Travelling in a caravan with a cat

As retirees enjoying travel we often meet people travelling with their “fur babies”.

Usually these people are talking about travelling with dogs.

But what about travelling with a cat?

What about travelling with a cat in a car long distances?

And what about living in a caravan with a cat?

Recently we stayed ten days at the same camp ground as Judy.  Judy is travelling full time with her husband, and cat Misty – Rose. During the ten days we camped next to Judy I observed how Misty – Rose was lovingly cared for by both Judy and her husband.

I was intrigued by the fact this retired couple were travelling full time in a caravan, with a cat.  I have heard of a cat travelling in a caravan only once before. You must agree, it’s not something you see every day.

Cats are renowned to be territorial.  They also are known to walk home, if people move.  So, here is a retired couple who live permanently in a caravan, and travel.   How do they manage with their cat in their caravan?

I asked Judy to share her experience and tips of travelling with a cat in a car and caravan.  Judy very kindly agreed, and here is her response. She named her story “Kitty Nomads”.

Kitty Nomads

We have a beautiful 10 year old Ragdoll Cat. For the first 6 years of her life we lived in a couple of different houses, renting. As we knew we could not sustain renting into retirement we decided to buy a Grey Nomads Rig and hit the road in December 2012.

Ragdoll’s are very placid felines which must be kept indoors, but we had been allowing her out in the yard when we were fenced. She loved the outdoors but has never been allowed out at night in her life.

We decided (I insisted) it’s me and Misty-Rose or we were not going to do this nomad thing. Initially she wasn’t fussed about being in the car and would sing sad songs for the first half hour of travel. We didn’t use a cat carrier, preferring her on a soft body harness and a retractable lead.  She got used to wearing this quite quickly.

We found she needed her litter tray on the back seat and we needed a supply of plastic bags and a litter spade. After a fairly short while of being nervous in the car, she settled right down and is a dream to travel with now.

It goes without saying that a placid breed is an essential travelling in a caravan.

Sometimes dogs are a problem, but only rarely.  There are plenty of inconsiderate nomads who break on leash rules.  Our cat hisses at them…

We always use the OzPet (Triple Tray) Litter System, with OzPet absorbent wood chips. It can be difficult to find a place to put the tray in a caravan, but as long as its always accessible to your cat, all will be well. Cleaning is easy with the OzPet System, as urine drips through the top grid into the under tray, then the bottom tray is the spare clean one. A small amount of water and half a teaspoon of Oxy Napisan Soaker and a brush gets things nice and clean and removes any stains.  Most caravans have a tap on the front draw bar where this washing can be done.

Mostly cats sleep for 18 hours a day, mostly all day. This makes it easy to leave puss in the caravan parked, with everything she needs. We go touring in the car and have fun. She’s always very glad to see us when we return.

We travelled through Tasmania for ten months, through all the cold weather, a cubby style cat bed with an extra blanket over the top forming a curtain in front kept her nice and warm. We also gave her a knitted scarf in the front of the bed to tuck her paws into.

Of an afternoon, or on hot days, we take her outside on the harness and lead for some time to chew grass and we take her for a little walk around. She often does a wee at this time, which somewhat lessens washing litter trays.

We’ve found we’ve become close to our cat during these travelling years, as she is always close by us and interacting with us. We understand all her quirks better than we would living in a house. We love it!

Feel free to email if you have other questions; judy@livinginthekingdom.com.au

Reflection

What caught my attention in Judy’s story?  Well, two things.

1. The love and commitment Judy demonstrates to Misty – Rose. Judy would not travel full time without Misty – Rose. Given the decision to become nomads, Judy (and her husband) have committed to making travelling with a cat in a caravan work.  And it has worked.  This reminds me anything is possible, particularly if you invest love, and make a commitment to continually work on the challenge you are facing.
2. Judy’s generosity and willingness to help others.  Judy offered to provide her email address to answer any questions anyone may have about travelling with a cat in a caravan. She was not concerned about receiving nuisance emails.  Judy simply said she didn’t have to reply. Rather, Judy’s focus was on offering help to others with her experience and knowledge.  Judy’s approach reminds me to not focus on the negative.  Rather, focus on may be helpful, and what may work.

What caught your attention with Judy’s story?

If you are interested in being a retiree enjoying travel in a caravan, but have a cat, know it may be possible for you too.

Cheers from Estelle and Greg – Retirees Enjoying Travel