Rubber tramping with a cat?

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Pheonix

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Do you use a litter box? Or take them on walks with leash and harness? Any ideas and tips on traveling with a feline?
 
I use a small litter box.

Throw in a tablespoon or two of rosemary leaves (do this when you first put in the fresh litter prior to the cat using it, otherwise the cat will roll around in the litter box to reclaim its territory) to reduce the smell in your van.

Alternately, you can mix in sawdust, but it can be hard to come by on the road. If you have access to sawdust from a cedar tree, thats the best because its really potent and masks the smell really easily. Plus, cedar has the added benefit of being a natural repellant of bedbugs and deer ticks.

Litter boxes smell if you don't clean them often but theyre nothing compared to the eternal smell of cat piss you'll have if you don't have one.
 
Definitely have a litter box on hand, but get your cat use to a leash and harness for simply stretching their legs and getting some fresh air outside of the car. My cat, Spore, traveled and lived in our car with us for two years before I ended up leaving him behind with my mother last time we were home. I love the little goober, and he was awesome about travel as far as cats go, but it can be difficult and at times dangerous.
 
i've been vanning-it with my cat, anouk for about 6 months, and i say hell yes to the litter box (and the rosemary tip sounds great)! i even traveled with two cats and two dogs in my van for a little bit, and it was ok. anouk wears a harness with a nametag on it all the time, and won't walk with a leash, but i did teach her to ride on my back for outings (i hold her leash in case she bails). she's an outdoorsy cat, and knows to come back to the van (in situations that aren't too chaotic), so when we're parked somewhere safe for a awhile, i like to let her out to wander. with morning and evening feeding times in the van, she knows to show up by dinner time. it's a little more complicated than traveling with a dog, but worth it, i'd say. i felt a lot better about keeping my cat in my life, rather than ditching her because i wanted to travel.
 
I was looking online for litter boxes the other day and found this one. I think it has a great design for rubber tramping, but I don't want to pay $35 for something that is basically just a $10 tote with a hole cut in the lid. So I'm thinking about doing it DIY style and just cutting a hole in the lid of one of my extra totes. The web site said to keep the lid off for the first week.
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The above idea works great, put litter in a tote and piled crap over it so but leaving a space so they can get in and out. The dogs can't get into it and the litter doesn't get throw out by the cats or sharp turns. I also got some cat harnesses and it took them a while to get used to them but eventually they stopped trying to back out of them, had to get them rather tight so they couldn't back out of it when on a leash. They still don't walk on the leash like a dog, but I've been carrying them around in a old duffel bag. They were trying to jump out of the duffel bag at first but eventually they started to like being carried in the bag. I have the duffel bag on the floor in the hotel room and their sleeping in it.
 
How long did the leash training take? Were they outside cats before traveling? I have a female bengal and a TomCat and he beats her up and sprays if we don't let him outside, so they have been staying at home. I wonder if a outside run would work for cats?!
 
Shakou said:
Definitely have a litter box on hand, but get your cat use to a leash and harness for simply stretching their legs and getting some fresh air outside of the car. My cat, Spore, traveled and lived in our car with us for two years before I ended up leaving him behind with my mother last time we were home. I love the little goober, and he was awesome about travel as far as cats go, but it can be difficult and at times dangerous.
Click to expand...
Curious, how did it get dangerous and difficult for you?
I've traveled with my cat multiple times over the years, 2 weeks max any time though. We are about to pick up the permanent van dwelling life this summer though. We do the litter box and harness thing well. She's a chill travel buddy but I wouldn't want her in danger!
 
on litter, i concur with saw dust (especially cedar if you can find it) just be careful because sometimes saw dust is known for having insect eggs/larvae in it and you can have micro infestation (flies or beetles etc). i've had this experience with pine dust but not cedar thankfully (yes even daily scooping doesn't help; i think it just depends on the batch you get) ::hungover::

however, ground walnut litter is currently my favorite substrate; it has had the best performance for a multi-cat abode and it's natural. it dries quickly and clumps. it doesn't smell like much so i add either lavender scented baking soda or would go with the rosemary idea too. ::alien::

in my experience, baking soda is a cheap and amazing way to keep smells down in a box. :3 pre-mixing it with litter or sprinkling the bottom of the box is never a bad idea

i'm gradually leash training my cats in preparation before long term vandwelling; it takes a consistent effort to be successful. the key is starting with a few minutes at first every day and working your way up until they are comfortable wearing it all the time. treats and distractions help during the process ::cat::

there is also a cute looking "backpack" that is a cat carrier with a window in it so you can take your cats around safely. it's expensive but i'm sure one could be built with some research :) I want to make one so i can hike with my more timid little buddy being able to enjoy the outdoors ::joyful::
 
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