Comments on: Travelling in a Motorhome or Caravan with Pets

By: Hobo

Hobo — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 05:58:50 +0000

Hi Angie,
I think you will be pleasantly surprised at how easy it is to travel with cats. You will get a few strange looks – but it is heaps of fun. I have not seen a portable enclosure but I am sure it would work. You might try one of those companies that makes screen doors – they may be able to make you one. Our puss sometimes get put on a long lead – she is not keen on this and I am always worried what would happen if a dog came past. I don’t think she feels safe when she can not run. An enclosure would be much better from this point of view.
Good luck – I’d love to know how you get on with them.

Gavin & Tracey

By: Angie Andrews

Angie Andrews — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 01:07:27 +0000

My hubby and I are thinking of taking off in an RV for a few months next year. We have two beautiful princesses and would never go anywhere without them. (Norwegian Forest cat and a normal moggy). They have an enclosure at home and I was wondering what it would be like to have an attachable/collapsible cat enclosure to the side of the RV. Or….does this product even exist? I was imagining they would live in their large enclosure during the day and inside at night. What do you think of this idea? Would this work?

By: Iain

Iain — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 22:11:35 +0000

How cute is your cat sitting on the toilet?
Don’t worry about the adverse comment.
Pets are one of life’s great, and can only enhance your travels.
The positives far outweigh the negatives.
Anyone who has no affinity with animals is a sad individual indeed.
Happy traveling.

By: Hobo

Hobo — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 00:03:28 +0000

Hi Denise – glad you like the site. A lot of work goes into it – getting nice comments like yours makes it worth it.

To answer your questions…
For the few outings we were terrified that one of the cats would run off or be taken. After a little while we realized that cats are generally smarter than we give them credit for. Loosing Porscha was just awful – however, this could have happened even if we live a “Normal” life in a house. Don’t get me wrong, we still worry about Tivoli and we like to know where she is (and she is never far away). Tivoli HAS been taken once – despite having a very clear tag “Lives in Blue and White Bus” and being just 20m from the bus. She was dropped off at the local pound by someone who was trying to make some point.
Tivoli has spent a few days in a cattery when we go places like Frazer Is – she hates it – but is very affectionate for about a week afterward.
Rangers have never been an issue – she is NEVER allowed out of the bus or to be visible when we visit national parks.

Thanks again for the comments – look forward to seeing you on the road some time. You will love the lifestyle!

Gavin (Hobo)

By: Denise

Denise — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 23:42:17 +0000

Hi there. I have just come across your website and have spent hours reading all of your travells. Havn’t finished yet!!! Well done. We are green with envy!
My husband and I are on a coutdown till when we think we may be in a position to leave work and rent out the houses and hit the road. We, unlike you, will be doing it in a custom built Phoenix Caravan. ( Can’t wait ).
We have a Ragdoll cat. (Cross between burmese and persian). She is only 10months old and has done a 6 week jaunt over to WA last year and lots of little trips with us and copes very well. In fact we feel that she actually missed it when we got home. Got a bit too used to us being in her face every hour of the day, and got lonely when we came home and went back to work.
We never let her outside unless she is wearing a harness and is on a lead. She has also adapted to this very well and knows that it is her OUT time when we get the harness. She has learnt to climb trees even with it on. We have a retractable lead and always watch her.
My questions to you are:
-Are you not afraid that Tivoli will wander off or be taken??
-What did you do with the cats in the first part of your journey when you went to Frazer Island for the 2 day trip? And of course any other times you leave.
-Have you ever been quizzed by the Ranger in National Parks? We went into 1 whilst in WA and I was just so nervous all the time at being maybe found out. (Even though Ember was as quiet as a mouse and never left the van) It was only for an overnight stop.
I would really love to hear more about your life on the road with Tivoli. Might help us with some discision making when the time comes….but she will definately be coming with us.
Denise
PS. Tracey, I am so glad you are on the mend and doing well.

By: Hobo

Hobo — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 06:52:33 +0000

By: Barry

Barry — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 04:53:37 +0000

Ah, Damian, how wonderful to be so blissfully unencumbered by the ravages of intelligence and good manners.

Words fail you. LOL.

I imagine it’s now well past your bedtime. Is it too much to hope that either your mum or dad might now reply with a tad more civility?

John

By: Hobo

Hobo — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 03:50:25 +0000

Thanks for the comment Damian. I appreciate your point and understand your position. I have decided to will allow the comment to publish despite the comment deteriorating from reasonable, to name calling (ie “…morons like you…”).

Constructive comments and reasonable opinions are welcome on the site – name calling and threats are most certainly not.

To answer your comments…

Be assured that we do not think the killing of Australian wildlife by domestic animals is ‘cute’. I don’t believe that anywhere within in the article it is stated or implied that we do.

We enjoy watching and photographing these native animals, seeing them killed (be it by feral cats or trucks) is not something we enjoy.

We do our best to travel in a very environmentally low-impact fashion. Our cat has been de-sexed so will never add to the feral population, she is locked inside every evening before dark to reduce any impact she may have. She has a number of bells on her collar to make it impossible for her to bother birds. However, on the very rare occasion that she does bring a mouse or other animal into the bus, she is made to understand that this is not acceptable and the animal is released (generally unharmed – as I mentioned in the article).

We consider ourselves to be environmentalists – we care greatly about Australian native animals and their habitat. Like all people, we arrive at our own level of “acceptable impact”.
Let’s face it, if we wanted to have no impact on wildlife, we would not drive cars or trucks (which I suspect are responsible for the death of more native animals each year than domestic cats) or live in houses (that clearly deprive native animals of habitat).

So Damian, thanks again for taking the time to comment on the article. I accept that you have a strong opinion on the subject. Can I suggest that in future when attempting to make your point heard, you refrain from making threats and resorting to name calling.

Hobo (Gavin)

By: Damian

Damian — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 02:25:50 +0000

Oh, I see. You thinks it’s Funny when a Poor Defenceless Lizard or other Animal get’s away from your cat. Ok, That’s Interesting.

See, This is the reason not to Travel with Cats and people like you, shouldn’t be allowed to own one.

I really hope you’re proud of yourselves when your cat is killing the local Wildlife and bringing it back to you. Then of course, your cat goes missing and joins the millions of other s in the FERAL cat population.

I cannot believe you think that your cat, bringing back small animals, is “Cute”. It’s morons like you that don’t think of the Consequences of your Cats actions.

Cats kill so much of our Wonderful Wildlife and are a menace. If my Dog ever came back with a Lizard Bird or any other Native Animal, I would make sure It would know Never to do it again.

I hope I never come across you and your Cat among my Travels. If I did, Your Cat wouldn’t last long if it came into our Domain. I would let my Dog Kill your Cat and think “Oh, How Cute”.

Travelling with Cat’s, in my book, Is Plain Stupid. I bet when you camp near the beach or some Forest, you let your Cat go wandering around without thinking. Of course, Let’s not let the Cat out next to the Highway, It might get killed. Well, we could only hope..

Damian.