taking our old cat on holiday

by jubejube Sat Mar 05, 2016 4:24 pm

Hi,folks ,We have a great neighbour who looks after our cat, but she has been ill so we are going to take her with us from now on,she has never used a cat litter,have to get a harness,any tips please on how to deal with this problem,we have got a cage for travelling,any advice would be helpful,Thank you Jubejube,

by Cymro Sat Mar 05, 2016 4:43 pm

If your van is normally accessible at your home, I suggest that you introduce the cat to it, allowing the cat to explore inside but leaving open the door initially for the first few visits so that the cat doesn't feel trapped. (If like ours, she'll bolt out straight away initially!). Persevere, daily. Give her a treat to eat when she's in the van. Put a litter tray there.

In due course, go for a short trip with her inside. Don't risk opening the door unless you're back at home. Ours was very distressed when in the cat carrier, so when we take her to our daughter's when we go away, my wife holds the cat on her lap. Works well. Both are calm!

Eventually, the big day will come when you are not at home and you open the door. Make sure you've got some treats ready to tempt her back. Ours loathes a harness.

This process will take a few weeks. But you can teach an old cat new tricks!

by PLOUGHLIN Sat Mar 05, 2016 4:58 pm

This is what most cats think of harnesses, save them running away though.

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by jubejube Sat Mar 05, 2016 5:37 pm

Thanks for your help ,the video is brilliant just made my day ploughlin .Our motorhome is on our drive so I will take her out a little every day,when I'm cleaning it she comes in to visit,will let you know how I get on Thanks again ,Jubejube

by fenderbender Sat Mar 05, 2016 5:38 pm

Yes ive got a tip, dont let the cat escape.
I once spent a rainy evening on a site digging my ex girlfriends cat out of a rabbit hole with a spoon.
Good luck.

Dave

by burlingtonboaby Sat Mar 05, 2016 6:29 pm

Peter should be able to give you advice on taking your cat with you, he has a couple, or three he takes on board with him.
Boaby

by bikeralw Sat Mar 05, 2016 7:46 pm

Spotted at a site by Lac Leman a few years ago. I spoke to the owner, she said she trained them in a few weeks, but I think they were quite young cats.

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by Peter Brown Sun Mar 06, 2016 5:37 am

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Excuse the mess, but if you watch the video you can see the cats with harness and leads and the litter tray behind the front seat with a herb garden on top to mitigate the odd whiff.

The harnesses stay on all the time but the leads are only on when the door is open. If the door is open they can wander out as far as the lead will let them and if its good weather the leads are fixed to the step so they can get a bit further. If they are out the door must be left open so they can get back in quickly when dogs pass!

The first time we took them in the van we did not put leads on and within 100yds one of the was under the brake pedal!!!!! For a few years they travelled with the leads on with freedom of the van but 'accidents' became more frequent so they each travel in their own box with puppy trainer pads.

They've both been on unplanned walk about occasionally and left alone they do return eventually so we are pretty sure that if we were on a site for a week or so we could let them come and go as they please but we KNOW that on the day of departure they would disappear!!! so we try and stay in charge.

You do need regular visitors to share stroking duties and one of us loses a lot of bed space - guess who. When we go abroad they go to the cattery but we have them in the van for all UK trips.

by Peter Brown Sun Mar 06, 2016 12:26 pm

I should add that cheap covers for the seats to catch the hairs and a small Dyson are very useful.

by jubejube Sun Mar 06, 2016 2:48 pm

Thanks Peter saw you on the motorhome channel I remember how loving your cat was,going up to Loch Earn for a few days to see how she gets on,she just does'nt like a cat litter,she was at the vets over night when she was ill ,took 3 days before they could get a sample.,but we're going to persevere because we really miss her when we're away,my neighbour watched her when we were at the show at Birmingham,she howled for 2 nights non stop,she's decided you're not leaving me anymore.Thanks for everyone's help,I'll keep you all posted on how we get on, Jubejube. big thumbs up

by Peter Brown Sun Mar 06, 2016 3:12 pm

Another addition, both cats can wriggle out of their harnesses in a trice, they just choose not too - most of the time!

by TravelKat Sun Mar 06, 2016 3:37 pm

We started taking our last cat with us when he was about 10 years old, as we started going away more due to OH taking early retirement. From being half feral when we got him as a kitten he'd mellowed a lot over the years, but we weren't sure how he would take to motorhoming. As it turned out, he appeared to love it and came with us, only in this country, not abroad, until about 2 weeks before we had to have him put to sleep aged 17. We didn't let him out though, but that never seemed to bother him, he was always quite happy looking out.

We got another cat a few years later, 4 years ago now. She wasn't a kitten, but about 18 months old when we got her. When we'd had her a bout a month we took her away for the first time. She wasn't that keen, first time and all that, but after that she too seems to really enjoy it. Again, she doesn't go out, and that doesn't seem to bother her.

Both cats travel(led) in a carrier; sometimes she gets a bit fed up and tells us about it, but it never lasts long and she goes back to sleep. The first thing she does is eat when we arrive!

taking our old cat on holiday