Question Would appreciate some advice on traveling with cats

[SJMaye]

My wife and I are retired and want to travel, but we don't feel we can unless we take our 2 cats with us. It is easy now to find hotels that accept pets. The problem is the hassle of packing them up for a ride in the car followed by transferring them to the hotel room and back to the car to get home.

We had a travel trailer, but the cats would still be traveling in the car until we reach the destination. So we are considering a driving RV. The financial aspect seems to defy all logic. To pay $50K+ to be able to drive 2 cats places a few times a year. That doesn't even include storage costs.

Can someone here help me sort out this dilemma?

 

[Underboss]

I have a coach so I can take my cat. I would never leave a pet home or boarded, unless in an emergency. And no, its not insane to pay 50k+ to enjoy your trips and bring your dog or cat with you.

 

[John&Andrea]

Well my 2 cents. Yes looking at the cost of motorhome ownership is going to be hard to justify with your situation. Those of us that own a MH, or any type of RV do so because we enjoy traveling this way. The journey is part of the adventure. We have a cat but she dose not travel with us. Family takes care of her when we travel. We have traveled with three small dogs. Today only one dog, two have passed. Andrea says we are going to start taking her but I’m not sure that’s possible as she has only been in a car to go bad places, like the vet and never been in the MH. So no advise from me on the cat travel. Good luck.

 

[Rich W.]

Of course it would have to be more about the journey, travel, and experiences, than just conveying the cats, but if you factor all that into the equation, combined with the ability to easily travel with your feline companions, it may begin to make sense. My experience with cats is that they don't particularly care to ride in vehicles, but I see many people in RVs traveling with their cats, so I know it can be done. You might revisit the idea of a travel trailer so that you would be free to make side trips and local drives separately while the cats had their respite in the trailer between travel days. That‘s what some friends of mine do and it seems quite successful.

 

[SJMaye]

We had considered renting as a try it before you buy it. The rental prices are shocking, but I have to consider this would be both a rental car and a hotel room.

 

[Kevin D Pem]

As I write this, my neighbor has two cats. He went from being a schoolie, to his present pull trailer.
I have never been told by a pet parent that their pets were a PITA.

I would have a hard time putting out 50k to save a little work taking care of my pet's needs! Just saying!

 

[BGMAC]

We have 2 dogs and a cat. We’ve also had travel trailers an motorhomes. The animals really don’t care what we have, they seem to be happy. The find there go to spots pretty quickly. Due to space when we had the travel trailer none were caged. with the back seats up the dogs layer on the floor and the cat on the back of the seat. Pit stops we would take the cat into the TT so he could use the kitty box.

we got the motorhome to see how we would like it. With the way we travel the motorhome suits us better, it also suits the animals fine as well. Cat lays on the bed and the dogs on the couch. Kitty box in the shower while traveling.

 

[fluffywhitedogs]

Why don't you want to continue traveling with the cats in the car? My pack is all crated in my vehicle, then free in the trailer once we arrive!

 

[LMHS]

My husband and I started in a tent in 1979. In 1980, we got our first dog. We got the girls (twins) in 1986. We bought the hardsided popup (used) in 1987. Got the first cat in 1990 (she was an adult cat and had lived at the shelter for 8 years). We never put her on a leash because she was always within eyesight of the dog. First dog passed away and we got the second dog (shelter). He camped with us until he passed away. The cat was even more attached to the second dog than she was the first. Got the third dog (shelter) and hauled her and the cat camping. Both the cat & dog got giardia cycsts at a campground and both almost died. The cat never really recovered due to her advanced ag. The dog was only a couple of years old and she pulled thru the illness better. Several years later, the first cat finally died. By that time she had gone camping several times a year in 6 states and lived full time in campgrounds for about 2 years (scattered over 3 times). The third dog was part husky which are very sensitive to changes in their "pack". So after two months of her not eating, we took her to a shelter so she could pick out a new cat (6mo old). Within a week of acquiring the new cat, we took her back to TN (a 200 mile trip one way). The new cat was taught to wear a harness. She went camping for the first time when she was 9 mo. Eventually we sold the popup and bought a Class C to fulltime in (chasing jobs - it was cheaper and healthier than hotel rooms). The cat and dog moved into the Class C. By this time the cat was a pro at traveling. When the dog passed away suddenly, the cat couldn't cope without her dog, so we took her back to NC and left her with my daughter (her fav human) and the cat disappeared one day. We suspect one of the neighbours took her (she was an impressive 16lb part Maine Coon cat who just had a bath and was looking her fluffiest). Both my daughter and I are sure we heard her near one of the houses. She had a distinctive howl.

Now my daughter lives with me and she has a rescued Galgo (spanish greyhound). This dog has been living fulltime in an RV since she was 1yo. She wants a cat. She can't have one as she is allergic. We have taught her to not bark. Or sing the ancient dirges of her people. Does she bark sometimes, yes. Just rarely. Does she sometimes sing? Yes, rarely. Does she understand why she can't do those things but the other dogs in parks do? No, she does not. Do we take her everywhere with us, Yes. We have a truck with a slide in camper. She goes to town with us (unless it's single digits or triple digits). Like today. We went to town for a few hours. We turned on the furnace and left her in a quiet section of the parking lot. She sleeps a lot (she IS a greyhound after all). Do we leave her behind? No. She would stop talking to us. At least for a day or so. She has terrible anxiety.

I tell people to micro chip their furkids and teach them to be quiet when all others are losing it. Microchipping is pretty cheap now and teaching a pet to be quite only costs you some patience (don't yell "shut up" at the poor animal) and a few yummy treats. Ruby Lee gets a treat when we leave her alone plus another treat when we get back.

We have used leashes clipped to harnesses, for both dogs and cats, on our furkids. You have more control over the pet and if you have the kind of harness with a handle on the back, that's even better. Ruby Lee wears what is called a "tactical harness". She has two. One is sized to fit over her coat and one is sized for no coat (lighter weight harness for summer). Plus she wears booties to protect her feet from hot pavement, stickers and broken glass.

 

[SJMaye]

Why don't you want to continue traveling with the cats in the car? My pack is all crated in my vehicle, then free in the trailer once we arrive!

Based upon the feedback here I believe this is the route we will go. My wife and I have been retired for 7 years now. We have wanted to travel, but we have been anchored at home taking care of our parents. That has passed now. We just can't imagine going anywhere without the cats.