Travelling in a Motorhome or Caravan with Pets
When we took to the road in 2003, we did so with our two Burmese cats. Some people have dogs and we have met people who travel with a bird. In this article we discuss the benefits and limitations imposed when travelling with pets. We lost one of our cats (she was hit by a car) after nearly two years of living the bus life. Our other (Tivoli) has adapted very well to life on the road.
The Upsides
Just as they do when you live with them in a house, pets add a dimension to your life. They provide company, affection and hours of entertainment. We have watched our cats for hours at some new location as they explore and seek out new things. We have been brought to tears of laughter as we watched one of them run after a kangaroo that was 10 times her size. We have not travelled with a dog, but I’m sure that travelling owners of dogs would say the same about their pets.
The Downsides
National parks do not allow domestic animals of any kind. If you travel with a pet you will not be permitted inside any national park. That said (no emails on this subject please) it is easy to hide a cat inside a bus and if you do not let them out, where is the harm? (rhetorical – don’t email me)
Sometimes we stay in places that are not suitable to allow the cats out. During these times she drives us crazy protesting at the injustice of the incarceration.
Tivoli occasionally brings us presents – lizards, field mice, rats etc. Most times these very much alive – not what you want inside your motorhome. However, we eventually get the unwanted guest out of the motorhome and they normally take off at high speed to boast to their friends of their miraculous escape from the jaws of death.
They cost money to feed and look after. Vets are expensive. Ticks and other pests are an issue in some parts of Australia so prevention, inspection and treatment is important.
They can be a worry. Tivoli is always locked inside at night, she normally returns to the bus an hour or two before dark. If she is not back by dark, we go looking for her and worry until she is located.
Our two cats were trained from kittens to use a human toilet instead of litter. This means we have no messy litter box, no smell and no cost of litter. It is probably near impossible to train an older cat to do this, but if you are getting a new kitten it is definitely worth the effort.
The mechanics
We fitted a cat door to the step of our bus (see photo).This allows Tivoli to come and go as she pleases. Obviously, we do not allow her out when in towns and near main roads and as I said, she is always locked in before dark.
Conclusion
We really think that travelling with pets is great, for us is never a problem. In fact we think that they are much easier to travel with than children.
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January 15th, 2010 at 12:25 pm
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.
January 16th, 2010 at 1:50 pm
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)
January 21st, 2010 at 2:53 pm
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
January 21st, 2010 at 4:52 pm
February 24th, 2010 at 9:42 am
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.
February 24th, 2010 at 10:03 am
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)
February 28th, 2010 at 8:11 am
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.
September 7th, 2010 at 11:07 am
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?
September 7th, 2010 at 3:58 pm
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
January 17th, 2012 at 2:52 am
I stumbled across your site by googling “are cats allowed to travel in caravans?” because I had no idea! I was thrilled to find you have made it work so well with Tivoli! My household cats are totally indoor cats so I’m sure they’d adapt to caravan life quite well. Your page has pretty much confirmed this
Most of my response to “Damian” is probably quite unprintable! In my opinion “some people shouldn’t be allowed to own dogs”!
Thank you so much for sharing your truly unique experiences. I’m sure I’m not the only person out there experiencing a marriage breakdown with fur-children and wondering what to do next. Thank you again for showing me that ALL of my babies, both furred and those I have given birth to can accompany me on my proposed road trip
January 17th, 2012 at 11:34 am
Hi Tracy,
Yep Tivoli just loves the travelling life – and we love having her along. She really adds something that is very difficult to explain to somebody who does not have a furry mate. It is interesting to see her behaviour change as she gets older (now nearly 12) – a lot less adventurous now. We know a few people who travel with cats and none seem to have any issues.
Hope to see you on the road sometime and meet your fury mates.
January 28th, 2012 at 2:13 pm
Hi! Just came across your site while researching cat enclosures for caravans. I have two cats who are indoor, but I’ve had built a large enclosure on the side of the house, with plants, catwalks, benches that go up the side of the house etc, and they are happy as Larry!
Now I’m going to sell and take us on the road, but I want to be sure my cats are well accommodated (the loss of their current arrangements won’t make me too popular!). For the last year I’ve been researching options for vans and travelling with cats. Being new to the caravan/motorhome lifestyle, I’m trying to make the best informed choices that I can.
Both of my cats have only had the regular trips to the vets so I was worried about the constant travelling, so have purchased large, very comfy cat carriers, which they are currently using as beds. While very large and well-ventilated (actually medium dog carriers – check our Daily Deals and similar for some really good prices!), I can pop a towel over the sides to create a nice cosy cave if they get distressed, and I can also put both cats into one carrier – otherwise, they have enough room to stand and stretch, and also lay down and fully stretch out. I have now just started taking the cats outside in these carriers to get them used to being moved around in them and being away from their normal surroundings. So far, they seem to be coping really well.
Cats are territorial, so for those (like me) who are embarking on a new adventure, I think just remember to take it slowly with your cats, give them time to adjust, ensure they have familiar things around them (eg. comfy carrier, which can be used in the vehicle, if you stop in a park and want them out of the vehicle for some fresh air, or even to sleep in once your van is setup for the stay) and, most importantly, take the time to enjoy being with them. I currently work very, very long hours, and so am looking forward to unwinding and enjoying their company as we get out and see what this fabulous country has to offer. W.
PS. I haven’t yet come across a company that creates the portable cat enclosures, but I’m assured they do exist. I have just joined one motorhome association and figure I’ll ask the other members, as I know there is at least one member that travels with her cat – as they say ‘two heads are better than one’! When I have this info, I’ll post it here for you, if that helps? If push comes to shove, the KittyWalk systems are very clever (although also expensive), but can attach to a catflap on the van and are modular, so you can add tunnels, multi-level cat hammocks etc. I think Pets Paradise are the stockists here in Aust, but otherwise can purchase from the US. Happy travels everyone…and thanks so much Gavin for sharing your experiences (even the sad ones)!
April 13th, 2012 at 7:03 pm
How do you think it would work with a dog if you went through National Park? They do have to go outside to toilet…