Guest Frank Wilkinson Posted January 28, 2007 Share Posted January 28, 2007 Does anyone travel with a cat and if so have you any tips? We have a neighbour who normally looks after ours when we're away but she's moving soon and I don't want to put him in kennels. My worry is that when we stop on a site he may run away and we'll never find him again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michele Posted January 28, 2007 Share Posted January 28, 2007 Why don't you take a cage Frank. What you could do is let him out all the time you are up so he is free to wonder around indoors . keep a cat tray have you got a garage ? Some cats dont mind a cat lead why don't you inroduce him to one now and get him ready . When you have your door open you could put him in his cage so as not to loose him. take him out for walkies if your bathroom is big enough you could lock him in there with his cat tray so as he gets the idea that's where he goes for his business. Good Luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tp002c784tp002c784tp Posted January 28, 2007 Share Posted January 28, 2007 Frank I dont know if you read the thread last year a Lady lost her cat at the York Motorhome show last year and it and it caused her a lot of heartache and searching before she got it back, we used to take our dog with us when before he died but at least with a dog you can tie him up have you thought of a large cage but its where to keep it in motorhomes like ours Terry ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralph Posted January 28, 2007 Share Posted January 28, 2007 As a dog owner it's not something I've tried but a friend in the Pilote Owners club takes her cat with her every time. The cat wanders free and always returns. BUT she tells me that this hasn't always been the case. When she was first doing it the cat disappeared when she was getting ready to go home. She posted reward notices and it was eventually found and she had to return to the area to collect. Perhaps it was that experience that convinced the cat not to stray too far away again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vicwo Posted January 28, 2007 Share Posted January 28, 2007 Hi Frank----We never go away without our Smartie the cat. He has done Ireland, Scotland, Belgium and loads in France. France seems to be his choice. Like you I did worry about him going on walkabout but we have it sorted now. We have been taking the cat 6 years now and no probs. We dont let him loose but he knows the score and it works fine. We are off in May for a month to France and September for a bit more. E mail me if you want a chat and i will ring you , I dont bite, but mind the cat. vicwo@ntlworld.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olley Posted January 28, 2007 Share Posted January 28, 2007 Hi Frank we take our cat to all the shows, we have just got a passport for her so we can take her to italy. I go out to the van for any reason and given half a chance she jumps in. When traveling we put a harness on her, and she sits on the wife or curls up on the floor. On site we let her roam about with the harness on, you have to keep an eye open as she will tie herself in knots. :-D her dirt tray and food sit nicely in the shower tray. Olley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Frank Wilkinson Posted January 28, 2007 Share Posted January 28, 2007 Thank you everyone - that's most encouraging. In summer my daughter will be home from university so it's not a problem but there will be times when she's away and we want to go off for a few days.To be honest I had a bad experience about thirty years ago when we'd started caravanning. We were at a Forestry Commission site in Beddgelert in Snowdonia and decided to take our cat. On the first day we let him out of the 'van with us and something caused him to bolt and he disappeared. There was a large rabbit hole nearby and my wife had a very distressing day and a half thinking that he'd shot down that and was stuck and slowly starving to death.The following evening we extended our search into the forest behind the site and found the little bugger sitting on a wall and mewing as though complaining that we'd taken ages to come and get him. After that we never took him or any successive cat but I'm now seriously considering giving it a try.Thanks again for the tips. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnP Posted January 28, 2007 Share Posted January 28, 2007 Friends of mine have been taking their cat away for about 10 years. It travels on the wifes lap. It is probably the most rallied cat in the country and has travelled the length and breadth of the UK. On site it has a collar to which is attached a 10-12 foot length of lightweight cord. At the end of this is a small dayglow flag. Cat difficult to see but the flag shows up for a good distance. It walks free and rarely gets tangled up. Loves to be parked near a hedgerow/trees and will sit for hours just watching and listening. Owners tend to walk with it but not on a lead as such. A litter tray in the shower is used but the food is in the living area. Cats don't like the two functions placed together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norma Posted January 30, 2007 Share Posted January 30, 2007 In Carcassonne we were parked next to a German van with bunks in the rear of the van. The cat's area was the top bunk. The window was open and a solid ladder went from the ground to the window. It came and went freely as it wished. So much so we had to make sure that our van was turned away from their van as my dog has never quite got the jist of cats. I have a friend who always takes his cat away in his caravan to steam rallies, but she only comes out of the van with her owner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
net-traveller Posted January 30, 2007 Share Posted January 30, 2007 The Dutch and Germans always take their pets, including budgies, with them. Cats are usually trained to a lead and are walked just like dogs. In Sweden I have seen a tenting couple whose tabby travelled in the front basket of the bicycle. For the very strange you need to visit Blaarmeersen campsite at Ghent. There you can see what appears to be a biker of the black leather brigade who walks his golden ferret on a harness. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest starspirit Posted January 30, 2007 Share Posted January 30, 2007 We have seen many cats on leads at various venues over the years and I guess it depends on the personality of the cat and although all seemed happy enough I guess that some cats will accept a collar and lead and some will not, just as some will not escape and others will bolt out the door never to be seen again at the first chance. We used to have a ginger tom who was an absolute rebel and we could never even get him in the van let alone control the little s#d on site. Conversely our friends had a docile tortoiseshell that they could do anything with - their kids used to dress him up and put him in a dolls pram and he would just lay there like a doll - and he always went caravanning with them. I would hate to see anyone lose their pussy so use your own judgement as to your cat's temperament, after all no one knows him / her like you do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry Posted January 30, 2007 Share Posted January 30, 2007 Hi we normaly take our cat, he wears a jaunty red harness and enjoys going for walks with the dogs. No problems except he occasionally treads on the horn (usually 2am) We left him at home when we went to Shepton Mallett and came home to a £200.00 vets bill, he wont be left again! Regards Mavis:'( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zizou Posted February 11, 2007 Share Posted February 11, 2007 If your cat is young get it used to the motorhome in your drive ie treats,lots of attention etc. Then take it for short outings and see how things run. You could even try sleeping in the van on the drive to see if it copes with overnight stops. I took my 4yr old Persian to Ravenscar for our first overnight trip ever. He was fine until 4am when he insisted on going out and other half insisted I take him ! Smudge had a lovely time investigating badger and rabbit holes, we even saw a badger. He will follow me anywhere but its usually at home on the edge of the NY Moors. If your cat gets upset and starts howling there is no escape so short trips to begin with are essential. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.