So you want to travel with a cat, do ya? You’ve joined the other crazies on the feline frenzy that want to take their little cuddly companions along for the ride. Here’s five helpful tools to get you started and safely through your adventures with as much peace of mind as possible for you and your furry friend. All links are listed at the end of the article.
Disclaimer, I am not an expert. I have had a cat for the majority of my life and I am basing this information off of my own personal experience and what I have found to be the most helpful… So before we get into the catios and all of the cool products available, let’s talk about the basics….
The single most important thing you can do is harness train your cat. Start as soon as possible. The more time you can have to get your cat acclimated to the harness before a grand adventure, the better. Most cats protest at first. It can be quite a commitment and time consuming to get them on board. In reality, you are training a tiny lion. I watched a variety of YouTube videos to get a better understanding of the process. Rupert is an exceptional cat, but he was not a major fan of harnesses at first… See for yourself:
The next thing I would strongly recommend is taking your own personal safety into account when traveling with a cat. It is not safe to have your cat loose in your vehicle while driving. Something could scare them and they could zoom underneath the brake pedal causing an accident. Plus, it’s a huge distraction to have your cat jumping around in the car while in motion. I know social media can be illusive when you see adorable photos with a cat hanging out as a co-pilot or sticking their head out of the window getting their Beyoncé on, but the reality is, that it’s just not safe. Get a cat carrier to make sure you all reach your destination safely.
The 3rd tool on the list is things you already should have. Stuff like their normal food products, treats, toys, portable scratching posts, litterbox, and all the normal comforts that you think will keep your cat occupied and happy while you travel. Remember, you will most likely be in a smaller space than what you are used to, so you may have to get creative with things like the litterbox situation. Since we are on the stinky subject of the litterbox, I’ll share what works for me in such a small space. I have never seen Rupert use the bathroom outside of his litter, meaning I always have to have litter available for him. He’s such a good boy and pretty adaptive when it comes to changing it up. We’ve tried the Breeze litter system and that has been the only litter Rupert has downright refused to use. It’s a great system that is not very stinky if you can get your cat on board with using pellets instead of traditional litter. Until we can get Rupert on board, there is another litter I found more recently that had zero oder when we tested it out on the road last week. We’ve been using it for a few months and I cannot tell there’s a cat living in the house by the smell. Dr. Elsey’s is quite the crowd favorite at mi casa. The link is listed at the bottom.
Now on to the fun part! Rupert’s Catio! This thing is a life saver if you don’t mind the hassle of breaking it down and setting it back up. It’s pretty easy once you get the hang of it. Not only do you get a lot of giggles from people passing by, but it’s extremely practical as well. He loves being in his little screened-in accessory. It is a little pricey, but the dopamine provided by seeing Rupert birdwatch all around him was well worth it for me. He got spooked by a garbage truck at a campground once and could not get out of his catio, but I fear he would have slipped out of his harness and fled the scene if he wasn’t in such a sturdy enclosure. On a side note, I found an old metal roaster pan while thrifting to throw some litter in his catio so he never has to hold it. He was so excited he started rolling and laying in the litter the first time I put it in his enclosure. He’s what Phoebe from Friends wrote that smelly cat song about. We definitely LOVE it, but it is not necessary to have one to start traveling with your cat.
The last tool and equally as fun as the catio, but more of an accessory than a tool to recommend would be the cat backpack. These things are so fun! If you like hiking and you can convince your cat to be cool and get into it, then this is for you! Charlee and I absolutely love taking Rupert with us on a hike. Plus, the 11lb little bugger gives me some extra weight to tote around and keeps me in better shape. We let him out to walk here and there, but it can be quite intense managing 2 different species on a leash solo, so as we are learning and growing together, the backpack helps when things get too chaotic to handle. Rupert doesn’t mind a free ride. Haha!
There is one more product that I will be exploring for myself, but haven’t yet, and that is the Tile trackers. Rupert had one escape attempt on one of our camping trips. My heart sunk as I was chasing him down thinking, “what if he runs too fast and I lose sight of him?” So having a Tile that’s compatible with my device will be one more thing on my list before we take our next big adventure.
I hope this helps you all on your journey to getting your cat out there to explore with you! It’s been so much fun taking Rupert along and learning how to camp and travel with him. Stay safe out there! Don’t forget to check out the links below and let me know what question you have in the comments below.
My Amazon Associate links for recommended products:
1.) Cat harness: There are 2 different harness styles that I would recommend. Either is fine just so long as it’s adjusted properly for your cat: https://amzn.to/3MgZtW3 https://amzn.to/3Mn1Bvd
2.) Cat carrier: I have always preferred hard-shell carriers vs. the soft cat carriers. When you are packing everything into a tight space, it’s good to know your little guy or gal won’t have the possibility of losing real estate in their tiny carrier. It really comes down to preference here: https://amzn.to/3OpKY40
3.) Cat litter: You probably have all of the fun toys and scratching posts already, but here is the litter we had really good luck with in such a small space: https://amzn.to/3vqrH9O
4.) Cat tent (catio): This is the one I have for Rupert… It’s amazing, just a bit pricey. In search for this tent, I found another one that I could connect to his current setup to give him more space and it’s now on my wish list. I’ve included both links: https://amzn.to/3rF91SX https://amzn.to/3OCOCrB
5.) Cat backpack: We just love this silly little thing that looks like a space capsule: https://amzn.to/3L4P8MB
See y’all down the road!
Tennessee Wanderer 