Cats - Montana Owners Club

cmawendy · 05-04-2009, 08:40 AM

Does anyone travel with cats? Do you leave them in the 5th wheel or in your truck? We have 2 cats and have kept them in their kennels in the truck but one of them meows a lot. I'm tempted to leave them in the 5th wheel but don't want them to be scared and not use the cat box.....any suggestions?

bigmurf · 05-04-2009, 08:46 AM

Our late cat traveled well in the trailer but hated the truck. Our present cat travels in the truck without a cage. He moves around and meows a bit. He hates the trailer. We put his box in the back seat and he is fine with that. For some reason he hates highway overpasses and ducks to the floorboard when we go under one.

RickW · 05-04-2009, 10:40 AM

The cat travels in the trailer in her carrier. We stop every couple of hours so we let her out to stretch and she can use the cat box if needed. Before the Monty in SOB we would just give her run of the trailer while on the road. 95% she would just stay on the bed. But there are too many places in the Monty for her to get to like under the bed, is why we switched to making her ride in the Carrier.

exav8tr · 05-04-2009, 12:54 PM

Our 12 year old, 20 lb cat has been an indoor cat since we got him in Alaska. He converted to a travel cat two years ago when we left Alaska. He travels well in the trailer and usually just lays on the bed. When we stop we check on him and so far everything has been well. Remember, he has always been an indoor cat so does not try and escape his new home. We bought a nice outdoor cage for him from www.kittywalk.com . He sits outside for awhile and then wants to come back in, he also enjoys sitting on the back of the couch and looking outside the rear window. When he does ride in the truck, like a trip to the Vet, he cattawals so much I can't stand it. Villa gets the back seat and Suny gets the whole bed......

tim43 · 05-04-2009, 02:34 PM

Ours,all 18 pounds of him, travels in his carrier on the rear seat of the truck with the dog on the seat next to him.

ragdoll · 06-03-2009, 04:14 PM

Both our cats have traveled well in the trailer since we started traveling six years ago. We check on them several times during the day. They do very well sleeping up by the bed. They also seem to know when we stop for the day and decide it is time for dinner.

Tavel safe.
Lorraine

SAndreasen · 06-03-2009, 05:46 PM

Our fir ball-Bear, stays in his car carrier in the truck while we are on the road. He is a very good traveler. When we stop he gets to go to the TT for snacks and a potty break. We really enjoy taking him with us.

cmawendy · 06-04-2009, 02:00 AM

Thanks for all the suggestions

It turned out that our oldest cat did not like traveling in the 5th wheel so he rode in his carrier in the truck. He loved it, slept most of the time. Our younger cat hates her carrier so she rode in the 5th wheel and did great. When we stopped at rest areas and went in the 5th wheel she would come out of the bedroom looking like she had just woke up

Two very different cats.

KathyandDave · 06-10-2009, 03:21 AM

They certainly are all different. In our case, the cat and the dog travel together in the back seat of the truck.
To protect the seat, I put a packing blanket on the seat and up the back and secured it with bungee cords across the "ell" (where the seatbelt snaps are) and around the headrests. The blanket can be removed for cleaning.
Although the cat dislikes being taken to the truck, he settles down happily once inside. He even cuddles up with the dog and they sleep for most of the trip. At rest stops, we put the cat in the Monty for a potty break. The downside is that he sometimes hides under the bed when the bed slide is in. Since we're afraid to squish him, much bribery is required to get him out. We started out by letting him ride in the Monty, but we'd find him curled up in the stairwell looking a bit freaked out. He hates cages, so the truck is a good solution.
The dog loves the truck. Since he gets nervous when we're packing up, I just stick him in the truck with the windows open and he mostly sleeps. This works at home if I'm doing yard or garage work.
In the CG, we let the cat roam. He sticks close to the Monty and will run up the steps to get in. He also accompanies us on walks, even to the beach - the dune part, anyway. My brother-in-law was surprised when we took a walk in the bush and noticed the cat skulking along about fifty feet behind us the whole way.

