We adopted a 2 year old cat last November and have been introducing him to travelling in the car for relatively short distances - the longest being about 1-2 hours. To do this we kept him in his cat carrier, which is quite roomy and comfortable and them let him into the trailer for his food, water and litter tray. We are planning to drive north to camp and will be spending up to 8 hours on the road at times and wondered what other "Escapers" have done with their cat over long distances. Has anyone let their cat free in the car with access to food, water, litter or kept them in the trailer while towing it rather than make frequent stops for the cat? Thanks!!
We have traveled with cats for 20 years and have let them ride in the trailer - they seem to prefer that. They have cozy cat beds alongside the mattress in our 5.0 and they can curl up there during driving. When we stop for gas or lunch they come out, use the litter box, have a snack etc. This has worked really well for both us and them.
We do the opposite of David. Our cat travels in the car with only a litter box for accessories while we are driving. At rest stops, every 2-3 hours we all move into the trailer and snack. A couple times, we have moved the trailer while she is eating, that did not go well, she was rather panicked. We use the cat carrier as a transportation device between the jeep and trailer. In the vehicle she is free to roam. She hates being confined in the carrier and the howling is rather loud if she does not get out. Initially, our first trip n the car with her, she was pretty horrible...jumping and yelling. But after a couple hours she calmed down, now she is a pro. At night she frequently will sleep in her carrier.
Trailer: 2017 Escape 21, pulled by 2018 F150 EcoBoost
Posts: 158
Travelling with cat!
We partitioned off a part of the under bed storage for the cat. It contains a rubber mat, litter box and storage tote for her supplies.
Our cat prefers to ride in the trailer. She normally sleeps on the dinette or the bed.
We've had our trailer for five years and she has visited 39 states and 9 provinces.
Cats are pretty adaptable, and you will find people whose cats travel well both in the car and in the trailer. One thing I would discourage is having your cat loose in the car/truck vs. in a carrier - when we first began traveling we tried that but when we would stop at a gas station it was an ordeal sometimes to get her back in her carrier before we could open doors and get out of the truck. Either way, you will likely find that once you are set up in camp that your cat does well - ours enjoy not only the interesting views out the windows, but also being in close proximity to us when we are in the trailer vs. roaming all over the house at home. If your cat is not a door dasher at home they probably won't be in the trailer either, just always requires care when going in and out to be aware of where the cats are.
The only thing I would add is that it can be helpful to put a harness on the cat - it can provide a secure way for someone to hang on to the cat while someone else opens a vehicle door, and a leash can be used with it and clipped to a fixed point to keep the cat safely inside. It's also easier to catch a cat with a harness to grab.
Yes we have a good harness and leash which we've tried out on him - we plan to put him on a longer leash at campsites so he can have some outdoor time - at home he goes out all the time but he's pretty calm and enjoys being with us, so I think he'll do OK
We traveled with 4 cats and a dog. Everyone was in their crate. Dog, but mostly us, had frequent potty breaks. The cats did well and held their pee. Travel time was 4 hour increments. It’s personal preference whether you decide to contain them. We tend to lean toward the safe side ALWAYS! Too many lost pets get out when an accident occurs. Imagine this scenario, you are involved in a vehicle crash, the first responders open your door to assess your condition, not knowing your cats and dogs are NOT contained. They are scared and WILL bolt as soon as that door opens. Will they get hit by passing vehicles or will they get lost in the middle of nowhere. Happens all the time! Facebook has a “lost pets of auto accidents” page. It’s quite humbling...check it out if you are on the fence.
We travel with 4 Munchkin cats. While driving, they get the back of the crew cab, all covered with water-proof dog blankets. A dog screen separates them from us. My husband has enough carriers for them, with cushions on top. Some go into the carriers and stay there the whole time; others roam. Two are perfectly quiet; two not so much. We used to have food and water but realized that they never used it. Now, since retired, we limit the amount of daily driving and just give them food and water when we set up at the campground. We do have a litter pan on the back floor. One cat uses it immediately upon being loaded into the truck, every time. We call it his "protest poop."
They never go outside our camper, strictly indoor cats. Two have been outdoor with past owners, either by choice or by accident, so they have to be watched (at home too!). We don't have an Escape; we have a 28' 1988 Bigfoot Silver Cloud. Our newest rescued Munchkin has forced us to open all of our old, vintage blinds, as he wants to see out every window.
I can't say that any of them enjoy camping, but we enjoy them with us. We have to have one with us, as she is epileptic and must be medicated.
Trailer: 2017 Escape 21, 2017 Toyota Tundra 5.7L 4x4
Posts: 549
Spoiled Kitten
We've had our kitten for a year. At first we had a cover on the back seat of the truck and let her free there while driving, but she always wanted to get into the front seat. Now we put her in her carrier, with the top open, on the console between the front seats. She just sleeps while we travel, waking up occasionally to look around.
