Inside/Outside Cats on the Road? - Montana Owners Club

Longwell · 08-17-2008, 03:37 PM

We will have 3 cats to take on the road with us. They currently have a "cat door" in our porch door and they come inside and go outside all day. We keep them in at night and during bad weather. They feel the need to go outside daily. When in the house, they are OK with us petting them, holding them, etc. but are not the kind you can walk up to and pick up any time you want; they are "independent."
We are wondering how we can get them outside while fulltiming, or if anyone has experience with this lifestyle of cat adapting to being inside all the time. We are afraid they will "escape" from the doorway sometime, frantically wanting to get outside again, then get lost. They have never been on a leash and would probably strangle themselves trying to get away if on one.
Is there a way to set up an "airlock" in the Montana so the outside door is closed before the inside door is opened, such as we have on out porch?
Is there a large enough, secure enough, floored and screened enclosure we could put up outside for them, either attached to or separate from the Montana?
Any suggestions we could investigate would be great.
Thanks in advance.
Larry

Mrs. CountryGuy · 08-18-2008, 02:17 AM

Have seen set ups, with door, ramp, enclosed "kitty" house, with shade etc. Some are set up on stilts, keeping kitty high above, where they can watch the rest of the world go by.

Looks like a lot of set up for a weekend, even a week, but, it is doable.

Not sure you can purchase, it will probably have to be something you create.

Waynem · 08-18-2008, 03:41 AM

Larry,
Any consideration to a screened in porch that attaches to the awning? In windy situations it will not help. I have seen small dogs in enclosed wire screened units that are separate from the 5er. It's so much different with cats, isn't it?

exav8tr · 08-18-2008, 03:55 AM

Larry, take a look at www.kittywalk.com. We have one cat and use this for him, easy set up and take down. Don't know about three though.

Mrs. CountryGuy · 08-18-2008, 05:02 AM

Phil and Cathy

NICE web site!

What I have seen in campgrounds must have been hand made, but this has great ideas/stuff.

GregN · 08-18-2008, 10:51 AM

The Kitty Walk is great. Little costly, our cat really liked it. We had the basic setup and the tower section. You can get more section to add on like additions to a house. Once you have the inital set up down, it is easy to set up and take down. The walks come with soft carrying case.

Longwell · 08-19-2008, 05:12 PM

Great ideas!
Thanks for the inputs.
Now, I'm afraid to show the KittyWalk site to my wife - $$$$$!
I'm sure we'll find something there we can agree on

.
Thanks again.
Larry

Waynem · 08-20-2008, 05:06 PM

Burlap bags! JUST KIDDING! JUST KIDDING!

Driftwoodgal · 08-20-2008, 06:36 PM

Larry,

We have a portable fold down soft mesh crate, sized for a Great Dane, that we can put our dear Alex in. He is an inside cat that prefers to now look out the windows. He thought he needed to be outside with nature, so we bought the foldable crate. It is large enough to have a litter box as well as three cats in it. They wouldn't have running room, but could sit outside and look at everything. PM if you want info where we bought the Dane Condo.

Colleen

Dustytuu · 08-27-2008, 09:56 AM

How do you all get into the web site? I get the first page and can't go further. Would like to see this product.
Thanks

exav8tr · 08-27-2008, 11:07 AM

Try this one: www.kittywalk.com

Driftwoodgal · 08-27-2008, 04:27 PM

For those that are interested in the collapsable crate that we have the website is petedge.com They have all types of pet products, I used them for years when I owned the kennel. They will take anything back in the first 30 days if you are not satisfied. We have the Guardian soft sided foldable crate that is mesh on all sides, but has a shaded top. We bought the Great Dane size so we could put a litter box as well as food and water.

Colleen

Dustytuu · 08-29-2008, 05:58 PM

exav8tr
thanks so much for the link.

Driftwoodgirl this last link doesn't work. Please if you can repost the link.
Thanks!

Driftwoodgal · 08-31-2008, 03:42 PM

I am a computer dummy.... I tried getting the link to work a couple of times with no luck. If you go to petedge.com you will be able to pull up the website. Sorry, I am computer challenged so if someone can help out with the link.... thank you.

Colleen

CasaDelSol · 11-07-2008, 05:27 PM

this is a great topic. We are planning on fulltiming in 2010 and are trying to make arrangements to bring our 2 cats with us. The kittywalk while expensive looks like it will solve the problem of bringing them outside. How is the litter box problem handled? I was thinking that DH could build a box with a cutout for the cats to go thru and a hinged lid on top to open up to change out the litter box. It would all be enclosed so they couldn't scratch all the litter out onto the floor and would also be good to place a scratch post on top. Any suggestions or pictures?

exav8tr · 11-08-2008, 02:53 AM

Joanie, There are litter boxes as you describe. We have ours in the bedroom. DW scoops it three time a day so no odor to speak of, unless it's right after a movement. Had a swinging door but my DW took that off. Our cat weighs 20 lbs so he is rather too big for the door.

CasaDelSol · 11-08-2008, 06:56 AM

Thanks Phil, I found exactly what I want at Petsmart.com. It even has carpeting on the outside so it will serve as a scratching tool. We have a 2955RL so we are kind of limited where to put it, but the scooping is definately the important part of the process!!

Driftwoodgal · 11-10-2008, 11:48 AM

We use the litter that clumps so there isn't a urine smell in the litter box. Our guy is pretty large, so he uses an old metal refrigerator crisper/drawer. There isn't a litter box out there large enough for him to fit his entire body to stay in the box, thus the metal cripser.

We keep his box in the living room right next to his food. We don't have a problem with odor, unless it is number two.

Colleen

CasaDelSol · 11-16-2008, 06:58 AM

We are going to have to keep ours in the living room also. Not the best place cuz we have to live and eat there, but we will scoop all the time and keep it as best we can. Unfortunately when we got the 2 cats and 1 beagle we didn't plan on going fulltime. The beagle works out great, but 2 people, 2 cats and 1 dog in a 2955RL is gonna be tight. No matter how much you clean and vacuum and spray it is gonna smell funky. This is definately not my first choice of how to live, but I can't live without pets, so.....

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