Can Cats Ride in TT While Moving?
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 ...
Forum Discussion
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.
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.
