Pets in RVs

[JudyJB]

Right now, I have no pets, but someday when I retire, I will probably get a cat. (One, not two.)

When my kids were small, we used to take our dog with us on a lot of trips, but it was difficult leaving them alone in a hotel room or in the car when we went in someplace.

I notice that a lot of your travel with cats and dogs. How do you manage with a cat in a motorhome. Do you have to leave the AC on in hot climates when you go out for a walk or hike? It looks like most RV campground places are not shady so I would be afraid of the heat building up, even with windows open. It seems like it would get expensive to leave AC on full-time during the day.

I guess one consideration for me personally would be if I wanted to fly out to one of my son's houses while the motorhome was in some other part of the country. Would have to take cat with me or kennel it, which I really hate the idea of.

JudyJB

[WickedLady]

Your lifestyle would have to dictate whether or not you have a pet. Better to do without if it is going to be a problem for either you or the pet.

[BirdbyBird]

I leave the dogs in the AC. It is no different than when I have gone to dog shows. I will run the generator if I need to but if I am plugged into electric there is no problem. Depending upon the temps, many times the fantastic fan is enough. I think traveling with animals is no more difficult than living with them in a stick house. Though I miss my fenced in acre of running space .....If you needed to find a kennel at home I guess you would need to find one on the road. If you are parked for a while in the same place...you can often find a neighbor to pet sit just like you would at home.

[retiredhappy]

RVs heat up much faster in hot weather than a stick house so yes, I leave the AC on for my dogs if I'm out. As for me, I don't like to kennel my dogs so I don't fly anywhere and leave them. Besides I'd miss them too much - they're my furbabies and spoiled rotten.

[avalen]

left my ac on too, my pets is why I got my rv cause like you said, can't stay in a motel and
leave a pet unattended. My girls stayed in my rv no problem all day while I was at work.
To them its home so they don't bark, I leave all the windows drawn so they can't see out
and they just sleep all the time I'm gone. If I had to go somewhere else on a plane, I'd
have to get a pet sitter or board them in a kennel. It would be unfortunate for me to have
to do that, so hope it never happens.
ps.. the only time they bark was when they heard me pull in the driveway and they would
be so happy I was home and they still do that now (bark when I pull in the drive) at my sons place.

[Getupngo]

Yes, I take my pets in the RV. MY MH is very well insulated, so it does not get stifling inside in the summer time. Sometimes just open windows are okay. In other climates the air has to run. Usually I'm just hooked up to power in the whatever park I'm camped in, so no problem.

But when I'm traveling the RV IS home and my dog(s) (I currently have only one) have been happy to just stretch out and snooze while I'm gone.

I have the MH because I like to travel with my baby(ies).

[dayspring39]

I had Shadow before I started to travel:

he has been a good companion... however if I did not have an animal before I think I would make one change at a time... get your RV drive it for a few months and then cross that bridge...
Kathleen

[flick4411]

I will be traveling with three (!!) cats when I start my trip back to the Left Coast. I plan on taking the youngest one (the Kuwait kitty) with me on the first overnight trip at the end of August. She will have the hardest time since she's only been in a car going either to the vet or to the airport to come to the states. The other two have been in planes a number of times so they don't think the RV is too much of a big deal--yet! We'll see what happens when all three are together. The next overnight trip will be with the two older ones, then the third o/n trip will be with all three.

Birdie: What's the "fantastic fan"?

I agree that getting used the RV is a lot to do...but I'm thinking that getting a cat into the RV early on is also a good idea so that he/she thinks from the get-go that this is also home along with the bricks-n-mortar home. And if you get a smaller one, you could take him/her on the plane with you very easily...stuff 'em in the carrier and push 'em under the seat in front of you. Easy-peasy!!!

[BirdbyBird]

Fantastic fan is a brand of fan that is often used in the ceiling vents. The company has an excellent reputation of replacing parts...no questions asked. Many RV'er use a Fantastic fan or similar product along with a Maxi Vent cover (or similar product) that protects the open vent from the damp elements (rain, etc) Between the vent cover and the fan, it is easy to maintain a good air flow throughout the rig when the A/C may not be necessary. The fan also easily runs on battery power overnite when parked without electricity.

[khenrie]

We will be hitting the road for the first time in May. We have a 3 year old Italian Greyhound/Fox Terrier mix and a 6 year old cat. They are both about the same size. They get along pretty well. Don't want to actually touch each other, but will sleep within an inch of one another. Question is re: the cat. He is definitely an indoor/outdoor cat, coming and going at will through a cat door. Should we even attempt to take him with us? The other option is to leave him home. My brother-in-law lives on our property, so would be able to care for him.

Thoughts?

[AlmostThere]

IF the cat is use to being able to be outside when he wants, you will have to come up with a way for him to continue experiencing that or have a very unhappy kitty. I vote for leaving him with your brother in an environment he knows and will be happy in. Less stress for everyone..

[retiredhappy]

I also vote to leave him at home. You won't be able to let him out at different campgrounds and he might run off because he's in an unfamiliar place.

[flick4411]

Agree with Karen and Lenora...I would leave kitty at home where he is comfortable and safe. The last thing you'd want to do is have him take off in unfamiliar territory (which cats are famous for doing) and never find him again. Mine are going with me mostly cuz I/we are relocating next year closer to home and family. I don't worry about the two older ones; they've always been indoor kitties, but the Kuwaiti kitty lived outside half her life before i got her. She's ok indoors, but given the opportunity, she'd be gone in a flash. Our number 1 priority will be ensuring she remains in the RV on the trip home. But if you've got a reliable kitty sitter, leave kitty home to be there to welcome you back when you return!

[JudyJB]

If and when I do get a cat someday, I will definitely get a kitten and take it for rides in the car constantly. I don't want to repeat what my two sons did with cats--only take them in the car when they were going to the vet. On the other hand, my son's cockatiel was a great car traveler and liked to sit on the back of the passenger's seat or crawl around on the floor looking for crumbs. I took him on several 4-hour trips and strangely, no one even did a double-take.

I've had friends whose cats were great in the car. Also, with baths.

I like animals, but have purposely not had any pets for the past 20 years because of my work and travel schedule and not wanting to leave an animal on its own for so many hours. I will have to consider the situation when I do retire.

Thanks for all the information.

JudyJB

[Bethers]

Almost ready to start my 7th year full-timing now and I've never had to run the generator to keep it cool enough for the dogs. In fact, I'd worry more about that and/or the electric cutting out and then there being no circulation inside. I prefer opening the vents and the windows. It might get warm in here, but there is always air circulating and never has it been a problem for the dogs I've had with. That said, I don't know if it would be ok in the smaller Class B's.

And when I've been at cg's with full hookups where I have the air running when not there (like my summer in TX) I always make sure someone can get into my pets and knows when I'm gone - as losing power in those temps with the rig closed up- is when I would worry the most. I've been workamping and had a storm take out the power - and I headed back to my site to make sure I could get windows open, etc for the dogs.

I don't think I'll ever be without an animal - is great companionship for me - plus I just love them. But think about it before you get one - make sure it fits in with you and your lifestyle. They are not expendable any more than children are (or shouldn't be).