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Have you ever wanted to RV with your cats? RVing can be a useful way of taking your cat camping or even going across the country and you can’t leave your cat some where in the meantime. Keep in mind that not all cats are suited to travel in an RV and may never get used to it.
This can be even harder if you are going to live in an RV with them or if you have more than one cat with you. The good news is that is possible for your cats to adjust to this lifestyle just make sure they have the right personality to warm up to traveling.
Motion Sickness
You should really check to see if your cat get motion sickness while on the road. If this is a problem for your cat they probably shouldn’t be riding on the RV with you. If you need to get around this you could talk to your vet about motion sickness medication.
Get Your Cat Used To The RV
Make sure to move all of their stuff into the RV first then bring in your cat last. It will make them feel more comfortable if you do this. You can’t just throw them in there willy-nilly and just hit the road either. It will really stress them out.
You also want to make sure you do this while you are parked. Once you put your cat in the RV they are going to act nervous because of the new environment. Getting them used to it will also take some time. It could take a couple days or even weeks for them to feel comfortable. Maybe even longer than that.
Cat RV Supplies
Before you go on the road you really need to have the right supplies so your cat is as comfortable as possible.
• Toys
If you have some toys that they really like this is the perfect thing to bring a long as it will make them feel more safe and secure.
• Cat Tree
Cats feel very secure when in high places because it allows them to see there surroundings a lot easier and it will give them something to do and a place to hide so getting one of these would be really beneficial.
• Scratching Post
Cats like scratching things (including your furniture) so bring one of these along onto your RV. Its also good for their nails and it allows them to mark their territory which will as a result make them feel more comfortable during the adjustment period.
• Brush and Dustpan or a Hand Vacuum
Cats are known for leaving hair around but because you are in a really small space this problem will be much more of an issue on an RV so its a really good idea to have something to clean the hair up.
• Harness
If you can manage to get your cat to walk in one of these it will make you RV lifestyle a lot more fun for your cat.
• Picket Line
When your at a camp site you want your cat to be able to walk around and do things so getting one of these would be really useful to have if not essential
• Temperature Monitor
If you plan on leaving your cat inside of your RV alone this is really important as higher temperatures can potentially be lethal if you leave them unattended for too long.
What I would suggest is getting something called a temperature monitor. This will give you a notification on your phone if your RV happens to get a little too hot for your cats liking. The one that I suggest is the “Temp Stick Wireless Temperature Sensor (click here for amazon link)“.
• Cat Bed
You cat will want a nice comfortable place to sleep so it would be a good idea to invest in a cat bed for them. It might even make it easier for them to adjust to the RV.
• Cat Enclosure
These things are really nice to have if your cat doesn’t do well with harnesses. You can buy regular cat enclosures and modify them to fit into your window or your door so they can exit the RV whenever they please.
These are some basic things that you should bring but there are a lot more things that you should take with you as well. If you want to know what to bring in a lot more detail go to my article at this page here “13 Must Have RV Cat Supplies“.
Have Your Cats Information
You want to have this information on you for things such as health reasons or if your cat happens to go missing.
• Proof of Ownership
If your cat happens to go missing and someone happens to take them it would be a real shame if you couldn’t get them back simply because you didn’t have proof of ownership. The best way to do this would to get your cat microchipped.
• Photos of your Cat
These can also be really useful to have just in case your cat goes missing.
While On The Road
When you finally get out of that adjustment period and your cat feels comfortable the next thing you want to do is start driving. This is another thing that may possibly freak them out but they will adjust quickly if they got to this point.
Make sure they are also away from you while you are driving. Most RVers will put there cat in another room such as the bathroom or the bedroom or even put them in a cat carrier so they don’t get distracted while driving. You don’t want to neglect this because your kitty could cause you an accident.
Consider Harness Training
Yes I know its very weird to think about but a lot of people actually do this! If you are doing something such as camping teaching them to walk with you can be real beneficial as cats need mental stimulation like we do. It can also be very beneficial to their health.
You should also get a picket line so they can walk around the camp site and not get lost. Keep in mind if you put a cat in a harness it will take time for them to get used to it being around them and they may even walk in a very strange for a short time way which is completely normal.
It will also take some time to get them to walk with you. It can take weeks or months or not at all. If you want some good suggestions on what harness to get you can go to “Things You’ll Need When Hiking With A Cat“.
