Traveling with Cats — Are cats better traveling companions than dogs?

I love dogs and I’ve had a few in my life but I am definitely a cat person. Perhaps it’s the introvert in me that really appreciates their calm energy. There’s something very peaceful about watching them sleep or stretch in the sun, just enjoying life. They constantly remind me to take life slow and easy. I found it amusing that it took a comedy routine to help me put my finger on this preference of cats over dogs, especially when it comes to traveling.

Traveling the country, moving slowly from place to place in an RV, has been a dream of mine since I was in my 20s. When I made the decision last year to move from California to Texas, I took the plunge. I knew that if I was ever going to make that dream a reality, the time had come. I was no spring chicken and definitely not getting any younger.

My cats were a big factor in making the decision to buy a travel trailer. I knew that if I just packed up a U-Haul trailer and drove pretty much straight through, I’d still need to stop several times. I don’t like to drive more than a few hours at a time. Finding hotel/motel rooms for me and three cats would be a challenge so what better reason could there be to take my home with me. I could take all the time I wanted, not worry about finding pet friendly hotels and I’d have the trailer for travel later.

Can Cats feel “at home” Traveling?

You might think that cats aren’t good travelers but they can definitely adapt to changes, especially if you start getting them used to it at a young age. My cats, however, didn’t start traveling until they were 9 years old! Because of that, I wanted to take time and special care to get them used to the trailer before we hit the trail.

The first few times I put Christy in the trailer, she cried and cried and kept going to the door. I had already put some of their beds and a cat tree in the trailer but this did not console her. Eventually, though, she became less stressed and started perching and looking out the windows.

Ocean, on the other hand, took to it pretty quickly. He’s a braver and more laid back cat so this didn’t surprise me. Echo is the one who surprised me. He is the meekest of the cats but seemed very happy with the situation the first time out. Maybe it was because the other two cats had already been spending some time out there before I took him out.

While we were all hanging out in the trailer, I continued to work on things to make them comfortable.

Why I Prefer Traveling with Cats over Dogs

• Cats are quiet and won’t disturb your neighbors if you are someplace where they are in earshot
• They use a litter box so don’t have to be walked (picture walking in the rain or freezing wind)
• You can leave them alone for extended hours of sightseeing or hiking
• They won’t trash the RV if they get bored
• Cats can entertain themselves but mostly just sleep

I will admit that dogs are great for getting you outdoors when you may not really want to go. They are also awesome for breaking the ice and helping you meet new people. But trust me. If you take your cat out on a leash or in a stroller, it accomplishes the same thing in spades!

I won’t say that cats are easier to feed than dogs. If you feed dry kibble, that is probably the case but I haven’t fed kibble in over eight years. Once I learned what is in commercial pet food and how bad dry food is for cats, I started making my cats raw food. This means that every four days or so I have to spend about an hour preparing food. That’s a small price to pay for better health for my cats.

Final Thoughts

Cats and dogs both make wonderful travel companions, you just need to know which is best for your personality and lifestyle. If you are a very active, outdoorsy person, a dog might fit your lifestyle better. Although I enjoy a good hike, I prefer seeing more of the sights and spending quiet evenings in my trailer. Enjoying a glass of wine and hanging with my cats is the perfect way for me to end the day!

Cats and dogs both make wonderful travel companions, you just need to know which is best for your personality and lifestyle. #rvpets #rvtravel #cats Click To Tweet

If you think dogs and cats are the only animals people travel with, check out my new friend, Jojo, who travels with her three parrots!

 

What pets are your travel companions? I’d love to hear about them in the comments!

Until next time…