Indoor cat

[mr_andyj]

I have never taken cat on RV trip but may have to. She is scared to go out and prefers inside. She likes to run from one side of house to the next and that is her exercise. In a small camper what do you do with an inside cat? Is the cat happy? I could leash her and take for a walk, but still most of her day would be inside. she sleeps most of the time but Im concerned of the small space... How do cats do?

[CA_Traveler]

mr_andyj wrote:
Thanks all.
I will give it a try.
On short car rides she ends up on the floor pretty quick.
She loves her towel and stick, the stick is all she thinks about, so that will be easy to bring.

Our cat loves low spots so he chose a RV basement. 6 hours later he wound up in S CA. He was a Las Vegas Outlaw that on one wanted back. So he came home with us but we keep a sharp outlook for his former wandering days.

Yes true story.

[mr_andyj]

Thanks all.
I will give it a try.
On short car rides she ends up on the floor pretty quick.
She loves her towel and stick, the stick is all she thinks about, so that will be easy to bring.

[toedtoes]

I take both my cats camping. Not this past year, but we will be doing more in the near future.

When in the car or motorhome or trailer, the cats ALWAYS have their harnesses on. The harness has an ID tag with their name, my cell number, and the license plate numbers of my car and trailer (have a different tag when camping in the motorhome with its license plate number).

Cats sleep about 20 hours a day. As long as they have a quiet comfortable and safe spot in the camper where they can relax, they should adjust to spending their days there.

Travelling is a bit different. Some cats don't do well with the movement of the vehicle. How does yiur cat handle car rides? That will be a key.

Remember some cats do better being able to see the world as they ride, others need to feel safe in a dark spot where they can't see out. You need to account for these differences.

With a short ride, the cat never gets accustomed to the motion. So try taking the cat out for a long 1-2 hour drive and see if she settles.

Both my cats prefer to see out and hate to be confined in their carriers. In the past, I let them loose in the car and after 30 minutes or so, they would find spots to curl up and sleep. Now I have a rambunctous puppy, so in the car I will try their crate (I carry it on all trips for emergencies). In the motorhome they can go up on the caboverbed to get away from Tornado-Dog, so they can remain loose.

The big concern is opening doors. I never open a car or camper door unless the cats are leashed. I also use a 15ft nylon tether for them. I attach one end inside the camper and the other end to the harness. This way they can come out and explore outside safely. 15ft is the longest I use so they can't get into trouble.

The best thing you can do is to practice each portion separately. Take the cat for a few longer rides. Let the cat go in and sleep in the camper - feed her while she's in there. Do more interactive play with her using toys to make up for the lack of space.

Take her out on walks using a harness and leash. Make sure the harness is secure. Remember a cat is very flexible - never pull on the leash and harness when the cat is facing you, she will slip right out of it no matter. Always keep behind her. If she gets scared and turns to you and hunches, stop, get down on her level and coax her to you.

[MotorHeart]

My cat also takes some time to get used to the RV again. I take all the toys she loves, including her cat tree. If a pet has something that makes her feel comfortable and safe, she assimilates better. In case you decide to use my advice, here ***Link Removed***https://catspurfection.com/best-cat-trees-for-large-cats.html you can read about the best cat trees that you can buy for your feline.

[2oldman]

It's nice to run into cat people when I'm out walking her. She'll run right up to them for a scratch.

So many times people just look away or act as if she's not even there. That's kinda strange to me as it's an unusual thing to see in a campground. I'm not a dog person but I don't ignore them.

[chuckbear]

We have a pretty good size house for our cat to run and play in. When we go camping it takes a day for her to get used to the RV again. We always take her toys and treats from home and as long as we feed her, she is perfectly happy. She too is a timid cat. Take your cat along and be patient. Don't open the door too quickly or too wide until you know where she is. Especially when coming back to the RV after being away. You will enjoy it and so will she. We often spend a few hours, not overnight, in the RV for a few days before leaving. Chuck

[Felicity]

Our cats are always great. We travel with them everywhere, they are very curious and friendly. I recommend that you carefully monitor their health and safety. Therefore, we always choose the best flea collars for cats (we chose from the list of ***Link Removed***the best flea collars) because fleas can be a real pain in the neck when traveling.

[2oldman]

mr_andyj wrote:
If she escapes Im afraid she goes and hides and I dont find her until she feels safe and on her on comes back.

Yes, that can happen. My cat likes culverts, which I discovered when trying to find her to leave. She was fast asleep in one. That's about the only time I've actually been able to find her. When they don't want to be found, you won't find them.

Kinda sounds like your kitty wouldn't make the best camper - really nervous and afraid. Perhaps without the brother cat she'd be ok. Is she young?

It's taken a couple years of "training" to take walks with Zia, but now she really enjoys it.

[mr_andyj]

I've stepped on her many times from darting under my feet, closed her in the door once from darting.
She hates everybody, is a scardy cat, scared of everything...
I once tried sleeping in the camper with her and she went crazy all night, never stopped pacing and whining.
She would need to be on a leash a lot, even inside. If she escapes Im afraid she goes and hides and I dont find her until she feels safe and on her on comes back.
She is terrified just going in the yard, so not sure about walks. The brother cat attacks her if he sees her so that is her fear of outside.
I'm just worried, what her life would be cooped up in a small space

[2oldman]

you posted in 'Dogs'

She may get very curious to go out when camping. Go for a walk with your kitty. She may love that.

[CA_Traveler]

We initially take our cats for rides in the car whenever possible. After a month they've settled down and are travelers errr sleepers in the RV while moving.

And yes they train us to be very aware of them when we go in/out.

When moving we keep a 6' red leash on them so that we know exactly where they are when stopped and operating slides. And it helps to thwart their escape plans.

[magnusfide]

bgum wrote:
Just be sure it is in your arms or in crate when extending or retracting slides.

Double ditto. Be careful going in and out of the RV too. We had a cat like yours who decided to bolt out of the door as soon as we opened it. We did eventually capture him but it was a tough go there.

[Lwiddis]

Depends on the cat. Our cats were great! 😞

[hotjag1]

We are in a motorhome. Our cat hides under the recliner/sofa when we are traveling and no doubt sleeping. When we park she hops up on the dash and will lay there for hours just watching what is going on outside.

If you are in a trailer or camper I would suggest having some kind of shelf or area where your cat can lie down and look out a window. They seem to be very content doing that.

We do put our cat on a harness and leash occasionally and take her for short walks, but she is usually happy just being able to look out the window.