Which Harness Should I Get?
I always recommend the vest type because it secures them a lot easier and you don’t risk damaging their throat with the other types of harnesses. The lead type of harnesses are a lot less secure in my opinion. They can escape from these a lot easier.
I also do not recommend hooking a leash onto their collar as this is very unsafe and can damage their throats. If you want a good idea of which cat harnesses I suggest here is an article I wrote about that here “Best Cat Harnesses You Can Buy“.
• Walk Them Inside First
I would suggest walking them inside of your house first. Give them treats and use a toy to encourage them to move around more.
• Go Outside
Once they are able to walk inside you want to take it up a notch and try doing this outside. They might freak out a bit since it’s a new experience for them but they should quickly get used to it. If you want a more detailed guide on how to walk your cat you can go to my article “How To Leash Train A Cat: A Complete Guide” where I get way more detailed on the subject.
Litter Problems
If you are RVing with cats you want to buy really good litter that neutralizes odor well. RVs can be cramped and the smell can get bad really quick. If you don’t want to deal with odor at all you could get a Kitty Ditty Feline Waste System which you can get here.
It allows you to keep the litter box outside of the RV so they can use the litter box without dealing with the smell. The only downside with this thing is I don’t think it can be used while driving.
If you don’t want to go through the trouble of installing one of those onto your RV then putting the litter box in the bathroom should be just fine. You could also just have a designated cabinet for your cats litter box as well.
If you want to make it even easier on yourself you could also toilet train your cat so You don’t have to deal with litter period.
Food And Water
If you want to make it a lot easier to feed your cat you could get an automatic food dispenser so your cat will get small meal through out the day automatically.
The one I recommend is the “PetSafe Smart Feed 2.0 Wifi-Enabled Automatic Dog & Cat Feeder (click here for the chewy.com link)“. I like this one a lot because it is the only one recommended by veterinary professionals. It also prevents your other pets from stealing food from each other and saves you money by not wasting food.
As for water it would be a good idea to get a non spill dish. Cats can spill these over and it would be wise to have one since you will be in a moving RV as well.
You also want to stock up on food while you are on the go so you don’t run out but you could also stop at a pet store or the nearest Walmart/Target etc. if you need to get more.
Keeping Your Cats Cool Inside Of Your RV
You’ll probably want to go out and do things without your cats once in a while so it’s absolutely necessary to keep your RV cool while you are away on those really hot days.
There are a couple of ways you can do this but I would recommend putting an air conditioning unit in your RV. A really good one to go with would be a “Dometic Polar White (click here for amazon link)“. It’s one of the most popular units you can buy currently and is often imitated.
You could also use a ceiling fan in your RV with your windows open so its always the same temperature inside of your RV as it is outside. I would only go with this method if it isn’t crazy hot outside and you have screens on your windows so your cats don’t escape.
Medical Needs or Emergencies
While you are on the road its always a good idea to have a first-aid kit if for some reason your cat get injured or if your cat needs some type of medication that your vet prescribed.
But what if you need to go to the vet while on the road? If your cats needs medical attention just type in veterinary hospitals in Google and a Google map should show you the nearest location you can go to that’s tailored to your location.
Sedatives
If your cat is new to RVing you might want to give them a sedative at first to get them used to the new lifestyle they are going to live. I would not suggest Benadryl as there are a lot better options that are healthier and more natural. Here are some really good options if you don’t know what to really use.
• Melatonin
This is a good option because it not only relaxes your kitty but it will also help with car sickness as well. You’re killing two birds with one stone. These come in chews so it is really easy to get them to take it.
• L-Theanine
This type is sedative is an amino acid that relaxes your cat and works quite well. The only thing is that it take a while for it to kicks in. Probably about an hour or so.
• Pheromone Sprays
A lot of travelers use these and they say they work quite well.
If you want more options on cat sedatives you can go to my other article where I talk more in detail about it “How To Sedate Your Cat For Travel: The Ultimate Guide“.
Secure Slides
Always make sure you know where you cat is before you move your slides. If you don’t pay attention to where they are while doing this you could potentially crush your cat and as a result you would kill them in the process.
Have Fun!
Rving with your cat can take some time for them to get used to but if you do everything right it can be a fun experience for both you and your cat!
