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6 Tips For Traveling With Cats In A Small Motorhome, Campervan or Van

August 18, 2019 by libertatemamo 13 Comments

Our European motorhome is almost half the size of the 40-foot “beast” we had in the USA. It’s taken a bit of adjustment to get used to not just for the humans in our family, but also for our paws.

Our cats adapted quickly to our new European motorhome

Polly (our dog) got used to it pretty quickly. We made a few adjustments for her which I’ll cover in another post, but basically she’s just happy to be where we are. Taggart and Rand however (our two 17-year old cats) took a bit longer. They’d gotten used to having a TON of space in the old motorhome with multiple places to sleep and hide, so when they were squeezed into a 23-foot vehicle they weren’t exactly shall-we-say pleased. Thankfully we had a few tricks up our sleeve! We made several key modifications to LMB and transitioned slowly to maximize kitty comfort. That did the trick, and within a week or so they had found their “spots” and were settled in.

So what did we do? What were the tricks that enabled our felines to find their inner European nomad, and become the zen travelers that they are today? Well it’s a few things, and it’s going to take ~2600 words to cover it all, but that’s what today’s post is all about!

1/ Plan A Slow Transition Into The Motorhome/Van

Cats are animals of habit and generally do not like dramatic change. Our cats are particularly so, especially Rand who has suffered from stress-induced cystitis for many years. Poor cat gets stressed at the smallest stuff, and really needs a lot of help to settle down. So whenever we’ve moved (countries, vehicles etc.) we’ve learned to make slooow transitions, giving the cats lots of natural supports & time to adapt to their new space. We did this when we moved into “the beast” ~9 years ago, we did it again when we moved to France last year and we did it a third time when we made our first trip in LMB last winter.

These are the steps we took:

We did a slow transition, and spent lots of time just “hanging out” in the motorhome with the cats
We’ve used Bach’s on our cats for years
  • Introduce the Cats While The Vehicle Is Parked – we first introduced the cats to LMB around a month before we drove anywhere, making sure they had spaces to relax & go to the loo while the vehicle was parked. We basically just hung out with them in the motorhome for a few hours, reading books or working, and we did this multiple times over several weeks before we ever moved anywhere.
  • Minimize Your First Drive & Plan To Rest After – we planned our first drive with the cats in LMB to be a short one (only ~1 hour) and then we planned a multi-day stop to give them time to recover from that drive. This really helped them settle in to the motorhome without the stress of a lot of driving on top.
  • Use Natural Stress Relievers – we’ve used natural stress relievers for YEARS on our pets, and they really work a charm. Our favorites are Bach’s Rescue Remedy (a flower remedy -> you sprinkle it around where they sleep, and you can also rub it on the inside of their ears), Feliway Spray (a natural feline pheromone -> you can spray it into cat bags, where they sleep etc.) and Licks Cat Zen Calming Aid (an edible treat that contains L-theanine -> it’s really stinky, but they seem to love it). We use all three and they work well on our kitties, but every cat is different so I always recommend trying them out one by one. You may find some that seem to work wonders, while others seem to have no effect at all.

This 3-step process has always worked flawlessly for us, and it did when we moved into LMB too.

2/ Find An Easily Accessible Spot For The Cat Litter 

Unless you’re able to potty-train your cat (kudos to you if you can!), you need to find a place for the cat litter, and in a small space this can be a real challenge. Not only does the litter have to be accessible to kitty, but it also needs to be easily accessible to you, so you can clean it out regularly. In a small motorhome/van there’s only a few spots that meet those criteria:

We use a high-sided litterbox in the shower (old yoga mat on the floor)
If you have a garage that’s another great space for a litterbox
  • The Shower – If you have a shower area in your motorhome then this one of the most obvious places to put your kitty litter. It’s out of the living area (important in a small space), but still easy to access & clean. The only negative is that you “lose” your shower space and have to move the litterbox every time you want to access it. However it’s the easiest solution and the one we’ve always chosen for our cats both in the old “beast” and our new “mini-beast”.
  • An Unused Cupboard Or Floor Storage – If you have a space by your floor that is unused (e.g. underneath your living room bench-chairs) you can modify that to take a litterbox. Just cut an opening for kitty and make sure the space is easy to access for cleaning too. We know lots of folks who create a hidden litterbox space this way.
  • The Motorhome Garage – if you have a motorhome with a rear garage that can be the perfect place to put a litterbox! It’s out-of-the-way (no litterbox smells inside the motorhome), but still super easy to access and clean from the outside door. All you really need to do is create access for kitty from inside the motorhome with a flap or open hole. It’s really a very snazzy solution.

