Where to put kitty's litterbox?

Originally Posted by [email protected]

The best place to put a litter box is outside.............along with the cat!

Ha! I knew you were lurking, just waiting to throw the cat out

Happy Camping!

[B_and_D]

Our camping kitty died at age 20 last August, but I still love to look at that picture of her in her little kitty hole. She didnt' really like to camp that much, but she loved being with us. Our other cat, who was mostly outdoor, just passed away a couple of weeks ago, also at age 20; that seems to be the magic cat number around here.

We always brought a folding cat carrier with us in the truck and put her in it whenever we got out. She was pretty happy just sitting on the back seat of the truck on a blanket. We carried a litter box on the floor in the back of the truck, and she used it once or twice in transit. She also had a water bowl in the truck. We got her a collar and a tag with her name, our cell phone # and zip code that she wore when she was traveling. I also printed up "Lost Cat" posters and kept them in the trailer "just in case". I also brought along her vaccination records.

When we first took her out camping, I was nervous for weeks before that something would happen to her; that she'd get out and try to run away. So I bought her a harness and leash. She didn't like it much, when I put it on her at first she would just flop down. But after a while she kind of got used to it. I used to try to get her to walk around the campground, but she really didn't like being outside very much and would always try to get back into the trailer right away. I think the great strange outdoors really scared her, although she was always free to roam around outside here. The only time she got weird about being outside was one night at Sam's Family Spa in Desert Hot Springs. She was on her leash, and went up and sniffed the base of a palm tree, and pretty much went berserk. I luckily had a good hold of the leash and got her back inside the trailer. But the other times we could pretty much leave the trailer door open and she'd just sit inside.

I always made sure that the campsite we were in was in the shade; we don't usually camp where it's really hot (and never did with her). She was fine inside the trailer when we left for the day, we left her lots of water and some food and cranked open the rear and front windows so that there was a good air flow. By the time we bought the TM and started taking her camping she was to the point where she couldn't jump up on much of anything so she pretty much could only run around on the floor.

Before we took her out camping the first time, we spent a lot of time out in the trailer with her, letting her check it out and get used to it.

The hardest part of traveling with her was when we wanted to stop and get a quick lunch. We live on the coast of CA, and have to travel through the (hot) central valley to go to our favorite campground in the mountains of N. CA. I used to sit with her (she was in her cat carrier) outside restaurants while the rest of the family ate (I don't like to eat fast food when I'm on vacation, would just as soon skip the meal). If we could find a McDonald's with an outside playground we'd eat there just because there was an outside place to sit in the shade where we could just put her under the table in her carrier.

If you're just going 50 miles or so from home, you should be fine. Just keep an eye on your kitty and find out how kitty reacts to being away from home. They're all different and have different personalities. Our cat was really mellow and laid back, so she was easy to camp with. Except for the part when she always woke up several times at night and started meowing really loudly because ? and I had to get up with her and calm her down, give her a little food, and pet her. I don't miss that part of the kitty camping experience, but I miss that little furball even still.

B & D - Sorry to hear about your loss, they really become part of the family. I'd like to know how you got 2 to live to 20. My last few haven't done so well. All indoor cats, Iams food, all seemed healthy. One boy dropped dead at 4 years old, one girl died from pancreatic cancer at 5 years, and another boy from seizures at 10 years. I'm about to give up. Any tips on food etc. would be appreciated by my next one. Maybe I'll take him/her camping!!

B and D my sincere sympathy with the passing of your family friend. I know many people have a very hard time understanding why/how people love cats so much...for me it's simple, they become part of the family and a darn special place to rest your heart. Just like any other pet that you love, they are family. It sounds like your 20-year olds were very lucky indeed to call you and yours their home.

Boater454 I lost my last cat way too early as well as my last few dogs...way too early. I have always felt the food we feed our pets contribute to their shorter lives. So I seriously researched online all about pet foods and found there are really bad ingredients in most commercially available mainstream pet foods. I too used to feed my pets IAMS feeling I was feeding them well but found that I really wasn't, not even close. So now I have a few foods I will feed to my cat and she has responded very well.

Each person has to pick their own food for their pets, but I encourage you to research pet foods and pick one you and your cat likes. They definitely all are not created equal! I feed my cat NOW! dry food I order online (Amazon or PetDirect). I actually was making homemade RAW whole chicken food for a about 1-year but she actually likes the NOW! dry food much better and it's supposed to be comparable to RAW in benefits. Many people feel wet food is best, but my cat just doesn't care for it. There are all kinds of opinions about how best to feed pets, but bottom-line is do some online research and always read the ingredients and do what's right for you and your pet.

B and D congratulations on such long lived cats, 20-years is pretty remarkable. I hope you will find a new camping friend(s) when it feels right. I know how hard it is losing a pet, many people swear never to go through that type of loss again. I sincerely understand but I try to counter that by feeling good about giving a new pet a great home and happy life. The world needs more people to give loving pets good homes.

For tranportation:
On short trips I use a roomy cat carrier BUT for LONG trips I have a back seat wide ferret type cage (similar to the one linked below) that provides lots of room, enough for a small litter pan at one end, food and water and still plenty for room for pillows for kicking back/sleeping/meowing. The cage fills up the back seat and is secured using motor cycle tie downs around the seat. I like these types of cages because they have doors on the top and side and high walled plastic bottom tray protecting the seat/car:
http://www.ferret.com/item/marshall-...t-home/651161/
Most times I cover the cage with a big white towel because most cats do better and are more relaxed NOT seeing the the world flying by at 60 MPH and it provides shade.

It's great to read these posts from people who genuinely value bringing their pets along, as I mentioned, it adds a final touch to making my RV our home away from home

[B_and_D]

I think they were just lucky. The outdoor one ate a lot of mice, gophers, rats, etc. so maybe the "natural, organic cat food" had something to do with her good health. We think she was a Norwegian Forest cat; their life expectanciy is 15 - 20 years.

The indoor one was just too spoiled to want to leave us.

Originally Posted by B_and_D

I think they were just lucky. The outdoor one ate a lot of mice, gophers, rats, etc. so maybe the "natural, organic cat food" had something to do with her good health. We think she was a Norwegian Forest cat; their life expectanciy is 15 - 20 years.

The indoor one was just too spoiled to want to leave us.

I totally agree, the best food for cats is small varmints, fresh RAW food and the activity they get outside is great for them...even though they seem to be laying around most times I have one inside and one outside cat. The outside cat just adopted me over time, but she is much healthier than my indoor cat. Much of that I attribute to being outside.

We have a Elkmont 24 and we have taken our cat on our last 3 month trip. Her food is kept on the lower bunk and her beds (2) also. Because her cat box is large we keep it under our table. We were expecting a smell or something so we clean it every morning. So far nothing.
She rides in the car with us. We have a carrying case for her and use it when we first start in the AM and also when we pull into a CG so we can set up. But the rest of the time she rides free in the car. Sometimes she will go back in the carrying case but most of the time she just sleeps on the back seat. Unless she wants to look arround and then she sits on the Arm Rest between the two front seats. Has never tried to get under the seats or our feet. She seem quite happy. We do take her out on a leash at the CG and walk arround the TM and then let her make up her mind if she wants in or out.