FT VanDwelling with 2 Cats?

[StarDestroyer]

I have two kitties, Hobo & TK, who I'd really like to bring along with me this summer when I take off West in a van. At this point in time, I'm unsure as to how long I'll be on the road (I'm guessing 3 - 6 months) but I'll be living in the van full time. Both are fixed females, ~4 and 2 years old, respectively, not declawed, and have always been strictly indoor cats (except the one time Hobo played Houdini and snuck outside). Neither were very fond of the cheapo harness I bought at the pet store (which they both outgrew since). I'd be interested to hear from those who have a cat(s) traveling with them full time.

Aside from the obvious (food, a place to do their business, and a "safe place" in the van) what are the necessities? What do you do when you're out and about for the day and can't take your pets with you? (How do you keep them warm/cool, keep them from howling incessantly when you're gone, etc) Do you keep them restrained (or at least their access to the front) while driving? I'm having nightmares of one of them running under the brake pedal or across the windshield on the highway (TK especially is prone to going crazy like this). What are the legalities, complications, drawbacks, benefits, etc of traveling with cats?

I'm on a relatively tight budget, and I worry that bringing the kitties along is going to greatly add to my start up costs, not to mention add a list of things that could go wrong on the road to stress about. Seeing as how this is (likely) only a temporary journey, I'm debating whether it'd be in my best interest to have my parents or someone keep an eye on them while I'm gone. TK doesn't seem to mind riding in the car too much, but Hobo loathes it. I'll likely be going with a cargo van, and I'll be the only human traveling in it.

Thanks!
~StarDestroyer

 

[GotSmart]

Welcome to the forum.

Anything that has ever been discussed about cats is here.  Happy Hunting!

https://vanlivingforum.com/Forum-Traveling-with-Pets

 

[GotSmart]

Living the cat person life is not something that should be second guessed.  

Tigger is my buddy, and he gets unhappy when he is not allowed to ride shotgun.

You will need a good harness, and all shots and bug meds up to date  A few hundred $   It is also something everyone needs to decide on their own.  It takes a lot to heard cats full time.

 

[TrainChaser]

Yes, get a couple of those fabric 'vest' harnesses and get them used to them g.r.a.d.u.a.l.l.y. Don't just slap them on and let them hit the end of the leash. I've never really heard of any harness that is escape-proof, but if they get used to it, there should be less of a chance that would panic and try to get out of it.

I will be doing the same thing later this year, but with three cats. I'm looking for a human-sized net tent of the pop-up type (with a floor), so I can let them go outside safely to get some air and sunshine. I am also thinking about installing some kind of screen or netting behind the front seats, to keep them confined to the back. And not have them under the brake pedal.....

 

[Gunny]

I'm on my third "escape proof vest", it's hanging on the leash near the door. No cat in it. I took measurements and went to the 'cat expert. who proclaimed she'll love it and can't get out. He lied.

 

[BigT]

How does Hobo react when in the van? I can't travel with my 20 year old Tabby, Christina (aka Ween), because she too loathes being in the van, even if it's not running, and will pee all over the place if not restrained in a carrier. For me that is, obviously, a deal breaker, so I won't be able to go full-time 'till she passes.

 

[#1BonBonQueen]

I have a 17 yr old cat who has been camping with us, since she was a little one. I did use a figure 8 harness on her, when we first started taking her. She now has a small dog harness, which is great for her, she has never escaped from any harness that I put on her, when it was put on correctly, i.e. tight enough. You must get them pretty tight, because cats are such good escape artists. lol
When we travel, we leave her leash hooked to her harness so if we would need to catch her quickly, I have a chance to do it. She never fights the harness or the leash. She would rather not have them, but she does tolerate them.
I guess the best way to start with a cat would be a good harness, and work with them.
I have complete control over my cat, as she knows I am the Alpha cat in this place. lol
That really does help when training any animal.
Yes, Cats can be trained to do what you want it to do, just persevere..
Good Luck!!!
Sharon

 

[StarDestroyer]

Thanks everyone! Sharon, I do try to explain to my cats that *I* am the Alpha Kitty here, but usually they just give me that "yeah, yeah, yeah, shut up and feed me" look... xD I haven't found a van yet, but all trips to the vet, be they inside a carrier or sitting in my lap, or even being allowed to explore, have consisted of persistent howling. I don't mean "meow, meow, meow" but a constant string of *mMmMOoOooOWw... MmeeeEEEYYyYYRrrAaArrr...*. Our previous vet was an hour drive, so I was hoping when we had one closer to home, it would get better, but Hobo especially has a set of lungs on her and can go the entire 10 minutes letting us know just how unhappy she is to be in the vehicle.

TK, I'm not so sure on. She seems to do better, but I don't particularly want to take just one of them along with me. Neither tolerated the harness I bought, though (as I think I mentioned already) they've both since grown out of it. Even though I only plan to be gone for 6 months at best, (full-timing does sound appealing, but I'm not sure I want to jump into it right away) I feel awful saying that I may have to leave them with my parents while I go. Not only would the constant howling drive me mad (and therefore put a damper on my ability to enjoy myself) but it's obvious that they don't enjoy being in a vehicle, and I'm not sure whether that has hopes of changing or not. Not to mention I would need to find work while on the road in order to sustain myself, obviously, and leaving them in a hot van, no matter how good the ventilation, makes me nervous.

Am I an awful cat-mom for considering leaving them behind while I go? I refuse to leave them at a shelter, but Hobo has stayed briefly with my parents before during a past move, and did fine. It seems like taking them along won't turn out well for any involved, at this rate... :c

 

[TrainChaser]

#1BonBonQueen: "I have complete control over my cat, as she knows I am the Alpha cat in this place."

ROTFLMAOPMP! Yeah, sure! She's just letting you THINK you're in control. Cats don't do the Alpha Cat
Sh!t. She's..... just..... waiting...............

StarDestroyer, get the van, put some comfy bedding, a litter box, food and water in it. Put cats in it while parked in the driveway. Make some screen windows for air. Make sure you have a screened roof vent. DON'T GO ANYWHERE. Just get them used to it as a sort of second home. When they're comfortable with it, start the engine and let it idle. Repeat, repeat, repeat.

Take small steps and let them get used to it, and see how it goes. If you're leaving them, make sure you can trust your parents. A former coworker left her dog and cat with her parents, and they gave them away in the first week.

If you decide to take them, make sure they're microchipped AND check the number after registering. Lousy time for a typo.

 

[omatrisha]

The first 800 times I took Misha in the car, even just to the vet, she meowed and wailed and raised all kinds of hell. She also did it most of the way from Missouri to Florida when we moved here in spite of vet-prescribed tranquilizers.

Once we'd been here and had to bug out twice (mandatory hurricane evacuations), she finally accepted her lot and stopped wailing the entire trip. She would let me know she wasn't happy the first hour or so and then she'd settle down to sleep or rest. Of course by then, she was 12 and probably running too low on energy to scream for 2 days.

Lenny, my 4 year old male, doesn't mind a bit. He likes to be in the front seat with his paws on the dashboard, looking around. He sits in the back window. Yeah, I know, you're supposed to leave them crated, but in a small car on a 1200-mile trip, even cats need to stretch.

I'm getting him adjusted to a harness and lead now. My daughter will be taking my 6-month-old black kitten Smudge(too much to ask her not to tear-ass all over the van) as a playmate for the year-old cat she already has, and Lenny and I will be hitting the road as soon as my mobile home sells and I take the $$ to buy a van. We'll head to Missouri, drop off Smudge, and be on our way. He'll provide company and comfort without costing too much or demanding more of me than I can give. I can't wait to get on the road.