The other thing to consider is the type of litterbox you use. Our cats are older now, and a few years ago one of them (Taggart) developed the maddening habit of lifting her bottom as high as she could to pee, creating no end of “accidents” outside the box. This became a massive source of stress until we discovered high-sided top-entry litterboxes*. Oh praise be to the kitty gods! Not only did that completely eliminate our peeing problem, but it also reduced litter tracking quite significantly. Yeah!

The IRIS top-entry litterbox is inexpensive & small

For LMB I had to hunt around to find a high-sided box that would fit our much smaller bathroom/shower, but finally found this inexpensive oval-shaped IRIS top-entry box that was PERFECT. To protect our shower floor we use an old yoga mat (cut to size) under the litter, plus we also have a cheap little step-up stool to help the old kitties get in/out of the box. Finally we use a rubber door stop on our bathroom door to ensure it stays ajar for the kitties while we are parked.

We haven’t really used our motorhome shower in Europe (campground showers here are fab), so this has worked out perfectly, plus I can easily clean/check the litterbox whenever I need to (especially important for older cats). If we get motivated we might move the box to the rear garage at some point, but so far this solution has worked out just fine.

*Note/ You can also use/adapt a regular plastic storage bin as a high-sided litterbox if you can find one that works in your the space. We couldn’t find any that fit in LMB, but it’s another inexpensive alternative.

3/ Create Places They Can Scratch With Their Claws

Cats LOVE & NEED to scratch stuff!

I used 6 mm (~1/4 inch) sisal rope
The proof is in the scratching!

They do it to flex & stretch, for marking (they have scent glands on their paws) and to remove the dead outer layer of their claws. It’s inherent in their nature and as a cat-owner you will quickly learn that if don’t provide a special spot for them to do it they will target your motorhome furniture (couches, chairs, walls etc.) and never stop!

They key is to create safe, alternative places for them to scratch, and make them irresistibly attractive.

In our old motorhome we had several store-brought scratching poles which we just plonked on the floor, but LMB doesn’t have that kind of space. Thankfully we had a perfect cylinder right smack in the middle of the motorhome just begging to be used -> the leg of our living room table**!!

All I needed to do was wrap the leg tightly in 6mm or ~1/4 inch thick natural sisal rope (IMO this is the ideal size for cat claws…thinner & it’s too flimsy) to create the perfect cat scratching pole. I used the same wrapping technique that woodworkers use to wrap tool handles (no glue or nails needed!!), and when I finished I rubbed some quality cat nip into the pole to ensure it was THE most attractive thing in the motorhome.

The result was outstanding!

A lovely, tall, integrated scratching pole plenty big enough to allow the cats to stretch & claw without taking up ANY extra space in the motorhome. Both cats took to it immediately and have used it exclusively ever since (I re-douse it with catnip every few weeks, just for good measure). It’s been a wonderful mod!!

Our table stand was purrfect for a cat scratching pole. All I needed to do was wrap it in sisal rope!

**Note/ If you don’t have any spare poles inside your van/motorhome, another alternative is to wrap sisal around a board/plank of wood and then attach that to your walls or doors. Finally, if you really don’t like DIY you can also buy pre-made wall scratchers on the internet that you can either hang from door knobs or attach directly to your walls/furniture.

4/ Find A Practical Space For Food & Water

Our cats are old and they are “nibblers” which means they eat wet food in small portions throughout the day. So basically they need to have access to food all the time.

We just chopped a few inches off the front legs of a collapsible bed tray

In our old motorhome they had their own dedicated space on the kitchen counter, but of course that wasn’t going to work in LMB. In our new mini-rig we have zero space in the kitchen, we can’t use the floor (that’s a free buffet area for doggie) and we really didn’t want to use our living room table as that’s our ONLY usable space for eating & working during the day. So what could we do???

My lightbulb moment came as I was sitting in LMB one afternoon. Literally the ONLY unused, out-of-the-way space we have when we are parked is the very front dash area of the motorhome. In our Carthago, this is a fairly large surface (which is great) but it’s also rather steeply sloped which gives us fab visibility while we’re driving, but means it’s useless as a space to put anything…..unless you modify it.

The solution I found was a cheap collapsible bed tray from IKEA. All I needed to do was chop a few inches off the front legs of the tray and voila! I had a secure, large, flat usable surface for cat food!! The tray stores easily (in collapsed form) beside the passenger chair while driving, and can be set-up in less than 20 seconds on the front dash area when parked. It’s been one of the BEST easy mods we’ve made!

