Travelling With a Cat

Halfwaythere · Veteran Member

Travelling With a Cat

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

Travelling with any pet will eliminate you from visiting National Parks which are some of the most spectacular parts of the country.
Cats are possibly the biggest threat to native wild life in this country. Leave it home.
Cheers,
Peter

Halfwaythere · Veteran Member

Thanks Peter, we know National Parks are out of bounds, and the curfew he's lived in means he hasn't been out and about at all.

As for leaving him at home, to us that would be like leaving a child on their own.

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Possum3 · Guru

As long as the cat is neutered and kept on a leash whilst outside the van, I don't see any problems.
Like Peter advised cats are a menace to all forms of native wildlife and you may meet many people on the road that will not be backward in informing you of that, some not too politely. I understand the attachment some people have to their fur babies, I personally love dogs but I am no longer permitted to have one (the child-bride doesn't want one in the van).

Halfwaythere · Veteran Member

Yes, he's neutered, and won't be outside (unless we set up the annex, which can be his domain. We've also got a 14 year old dog on her last legs. If we had any sense, we'd delay a couple of years, but hey ho!

SoloMC · Senior Member

Ive seen plenty of cats on leads around the place so it is possible but Unless you can ENSURE 100% of the time that your cat will never 'roam', it should not travel with you

I love big cats but definitely not a fan of the moggy unless its ALWAYS kept inside.

Any cat that isnt restricted is to be treated as feral.

So many well-fed domestic cats kill wildlife, its just in their nature. Its not the cats fault,its the owners fault
Cats are 2nd only to cane toads when it comes to environmental destruction.
.
There is a 'pussy willow' tree that is the final home for hundreds of feral cats that didnt see the .223 calibre coming

Halfwaythere · Veteran Member

His definition of "roaming" is walking from his bed to his food bowl biggrin

I'm hoping there's at least one member that travels with a cat for handy tips. I'd rather that Murphy never sees the Pussy Willow!

Craig1 · Guru

It is constant vigilance Dave, obviously a correct fitting lead at all times and a close lookout for free roamin dogs. That was our experience from weekend camping and taking the moggie.

I would think that some attitudes to cats have gotten worse in the last few years also.

Tony Bev · Guru

We purchased the motorhome, as the wife said that the back seat of the car, while towing a caravan, was too small for the cat

The cat had been fixed up, and microchipped

It was kept in a harness, with two normal leads tied together

With the handle of the lead on the leg of the table, the cat could roam just about anywhere except under the pedals, and onto the bed

We kept the food and water bowls near the shower room, and the dirt box behind the passenger seat

The cat was not smart enough to realise, that a good tug, would probably pull the table leg off

Some people have claimed, that their cat talks to them

Our cat was a comedian, each time I would tell it to do something, it would just reply, "me how", with a funny look on its face

The only time it left the motorhome, it was in the arms of the wife

Buzz Lightbulb · Guru

Desexing a cat doesn't stop it from killing native fauna.

It seems that the OP is keeping the cat fully controlled which is commendable.

hokianga · Senior Member

I travelled on and off with my elderly cat and very old dog, sadly Bobby my dog passed away an dnow I have a large puppy, so my next travel plan entails getting a house sitter for my elderly cat and taking pup with me. Puss started travelling with me when she was 17 years old, she is now 19 and went from being shut in the van ensuite while travelling to now happily curled up on the couch. I never let her outside the motorhome, I feel she would have been too vulnerable to wandering dogs. She would just sit and look out the window when parked up anywhere or just sleep.

Possum3 · Guru

Buzz Lightbulb wrote:
Desexing a cat doesn't stop it from killing native fauna.

But it stops it from breeding with other feral cats if it escapes - neutering should be made compulsory.

Mike Harding · Guru

Tamsun travels with a cat, she regularly posts video blogs to the travel forum.

Macka1706 · Member

HiWe lost our Cornish Rex last Sunday. 19 yrs in Sep't 4th.
He had a great life and cost a fortune. He and his brother (long diseases) Spent their first 13 yrs of life travelling 3 months of Central Qland Winter,
in a 6.5mtr van. Up to Darwin and surrounds. Harnesses for walk. and a big stick for dogs. We had a Large collapsable Galv, 1 mtr + Cubed Dog cage outside van under roll out. With water/tray etc inside the floor was a plastic tray.
Blanket covering rear half or side to stop dogs being interested and some sun shade.
I also had a rope across the roll out legs with 6 ft leads to harnesses so they had a good run across front of van when we out the front.
They were quite happy inside and when travelling, Slept under the pillows poking heads out when we stopped to see if we finished. Then back under again.
Even when we stopped at layby's they only got out van. nipped under for relief then nip back up step to safety.
My prev Cornish lived with me on Yacht for 10 yrs. he was the same. and when he went over the side chasing dolphins there is always a loong towel hanging over Port stern quarter for him. He was Really quick at bolting back up that.

Most importantly. Get them used to time in van first. In YOUR back yard. Then a coupla short trips to get them used to the travel.
I spent 5km IN our van with them the first coupla times we started with them. Makes all the difference.
And ALWAYS KEEP THEM UNDER CONTROL. At all times.

yobarr · Guru

Possum3 wrote:
Buzz Lightbulb wrote:
Desexing a cat doesn't stop it from killing native fauna.
But it stops it from breeding with other feral cats if it escapes - neutering should be made compulsory.

