By Cheri Sicard
Traveling with cats in your RV’s tow vehicle can present unique challenges to both felines and their humans. In the video above we join Jerry from I Love RV Life as he shares what has worked for him and his wife, Joan, and their kitties, Mink and Molly.
After doing this for seven years, Jerry and Joan have experimented and learned what does and does not work for them, and they have evolved their RVing with cats routine over time.
When they started, they tried putting the cats in the back seat of the truck. That did not work as they didn’t stay there and were all over, including under Jerry’s feet. When they stopped for gas or at a rest area, guess who wanted OUT!
Small pet carriers didn’t work, either, as they were cramped and the cats were miserable.
The couple finally settled on an ingenious gadget called a “pet tube.” This large, collapsible, well-ventilated travel kennel folds flat when not in use but, when traveling, gives the cats the entire length of the back seat to enjoy.
If you have skittish kitties, be sure to watch the video for Jerry’s tips on how to get the cat in and out of the pet tube safely. He also shows how the pet tube goes in and out of the vehicle.
While the pet tube is perfect for short jaunts of 3 to 4 hours max, Jerry says it’s not great beyond that because there is no litter box or place for a water dish. However, he does show a water dish in the video that you can use in the tube, but that still leaves the litter box issue.
Jerry wanted a solution for longer travel days that gave his cats access to water and a litter box, one where everyone was safe from them accidentally spraying the truck. He also wanted it to install and uninstall in under 5 minutes.
Watch the video to see it in action, where he took a sheet of plywood and built a platform for the truck’s back seat and covered it in carpet. The platform slips into the back of the truck and creates one large, level space. (Side note: Jerry’s platform idea would also work for car campers who want a level backseat space to sleep.)
A spider mesh panel confines the cats to the back seat but gives them plenty of airflow and visibility.
With all that in place, in goes the covered litter box and the water bowl Jerry created for the Pet Tube, and the family is ready for long extended travel days.
##RVDT2362
Wish it would work for us. When you add a golden retriever to fit with the two cats in the tow vehicle back seat, there isn’t enough room.
I have this very tube in the back seat of my x-cab truck. I did add a flat surface to bridge foot well gap. I found a very small litter box and a no spill water dish- this has been an excellent solution! My big pup gets to ride in front seat with his harness. Kitties seem pleased with the set up! I do have little harnesses for them so I can clip a lead for safety if I’m moving them. They do NOT like the leads!
Thank you, Cheri! 🙂 He’s quite ingenuous. Thanks again and safe travels! 🙂