As for the water bowl? That was much easier! The dog & cats share this, so we just have a single bowl in a small nook in the kitchen.

5/ Give Them Places To Sleep & Hide

Cats are animals of routine that like to have specific spots where they can relax and sleep. With multiple cats you really need multiple spots and that can be tough to find in a small motorhome or van. Thankfully there are a few options:

Your bed is always going to be their fav spot 🙂
Window loungers can create an extra space for kitty to relax
  • Your Bed – our cats love to use our beds to nap. Having a fixed bed like we do in LMB is especially handy, and the fact that our bed is raised up off the floor is even better (cats love high places). I would say our cats spend at least 3/4 of their sleep-time in this area.
  • Unused Cupboards – we always dedicate at least one overhead cupboard to our cats. We just line it with a towel, and they have a ready-made cat bed. They love to jump up and snuggle there.
  • Window Lounger – a really snazzy option in small spaces is to buy a window lounger that attaches with suction cups to your motorhome windows. It’s easy to put up and provides extra space for kitty without taking up much extra space. Plus it can just be folded up when you need to travel or close the blinds. We bought a really nice one for our kitties which fit perfectly in LMB, but for whatever reason they didn’t take to it (darn cats!!). I still think it’s a brilliant idea.
  • Chair/Bench – since there’s only 2 of us we always have a spare space for the kitties to lie down in the “living room” area of the motorhome. We brought our beloved thermal kitty blankets with us when we moved to Europe and just plop them down with some catnip wherever we want the cats to hang.

6/ Leash-Train Your Cat (YES, You Can Do This!!!)

My final tip for traveling with cats is to find a way to get them outside!!

Our cats have been exploring the outdoors for years in their cat jackets (Sierra Nevada Mountains, CA)
I only have pics of Taggart coz Rand prefers to walk at night

Not only is it mentally stimulating for cats to get out, but it also relaxes them and ensures they get daily exercise. It really benefits their overall general well-being and happiness, and when they’re living in a small space like a van that’s super important. The problem is that it’s not really safe to let cats roam freely outside a motorhome. I know folks who do this, but I’ve also heard too many horror stories of cats getting injured, lost or stolen this way. IMO it’s just not worth it.

A MUCH better option is to leash-train your cat!

It’s the perfect solution. Not only can you sit outside with them this way, but you can also go on walks with them when you’re parked. And honestly it’s not that difficult to do….even with older cats!!!

We leash-trained our cats at the ripe old age of 7. We got them a good-quality cat jacket that wraps securely around their body and neck (we brought the HDW jacket, but this EAGLOO brand is also excellent) and then we used the training steps from the HDW website, making sure to bring them outside everytime we put on the jacket, so they would associate it with that activity. The cats meowed dramatically and flopped to the ground like they were dying the first few times we tried the jackets (it takes time for them to re-find their delicate sense of balance), but very quickly they adapted and within a few weeks they LOVED it!!

Nowadays when we’re traveling our cats go outside everyday. They enjoy baking in the sun, eating grass, and walking around, and when they’re tired of that (which doesn’t take long) they go back inside the motorhome to sleep. Happy cats, happy people….

That’s it’s for our top tips for cats traveling in small spaces! It’s not tooooo different from the tips we had for our old motorhome, but hopefully it’s given those of you thinking about smaller RVs/motorhomes or vans some extra ideas…

Got any extra ideas of your own? DO share below!!

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We LOooVE Comments, So Please Do

  1. Jilmohr says

    August 18, 2019 at 12:16 pm

    Excelkent article…very informative… love the new photo that says who you are!

    Reply
  2. John says

    August 18, 2019 at 3:47 pm

    Thank you for this article! We travel with 2 cats that don’t particularly like each other. Also I hope my wife will get something out of the outside suggestions.

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      August 20, 2019 at 2:05 am

      Oh yes, if the cats aren’t close buddies then they will really need their individual spots inside the motorhome/RV. And leash-training will definitely help them to get along. A good daily walk is all you really need to tire them out. This will ensure they’re happy to sleep inside together the rest of the time. Without this activity you risk them taking it out on each other (out of boredom) inside the small space.

      Nina

      Reply
  3. Brett Burguard says

    August 20, 2019 at 10:33 am

    Thank you for this article. I’m in the process of getting two middle aged cats ready to travel/live in a truck camper for extended periods. They were already leash and harness trained but I’ve switched from harnesses to the jacket wrap style. One cat adapted to it immediately, the other is doing the flopping, drama queen act! Neither of them do much walking, distance wise, yet, but we’ll get there. Love the sisal rope idea so I’ll be doing something similar. I also bought a Purrfect Fence outdoor cat tent catio to use at camp when we’re outside, see https://www.purrfectfence.com/collections/cat-tent
    Also, all pets should be microchipped and registered, and make sure you keep the registry information up to date.

