Camping with Cat

[MarkBC]

Step One: Cat in the Cab

I took my cat on a drive in my truck this afternoon as the first step towards convincing her that going on camping trips with me is better for her than staying home alone and lonely. I know she didn't like it -- it stressed her, but she didn't react too badly.
We drove about 20 miles east of town on US 20 and parked at the "Prehistoric River" viewpoint/pullout at the top of Horse Ridge. We sat there in the truck for maybe 20 minutes and then drove back home.
She only expressed the "yowl of despair" a few times, but the main sign that she was stressed was a very high respiration rate -- fast enough that she frequently had her mouth open, panting, which cats never do. I could see her sides pulsing with that rapid respiration. I'm guessing that the strange and therefore stressful situation caused a surge of catdrenaline, which produced the rapid respiration. I didn't try to check her pulse -- probably was faster than I could count.
Otherwise she was mostly sitting or lying on my lap or on the seat next to me...sometimes standing up looking out the window. But with rapid respiration the whole time.
When we got home and went in the house the first thing she did was to go to the catfood silo and eat, further evidence that her metabolism had been amped up and burning lots of calories...but also a positive sign, I think: she wasn't too traumatized to be hungry.

Why bother? Because my cat needs/wants human companionship -- no, cats aren't all aloof loners. So, when I'm gone more than a weekend I need to get someone to come in at least a couple times a week to socialize with her. Now that I'm retired I'd like the option to spend a month or more away, but I only have one friend who's a big cat lover and into making house calls...and I don't feel right asking her to do this too much or for too long. And I'm too cheap to pay a professional.
Solution: Cat goes camping with me so that she doesn't have to stay home lonely, and I don't have to find a kitty-caretaker or feel bad about leaving her.

I'm going to try another driving session with her tomorrow...I hope she can learn to tolerate the driving part of camping. If she can ride without too much stress, the next step is to go on a near-town overnight -- or maybe just parked at home -- and see how she does in the camper. I'll have to get her a harness and leash -- and probably a litter box -- before then.

 

[natjwest]

Stick the litter box in the camper, lock her in for a night, at home. Familiar smells and all.

I know some RVers (Class-A) that have an RV cat. She leaves the RV at campsites, but always stays close. I think they got her as a little kitty and they're full-timers so it's all she's known.

 

[Mark W. Ingalls]

Do an overnight with felicia in the camper in the driveway. Go from cab to camper and bring all your stuff, just like 'for real'. Get her used to the places before adding motion.

 

[MarkBC]

Thanks for the camping-with-cat at home first suggestions -- that makes sense.

A friend of mine (who sometimes volunteers at a Human Society shelter) recommended a product called "Feliway", which supposedly mimics "feline facial pheromones". It's said to comfort/mellow-out cats, mostly to prevent them from territorial "marking", but also to reduce stress in situations like travel/new-home. I've read mixed reviews of this, but mostly positive. My friend said they used it successfully when they took their cat camping once. I might try it, at least to make the transition easier...spray it in/on the truck cab interior -- it's odorless to humans.

 

[pods8]

I think breaking the cat into the harness/leash is going to be the hardest part but I think you've got the right idea.

 

[MarkBC]

I think breaking the cat into the harness/leash is going to be the hardest part but I think you've got the right idea.

Could be...I'll find out tomorrow when I get a harness and leash for her. But I'm optimistic, based on how well she reacted to getting a collar a couple years ago: She didn't react at all, almost didn't notice it.
I've looked at some very funny Youtube videos of training cat on harness and leash. A typical first reaction of the cat is to "go boneless" -- the cat will go limp and allow itself to be dragged around on the floor rather than get on its legs and be led on leash.

Kinda like protesters in the '60s and later, with the "go limp" strategy when being hauled away by the cops.

 

[pods8]

My sis can harness/walk her cat but she started when it was a kitten. By "walking" it the cat normally stalks along the sidewalk like it's sneaking up on something, from what she described it sounds pretty funny.

 

[MarkBC]

Cat in Harness
Well, so far, so good. She doesn't mind the harness ("Come With Me Kitty" Harness & Bungee Leash) much...at all...and doesn't mind dragging the leash around:

Haven't tried really walking her on leash. I tried tugging her a few feet in the living room, and she grudgingly walked -- with protest.

