Cats and Motorhomes

[DavidCh]

I am not a cat person but we were adopted by one. Basically this very hungry cat turned up outside the house looking pathetic. Samantha spent about a week feeding it (bad move), then built a small hutch for it and...... So now it lives with us and spends most of its life finding the best place to sleep (our bed is the favourite or the window sill). We had her chipped, vaccinated checked out etc; (don't even think about the cost) and now she runs our lives! She goes out every night for a couple of hours but seldom goes further than 25 metres from the house.

We cant leave her at home when we go away in the motorhome and finding a boarding kennel for her would be very traumatic as well as expensive. SHe is very affectiante and good in the house but does turn into Satan if confronted by a vet (now banned from one after stitches were required!)

We intend to take her with us

Looking for advice from experienced cat people

 

[vzac]

We had a tracker. Sent it back kept telling us the cat was in China. Not much good for as as we were in Lancashire at the time. Ours travels with us the Maine coon goes on a harness with lead. The old man ( ragdoll) just follows where the Maine coon goes, and he follows where I go usually.they are happy in the van and prefer to be with us than on there own ( Inc house sitter) or in a cattery.

 

[Holly's mum]

Eventually found her inside that motorhome, curled up on a bunk with their cat

That made me laugh

Mouse seems to have settled very well with you and has you trained already

 

[MGSMerc.]

We too take the cat that owns us as well as the dog.
Had no option last Spring as 6 month old cat took on a fox at home and came away with puncture wounds. Either take him or cancel trip.
AHC from Folkestone and pet passport in Croatia for €22. Plus no visit to Vet before returning to UK.
Travels brilliantly and settles as soon as engine starts, litter tray in shower, tethered with a long lead to a harness outside and has caught mice in Germany and France. Small dog cage for security when left alone in Van and sleeping at night when he thinks it is his playtime.

 

[SWW]

In Portugal so no problems in the EU of course. Clearly she was a domestic cat that had been abandoned because she already knew all about litter trays (drives us mad, we live in an huge orchard and I see her run from the grass and trees into the house to use her tray and then goes out again!). She happily goes into a travel box and prefers to sit on top of it looking out the window when we take her in the car (slightly different story after a vet visit of course!). What sort of harness do you suggest? I don't think she would go very far from us anyway, I think she has learned not to let her 'humans' get out of sight.

Ta

My wood cat jacket. They have a site online and will post. Excellent, we use it with a light retractable lead.

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[SWW]

My wood cat jacket. They have a site online and will post. Excellent, we use it with a light retractable lead.

Mynwood. Got auto corrected.

 

[Guigsy]

Mynwood. Got auto corrected.

Agreed.

 

[Mad dog]

Took our cats in cages to France in the car for years to a second home, they got so used to it they just jumped out the car when we got there!

Fast forward to motorhome purchase, 1 cat around 20 yrs old by then - gradually got her used to travelling in moho. Always sick when we started off, sometimes 50 yards from the house! Then fine afterwards. Got her used to a lead & she loved it. Every time we stopped, she was ready to go out & see new sights. Refused to use a litter tray, would scratch to go go out (unless at night). Spent 5 weeks away in Germany in Autumn 2020. Eventually died on my wife's lap in 2021 around 21-22 years old. Now have Springer Spaniel, she's done 22 different countries in her 2.5 years!

 

[Folkranger]

I had been worried about putting a collar on her for fear of her getting it caught on something and strangling herself. I am over thinking this?

You get breakaway collars but be prepared to lose them regularly.

 

[Folkranger]

Took ours once. disappeared into a corn field. Worried us all night but turned up in morning with a rabbit present.

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[Swifter]

I’ve seen a few cats on campsites being walked on leads . I think it’s brilliant and it’s hilarious to see the dog’s reactions . The dogs seem to go mad and bark and the cats just look at them and behave

 

[Tonks]

We had a tracker. Sent it back kept telling us the cat was in China. Not much good for as as we were in Lancashire at the time. Ours travels with us the Maine coon goes on a harness with lead. The old man ( ragdoll) just follows where the Maine coon goes, and he follows where I go usually.they are happy in the van and prefer to be with us than on there own ( Inc house sitter) or in a cattery.

Wow, that's two big cats to accommodate in your van!

 

[MadisMum]

Cat comes away with me regularly. At the risk of invoking ire, she has never worn a collar, she free ranges in the vehicle while travelling, mostly lying across my shoulders and gets let out without a harness and lead almost on arrival. She cannot travel in a crate as it's more stressful for her. I do use a harness and lead at motorway services as she insists on accompanying dog to stretch her legs. Her en suite facilities are in the shower and she sleeps under the duvet with me. She never goes out at night.
I had to laugh at the comment where cat goes out to play, rushes back in to use the facilities, then rushes out to play again. Ditto my cat.
Thanks in advance for the comments about the dangers of a free range cat in the vehicle, the legal aspects and the dangers of losing her in strange places . I have done a risk assessment.

 

[vzac]

Wow, that's two big cats to accommodate in your van!

Yep. Keeps the wolves away.

 

[olley]

This is kitty she's been travelling abroad with us since 06, we do take her for a walk on a lead as she's very easy to get a harness on, unlike her older mate who died 2 years ago, she would tear you to pieces if you tried.

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[faraway]

My cat (since gone), had no issues either in the motorhome or out on a harness.

 

[Guigsy]

Wow, that's two big cats to accommodate in your van!

Many people carry more dog. Cats are masters at sleeping in small and awkward spots.

 

[Mad dog]

One of Dilley in the van back in 2020, cream on first of course! She passed away in 2021 —so now it's Mabel the Springer Spaniel!

 

[MadisMum]

One of Dilley in the van back in 2020, cream on first of course! She passed away in 2021 —so now it's Mabel the Springer Spaniel!

View attachment 801987 View attachment 801988 View attachment 801989

Cream on first! Philistine. I suppose you're a MIF too

 

[SpeedyDux]

My bro had a cat that kept stowing away whenever delivery vans or tradesmen's vans came to the house.

Half an hour later, they would return: Is this cat yours?

The cat was a well-loved and well-fed tom. He just had some kind of weird white van fetish.