This is the only type of Cat worth having? At least it is useful! Cheers

KJB · Guru

yobarr wrote:
Possum3 wrote:
Buzz Lightbulb wrote:
Desexing a cat doesn't stop it from killing native fauna.
But it stops it from breeding with other feral cats if it escapes - neutering should be made compulsory.
This is the only type of Cat worth having? At least it is useful! Cheers

Good to see it properly restrained ........roaming cats (neutered or not) kill our wildlife..... KB

Macka1706 · Member

Ha, a baby CAT(erpillar).
Last job b4 retiring I had one of those, a 60 ton standing by to clean out my bucket when I hit clay. (Kobelco 975 140 tonner)
Digging out Townsville second lake back in early '90's. 2 1/2 buckets to a CAT 777 dump trucks tray. Good old days.
Nice little machine, but the big Leibhers were smoother and stronger.
I drove one of Leibher first ever Excavators back in '64. In UK. a model 360. then a 700. ended up demonstrating them.
They were a latest offshoot from "Star Tower cranes. Germany, in those days.

Macka1706 · Member

Ye.

We used to shoot all the dogs we encountered on our shooting trips too. Quite often more dogs than cats near Metro areas.

It goes both ways,

We had 2 x Cornish Rex cats. 18+ yrs , in caravan for 3 months every yr cruising Aus. for near 12 yrs till we changed to Overseas for 3 month every yr till Covid.. Got fed up going round in a circle on this little island.

Our cats live/d 24/7 with us. and if you chatted with Ranger in most parks. Showing them the $2000+ each cats. They usually said go out the back of van sites and keep curtains closed. (This was 25ish yrs ago).

Normal van parks We never had a problem. Large dog collapsable cage with cover over roof and one end. Outside under awning between the chairs, with a rope run between the two uprights on Roll out. Each cat on a 6 ft lead/Harness. Gave then freedom to wander under control.(18ft by 6ft each side.)

98% of patrons were friendly and talked about them (Cornish Rex, different.).

The few humans that were "different". I just told them where to go. Nicely.

Don't let the few persons that have something against cats disturb you. They are YOUR pets. and mainly preferable to humans.

Do your thing, and just be prepared to amend your itinerary to suit.

As an aside. Our 2. When we stopped in bush. Let them out. Under van. Wee/Pup. Straight back inside van again. "Safety".

They preferred inside to any strange outside/noises/smells. Just keep on Harnesses if not sure.

Tony LEE · Guru

my cat's main purpose in life is to scare the crap out of any unleashed dog that dares to wander within 20 metres of her motorhome. The bigger they are the better.

gold dandelion · Senior Member

I think it is quite cruel travelling with a cat and keeping it locked up all the time, they need some space, that's their nature, hunting mice etc. getting their claws dirty, having a poop and a good look around.

Stevejaz · Member

My partner and I have 3 cats between us, all of which have spent 6 months a year with us on our annual trip north for winter over the last 5 years. They all travel well, are kept on leads with harnesses and have never bothered anyone or anything else. One of the funniest things to watch was a cat and a cow encountering each other for the first time. Nose to nose. Retractable leads are good for letting them explore in a supervised manner. Just follow them around and give them as free a time as possible.
The only other option for us was to have them put down. We were going. They were either coming with us or not. They are great company and great conversation starters. For some reason nobody expects to see cats with grey nomads.

meandthemissus · Newbie

There's more native fauna killed on our roads every day than someone's pet ever will, perhaps we should leave the car at home too.

Possum3 · Guru

meandthemissus wrote:
There's more native fauna killed on our roads every day than someone's pet ever will, perhaps we should leave the car at home too.

Unfortunately, not true; the feral cats have severely impacted many of our native birds, reptiles, amphibians and mammals, to the point of extinction.

meandthemissus · Newbie

Thought we were talking about pet cats, not feral. 2 different scenarios to me.

TheHeaths · Guru

meandthemissus wrote:
Thought we were talking about pet cats, not feral. 2 different scenarios to me.

Unfortunately, feral cats came from domestic cats that were lost in the bush. And unfortunately, if a domestic cat is not lost, but allowed a bit of a roam, their nature would see them try and stalk and hunt small animals and birds in the area. They dont know the difference between a wren and an imported sparrow, or a native hopping mouse, and a common imported house mouse.

Gold Dandelions comment, about cats needing to be allowed out to roam, and hunt is part of the reason that while I like cats, I would only have one if it was constrained to my property, in a cat run, so that it doesnt hunt, or turn neighbours gardens into toilets, like so many around our area.

As with dogs, responsible owners are tarred with the same brush as those irresponsible ones that dont control their pets.

-- Edited by TheHeaths on Friday 26th of April 2024 09:21:06 AM

Kebbin · Guru

There is no such thing as a Pet Cat it's the Humans that become the Pets. Cats are natural born killers they kill for the fun of it, they play with their prey until it dies and then either don't eat it at all or chew the heads off small mammals and Birds.

Birds are a favourite of Cats it must really piss them off when they sometimes get away in flight. There is no place in Australia for these murdering mayhem machines.