But just wearing the thing is a non-issue, or not more than a minor issue, for her. Good kitty!

I think "we" will camp in the camper in the driveway tonight....I have a full hook-up facility, with free Wi-Fi!

 

[Mark W. Ingalls]

<snip>...I have a full hook-up facility, with free Wi-Fi!

Yeah, but how clean are the rest rooms? Just sayin'.

 

[MarkBC]

Yeah, but how clean are the rest rooms? Just sayin'.

Clean enough that kitty drinks from the toilet as her primary source of water!

Or...you mean in the camper? As clean as all outdoors!

 

[pods8]

Also you can try hooking her up on a leash in your backyard so she can wander around outside to the extent of her leash which should be a cool/new experience that comes with being a harnessed up cat.

 

[ntsqd]

Friends of mine used to have a cat that liked to go camping. He was like most dogs though, forever had the leash wound around everything and everybody. Had an epiphany while camping one time, he could out run us, but he couldn't do so by 20 feet. So he got a 20 foot long 'leash' hooked to his harness and not to anything else. He knew where the food was, and they didn't leave it out all of the time.....

 

[lqhikers]

dont give up!
Mark we have always camped and traveled with our cats.
we have learned a few things,maybe some will work for you.
we have the advantage of being able to have our camper (what ever type we have at he moment)in our attached rv garage
we leave a small food bowl,water, litter box in the camper all the time and have found that Bella sometimes snacks on the food but has never used the litter box unless we are away from home.ours is a female 5 years old,our last cat was a male lasted till 18,nether one ever sprayed or had a accident,both were fixed when rescued at the local shelter.
both had not had a harness,but both took to it with no problem.
we feel that if your cat is a part of your family he will adapt to travel for you are his food service,groomer
play mate,sleep partner,dinner partner,will always listen to your conversations(cat people know what i mean)
On your first on the road sleep overs try to camp away from noise caused by other campers.we have found that the first couple of days the new routine will tend to be a little stressful,they will know after the first trip when you are planning on going again,because no matter how sneaky you are at packing when you get ready to put your cat in the camper he/she will be in its hiding spot(ours is under the bed).
we found that the first day or two traveling we make sure to stop after a couple of hours and let the cat have a half hour or so of quiet time,since we are never in a hurry this is no problem for us.as the days go by travel time can increase with no problems.
when we had our taco and four wheel camper the cat did not like to ride in the camper even though we had a crawl through between the truck and camper they both road in the cab,mostly on the floor under my feet.but would go back for food/litter box.
now that we have a van she visits with us but rides in a chair mid way back,or in her hidey spot that i keep open for her under the bed,she use's this spot when we camp and she is in the mood to be by herself.
when we camp and the cat is outside never without a leash we always leave the door open so she can bolt inside if something scares her,we mostly hook the leash so it reach's inside but if you have the leash further away use a rock to hold down this way if the cat bolts and he will sometime the leash will pull loose if it does not pull loose it can get nasty.no matter how tight you have the harness the cat will get out of it when in a panic mode,for this reason we keep the straps kind of loose.
we found that for a litter box we took a high sided plastic storage box and cut a u shaped opening in one end this stops any "misses"we also put about 4 inchs of litter in and change it once a week,never have had a smell problem.
also it seems like it takes a day or two to get food.litter routine back on time table.
sometimes we change our plans due to high temps as we have found cats in travel mode do not take heat like they do at home.
you will be surprised at how many people will start a conversation with the cat first and you second!
as long as it is cool we leave her for hours at a time with hiking ect,gives her time to catch up on her beauty sleep!
as you can tell by this response we do like our cat.
drive slow and enjoy "its the journey"
Les,Lqhikers

 

[pods8]

now that we have a van


Nice to see your around Les. Any fun details on your latest rig (last I had noticed you were running a sixpac on the taco)?

 

[Stan@FourWheel]

We have had quite a few customers over the years that camp with their cats.

The guy that used to run our Southern Califronia shop used to take his cat "wheelin" in his IH Scout.






.

 

[MarkBC]

dont give up!
Mark we have always camped and traveled with our cats.
we have learned a few things,maybe some will work for you.

Thanks for the encouragement and suggestions.
I'm optimistic that this will work out.

 

[MarkBC]

In my last post on this topic, 10 months ago, I claimed to be optimistic that I could get my cat to tolerate travel, though I really didn't have a reason to be.