Tootucky · 06-28-2009, 04:55 PM

We lost our beloved Dolly the first of April. We had her for sixteen years. Don't know how old she was because we rescued her when she was already a mature adult. She rode in the car with me like a dog would from day one & was just happy to be with me. We also have a 12 year old we rescued at 5 months. Both have traveled from KY to CO & Utah first, then from PA to CO & Utah. 4 years ago introduced them to the fiver---no problems. If the weather is not too hot they ride in fiver, if it will too hot on a travel day they ride with us---usually sleeping, or on my lap.

We now have a 5 month old foster kitty that rides with us because the older cat does not like him very well. He is always ready to go. We are even introducing to a leash & so far he is fine with it.

Bottom line----if they like being with you they will adjust fine & do well.

Susantr · 06-29-2009, 04:08 PM

We have 3 cats that travel with us on short trips (up to 5 or 6 hours). We used to leave them at home, but the oldest one developed diabetes and required a lot of attention; that's when they started traveling with us (primarily a change from dry to wet food, along with a 45 day course of twice daily insulin injections).

None of them are fond of the carriers, so I purchased "Feli-Way" from the vet. They use the spray for nervous cats and it seems to work. I just spray the inside of their carriers, the cover blanket and the truck about 30 minutes prior to loading. I also have a diffuser of Feli-Way that I leave plugged in in the 5er and/or any hotel we stay.

Our cats travel in the truck with us and we don't hear a peep from them with the Feli-Way on board.

WACOT · 07-06-2009, 03:12 PM

We have a grey tabby that hates travel, in anything I would suppose, but for sure he hates it in the truck, cry's the entire trip. I have one question for those who say their cat travels great in the trailer, how do you know?. One comment about cats getting under the bed. I had the same problem so I fashioned a piece of stiff cardboard that fits by the front side of the bed, attached the that little step up that is the slide mechanics cavity, and he can't get under there anymore. Under the bed is a very dangerous place with electric wire and such under there, I was scared that he would get fried, and since he is a cat he would not come out by threat or treat so I had to dismantle part of the bed that one time. We work at a Corps park and I see lots of cats in vehicles and some say they travel well, others do not, I guess its the breed or something.

Driftwoodgal · 07-07-2009, 01:16 PM

Our cat has traveled lots of miles with us in the truck. He stays inside his carrier that is attached to a seat belt and also kept in place by our bucket seats. The first several times we traveled with him he meowed for the first several hours of the trip. He now settles down quickly.
We live in the South and travel during winter and hot summer months. The temperatures in the trailer get really warm so riding inside the trailer isn't an option for us. Another fear I have is that he wouldn't come to me when it was time to open the slides, thus possibly ending up with a squashed cat. When we stop to eat on the road during summer months I go in and order and then return to the truck. Hubby calls me on the phone when my food arrives and I return to eat and then am back to the truck when I am finished. Cracking the windows in the truck isn't enough when it is hot. During winter months we let him out of the carrier to roam the truck when we are inside eating. His litter box rides in the back seat floor board.

Colleen

Tootucky · 07-07-2009, 03:49 PM

The reason I know mine travel well in the trailer is because whenever we stop we usually are in the trailer for some reason, or just to check on them. They are almost always on the bed or the couch asleep & act like we are disturbing them.

They only ride in the vehicle with us when it is too hot in the trailer. They ride well in both the car/truck because they have traveled with us since the day we got them, long before we started traveling with the rv.

vgforbes · 07-08-2009, 01:21 AM

Re Cats: we have 4 cats and origionally we built a full platform for our 4 cats in the rear of our 4dr chev truck . One hid and cried in the litterbox, one slept through it all, one meowed non stop and the fourth found a way to crawl around the screen and sit on daddy's lap... So we let them stay in the trailer. They all find their own place and when we stop...they greet us with the usual feline " What?? Have you been away... dont bother me I'm trying to sleep" kind of thing... Winters we spend on the boat and they do the same thing under way...sleep... The fur childern are down to 2 1/2 . but they have about 125000 land miles and six sailing seasons ( including 36 hours in a 50 kn gale) so.... my advice is to let them be they are very adaptable Gary and Verna full time since 2004

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