We don't bring her litter box in the truck, but stop about every 2 hours for 20 or so minutes so she can use her litter box and eat or get a drink.
She has her bedroom under the passenger's dinette seat with her carrier for a bed and litter box. She also has a hammock above our bed by the window and a screened catio she can go in and out from the trailer when we are camped.
Here is a thread I started with the modifications made to the trailer for our spoiled kitten.
I’ve traveled with 2 older cats for 3 years and then 2 kittens as they’ve matured for a year and a half. Always in the car. Started slow with the older ones and eventually went from traveling in a carrier to free rein in the car. The kittens were adopted together and always travel in the carrier - together. I’ll take breaks and carry them to the trailer (19). I try to give them various perches to sit on to be able to look outside. 3 spots on the bed as well as the front table. I’ve covered the 4 “corners” with carpet as well as the table legs as scratching/climbing posts. Indoor only, and prefer they don’t understand that they could go outside.
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Kevin
Thanks to the interstate highway system, it is now possible to travel across the country from coast to coast without seeing anything - Charles Kuralt
I use a Clevercat (top loading) kitty litter box that I place right next to the bed in my 19. It works well and I clean it morning & night (plus more often if I need to!)
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Kevin
Thanks to the interstate highway system, it is now possible to travel across the country from coast to coast without seeing anything - Charles Kuralt
We use a top loading crate, it is 12" wide and around 16" long, it is 14" high or so. I cut a 5" square hole in the side near the top. Gordita gets privacy when using it, i open the clamshell top to clean. There are just 2 of us, so in our 19 the box lives on the driver's side forward under the dinette. Gives us room for 1 person on that side and 2 if needed on the passenger side for seating. With guests visiting we move the box to near the bed so we can seat 4 at the dinette. The aft table leg is wrapped in sissel line for cat scrathing and stretching.
We use a top loading crate, it is 12" wide and around 16" long, it is 14" high or so. I cut a 5" square hole in the side near the top. Gordita gets privacy when using it, i open the clamshell top to clean. There are just 2 of us, so in our 19 the box lives on the driver's side forward under the dinette. Gives us room for 1 person on that side and 2 if needed on the passenger side for seating. With guests visiting we move the box to near the bed so we can seat 4 at the dinette. The aft table leg is wrapped in sissel line for cat scrathing and stretching.
I use a Clevercat (top loading) kitty litter box that I place right next to the bed in my 19. It works well and I clean it morning & night (plus more often if I need to!)
I never let the cats outside. I don’t want them know that going out is a possibility. When my door is opened, they step away. Once, by accident, I left the door open to run back to the car. (Maybe for 3 minutes) I got back to see the two cats sitting at the door and enjoying the “screen free” view!
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Kevin
Thanks to the interstate highway system, it is now possible to travel across the country from coast to coast without seeing anything - Charles Kuralt
Our 4 don't go out. One got out once at Bardstown (Someone must have left the door open.), but she is slow-moving, so we got her back in quickly. Another fell out the pickup door once when it was opened to transfer him to the camper. He was terrified and hid under the camper. Fortunately, he was retrieved by Kevin before he escaped to the wooded area next to us. He now wears an Apple iTag. He is a rescue who was found at a feral feeder, so he knows what it is like to ge outside. At first, he kept trying to get out, but he does not anymore. All are chipped, although we need to redo the one with the iTag. His chip disappeared; the vets could not find it.
Trailer: 2017 Escape 21, 2017 Toyota Tundra 5.7L 4x4
Posts: 549
We keep the cat box under the passenger's dinette bench along with the cat's carrier, which she uses as her bed. We have a cat door into the space under the dinette and a hatch on the outside. We clean the cat box by taking it outside through the hatch. One thing that really works well, is using pine wood pellets for cat litter. The urine breaks down the pellets into sawdust which captures all the smell. They are very inexpensive, $6 for a 40 lb bag at Tractor Supply. They are marketed as small animal bedding.
Our cat has 3 ways to go outside. First is her catio which has a screened tunnel from the hatch leading out from her bedroom (under the passenger dinette) to a pyramid screened room (with a floor) outside. She goes in and out as she pleases, but we close the hatch at night to keep her in. The second is on a leash with a harness. I try to walk her every evening for about 20 minutes. Sometimes she walks very well other times she just wants to sniff things. The third is a 20 foot wire we attach to the handle by the side of the door and to her harness. We are always outside when she is on her wire, because she needs to be untangled quite frequently.
We are testing out using the Apple air tag attached to her harness (on her back, not around her neck) in case she gets loose. The new Apple phones (11 or later) have a special chip that gives you direction and distance to the tag if she is within about 30 feet.
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