Now I do.

Over the past couple of months I've taken my cat to her regular vet or to the veterinary surgeon several times -- maybe 6 or 8 round trips (because of a very-arthritic hip, now remedied by surgery). The first few trips she loudly expressed the "yowl of despair" a lot while riding in the carrier in the car. But in the last 2 or 3 round trips, most-recently this morning to have stitches removed, she lay in the carrier quietly to and from the vet without complaint! (though at the vet she wasn't so quiet

)

So, I think this is a very promising sign that she can get used to riding in a vehicle, and maybe she already has, so I may have a potential camping-cat after all.

From my first post in this Topic:

Why bother? Because my cat needs/wants human companionship -- no, cats aren't all aloof loners. So, when I'm gone more than a weekend I need to get someone to come in at least a couple times a week to socialize with her. Now that I'm retired I'd like the option to spend a month or more away, but I only have one friend who's a big cat lover and into making house calls...and I don't feel right asking her to do this too much or for too long. And I'm too cheap to pay a professional.
Solution: Cat goes camping with me so that she doesn't have to stay home lonely, and I don't have to find a kitty-caretaker or feel bad about leaving her.
Well, I have now paid a professional to cat-sit (on my nor-Cal trip of a month ago), so I guess I'm not too cheap for that after all...but I'd still prefer the independence and freedom that taking Kitty with me on trips will provide:
Mobile Man in Mobile Dwelling with Mobile Pet...free to Wander the West as long as I feel like.

Next step: A new attempt at going for a drive in the truck with the cat in her carrier...or out of the carrier if she prefers -- maybe a long drive, if things go well.

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

In my last post on this topic, 10 months ago, I claimed to be optimistic that I could get my cat to tolerate travel, though I really didn't have a reason to be.

Now I do.

Over the past couple of months I've taken my cat to her regular vet or to the veterinary surgeon several times -- maybe 6 or 8 round trips (because of a very-arthritic hip, now remedied by surgery). The first few trips she loudly expressed the "yowl of despair" a lot while riding in the carrier in the car. But in the last 2 or 3 round trips, most-recently this morning to have stitches removed, she lay in the carrier quietly to and from the vet without complaint! (though at the vet she wasn't so quiet

)

So, I think this is a very promising sign that she can get used to riding in a vehicle, and maybe she already has, so I may have a potential camping-cat after all.

From my first post in this Topic:

Why bother? Because my cat needs/wants human companionship -- no, cats aren't all aloof loners. So, when I'm gone more than a weekend I need to get someone to come in at least a couple times a week to socialize with her. Now that I'm retired I'd like the option to spend a month or more away, but I only have one friend who's a big cat lover and into making house calls...and I don't feel right asking her to do this too much or for too long. And I'm too cheap to pay a professional.
Solution: Cat goes camping with me so that she doesn't have to stay home lonely, and I don't have to find a kitty-caretaker or feel bad about leaving her.
Well, I have now paid a professional to cat-sit (on my nor-Cal trip of a month ago), so I guess I'm not too cheap for that after all...but I'd still prefer the independence and freedom that taking Kitty with me on trips will provide:
Mobile Man in Mobile Dwelling with Mobile Pet...free to Wander the West as long as I feel like.

Next step: A new attempt at going for a drive in the truck with the cat in her carrier...or out of the carrier if she prefers -- maybe a long drive, if things go well.
Good luck Mark.We met a couple in Yellowstone 2010 they had a Maine Coon cat.When they had it outside they had a harness and leash.Seemed to work for them and the cat didn't seem to put up a fuss.The problem I have is the litter situation. When we go away our cat stays out side and a neighbor comes over and checks him out for us.He also likes the human contact but he was a outside stray when we felt sorry for him a year or so ago.He is about 8/10 years old.He likes being outside and has no litter box inside.But get him inside and he is just a big slug.We like him but don't want to take him along camping.Especially if we go out of the country that can be problematic.
Have fun with kitty and a good speedy recovery.
Frank

 

[chnlisle]

Our cat finally gave up the ghost after 23 years. He was a good ol' soul but when we moved to AZ with all the preditors in the neighborhood he had to be inside. Because of that no more cats. The litter is the issue. I really miss ol' Larry but not his litter box.

 

[MarkBC]

I'm blessed with a poor sense of smell...