a freaking DOOR, makes that pretty easy to manage. I know people in rescue who have ferals that simply never go outside. One thing I can tell you for sure is, ferals do NOT howl, they are the quietest car passengers on earth, unlike cats raised by humans, because they are taught by their mothers to be SILENT when frightened. In addition, every one I've ever dealt with, from those who became housecats after trapping, those that were held (for months in a small run) between trapping and release, and the ones that have moved into my garage this year, they have all been letter perfect with respect to using the litter box. The current ferals run in from the yard to use the box in the garage. LItter box usage is instinct, not "training."

As far as a place to stay, most RV parks, and this has been discussed here before, don't inquire about strictly indoor animals and don't "count" them if they are mentioned. Some municipalities may have laws against having more than X cats, but in many cases there are no laws about cats, or they are not enforced except under unusual conditions where a problem comes to the attention of the authorities.

So...while maybe these people don't care for their cats, and are nuttier than fruitcakes and complete hoarders and disasters looking for a place to land, there's nothing in the information presented that makes that the case. If they are willing to wield a litter box scoop for about oh.... twenty minutes a day, and they can afford supplies and care for their cats, there's no reason that they can't do this in a healthy and humane way. And if they were people who didn't give a rat's patootie about their cats and were going to turn them loose in campgrounds, I rather doubt they'd be choosing to move into a trailer and travel across the country with them in the first place.

There are a couple of things I'd recommend. One is a higher quality, more dense kibble if they use kibble. As an example, a quarter cup per day of Taste of the Wild will feed an adult cat and stools will accordingly be MUCH less than the cup a day of supermarket food that it would require. The cost works out about the same or less, and there is less to haul in both directions. Another thing is.... don't free feed. Feed twice a day and ensure that each cat gets what they need and no more, no less. This will prevent wasted food and digestive upsets from overeating, and it will encourage them to poop "on schedule," which makes it easier to keep box odor down.

Bottled water, even for that many animals, is cheap insurance against GI upsets. Distilled or purified water, not "spring water." You want a known level of minerals and the only way to get that is to go mineral free. If they transition back on the other end, they need to do it slowly.

Adding a probiotic to food or water will also assist in keeping everyone stable. In a small space, this will become more important.

Brushing is good. So is a regular dose of petromalt, if they'll take it. Or if they get wet food, a little PURE psyllium husk (1/4 teaspoon a day per cat) can keep down hairballs, which can only be a good thing.

Pheremone collars and spray can be real lifesavers in getting cats adapted to a new living arrangement.

And a "thunderstorm in a box" air purifier would be a great addition to their RV. Also, baking soda mixed with the litter will help.

The other thing they're going to need to figure out depending on when they go, is temperature control in the trailer if the cats are traveling in the trailer (not optimal but likely unavoidable) and/or when parked if not on shore power.

I've met AmandasGrany's cats. Like our two they are (sorta) used to travel, but I can certainly see her statement on after months in the trailer.

I'm assuming that the OP's friends plan to let the cats out at each campground, well, they will probably end up with (many) fewer cats. First the ferals will not return, then the others

They might end up still having the birds.

Our boys hate travel days, they don't mind non-travel days. If we are in place long enough they almost forgive us for travel days. If we move three-four days in a row, they are particularly grumpy.

BTW, the success rate of people keeping cats on the road, that they let out to roam, is almost zero. I only know one person that gets away with it. Their cat is used to being in the RV. Even at home the cat goes in and out the rig.