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      August 20, 2019 at 10:43 am

      Excellent! You’re making great progress. The “flopping” stage is normal LOL…our cats literally couldn’t walk the first time we put their jackets on. It’ll pass. The cat fence is an excellent idea too!

      And definitely yes on the microchip!! I wrote a separate post not too long ago about microchipping, registering and getting a pet passport (if you’re in Europe). Our cats have always been registered both in USA and here. It’s super important in case kitty ever gets away.

      Nina

      Reply
  4. Wendy T says

    August 21, 2019 at 4:08 pm

    Here in the US, a lot of folks are turning to CBD oils and treats for both dogs and cats for calming purposes. Here’s a link to just one of the companies that is recommended by a bunch of pet lovers I follow on social media: https://creatingbetterdays.com/product-category/cbd-for-pets/

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      August 21, 2019 at 11:00 pm

      Yes CBD is another possibility. We found a place to buy CBD oils in France so I’ve been experimenting with them on both on myself and the pets. To be honest I’ve found the results to be a bit hit and miss, and not as reliable as the products I listed above. But that’s just us and our pets. Like I said above every pet is different, so they are certainly another thing to try.

      One thing to be aware of: CBD is not legal in all countries, so if you travel across international borders with your pets you do need to be aware of this. Most of US and EU accept it, but there are certain exceptions (like Slovakia) that do not. This is a good link to check:
      https://hempika.com/is-cbd-oil-legal-in-my-country/

      Nina

      Reply
  5. Jim says

    August 21, 2019 at 9:17 pm

    Those are some cool recommendations. A friend of mine has bought an adjustable access stairs for pets from 4Wheelonline. It can be mounted on the trailer boat ladders, dock ladders, or pool ladders

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      August 21, 2019 at 10:51 pm

      Cheers for that. Adjustable steps are in our near future now that our pets are aging. We’ve built an extra step to our bed for the cats, but we may need something more extensive at some point.

      Nina

      Reply
  6. Tish says

    September 4, 2019 at 5:53 pm

    I’m considering buying a camper van and going solo across the US, maybe Canada. I currently have 2 older cats, one 15 and the other 18 – the latter surprises me that he’s still hanging in there, despite not great health. Would like to get another dog as well. So what do you do with your pets when you are not in the RV – like out hiking, swimming, out to eat, etc, in the warmer months? They can’t be with you all the time and I worry about leaving them inside the RV when I can’t take them with me and it’s hot outside. Thanks for any suggestions.
    I love the cat scratcher, food and litter box location suggestions!

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      September 5, 2019 at 1:37 am

      There’s a few things…

      Generally we travel with the weather, so we try not to be anywhere that’s overly hot. That said, it’s hard to plan perfectly, so if it’s hot we find a campground with electric hookups, and leave the aircon on for the pets. In our old RV we had the added safety of a generator with auto-start in case the power went out. We would never leave the RV anywhere hot without those 2 thing on.

      For added safety, there are lots of good temp tracker devices that you can get which will help monitor inside temps while you are gone, and alert you (e.g. by SMS) if they cross certain thresholds. We don’t have personal experience with these so I can’t recommend a particular brand, but I know lots of RVers use them.

      The last thing is that we never go on outings that take more than 4 hours if we’re not bringing the dog (which is rare!). That’s a personal thing, and I know not everyone likes those restrictions, but our pets are part of our family so we do not like to leave them alone for too long. The cats can handle longer since they really just sleep when we’re gone, but we still prefer to not leave them for too many hours.

      Hope that helps!

      Nina

      Reply
  7. Marie says

    October 28, 2020 at 7:32 am

    Thanks for the helpful tips! I was just wondering: where are your cats while you drive? I’m puzzled what to do, since I want our cat to be safe in case we have to brake suddenly or drive in the mountains… Heard about a special bag/jacket in which you can strap a cat in a car seatbelt, but I don’t think she’d like that very much for hours on end… Curious how you guys solved this issue!

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      October 30, 2020 at 3:36 am

      The safest is to get a cat carrier, cage, or hard-sided carrier and strap that in somewhere. For space savings a fold-away crate works great too. Then kitty travels in there. In our case, admittedly we’ve always just let the cats travel under the covers in the bed (in the back) as they were always the most comfortable that way. It’s not the safest however.

      Nina

      Reply

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