Cats and Dogs abroad; no, this is not the usual "how do I get a pet passport" question
It is more as to how one socialises a cat to stay with your Motorhome when abroad. Would anyone reccomend a collar and harness? Dogs are not the same problem but I wonder if any of you have done this
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We've seen lots of French and Dutch caravanners with their cats. Most have a long lead and a shoulder-type harness - and seem quite happy. However, we've also seen them 'free' - and they don't seem to stray far from home. One of our previous cats was quite happy to be taken to stay with my mother when we were away, and roamed the fields around her home, always coming back to her house. I suppose some cats will naturally 'home' back to your motorhome (and probably some won't!!).
Cats naturally are territorial animals, they stay in one area & 'defend' it. Taking them on camping trips is unnatural for them & nobody can really say whether their cats 'enjoy' it, all you can say is that your cat doesn't react badly from being taken away from home.
The vast majority of 'camping cats' you see are attached to the long extendable leads, available from any pet shop & normally used for walking small dogs. So theres your definitive answer Bonzo, if you feel you must take you cat away from his home. Obviously you could try your cat off the lead but you really only have 2 chances if you do that.
Occasionally you do see campers with cats loose that don't appear to stray but on the French SW coast campsite we visit annually there are always 'chat perdu' posters stuck up all over the place.
When we had a cat we used to take him with us in the UK, but never abroad. We thought it would be too far/hot/uncomfortable for him and so he went to his own hotel whilst we went away.
We have seen lots of cats abroad though, most on leads, who appeared to be fine.
One Dutch couple who had theirs with them reckoned the cat was not attached to the house, but to them as people, and so it was never on a lead. This was on a site near Sete, which was just at the back of the beach. They used to walk from the caravan to the beach, and the cat with them, the cat used to sit under it's own parasol and when it had enough, one of them used to walk it back to the caravan. It seemed quite happy with that arrangement, but they'd had it from a kitten and it had gone abroad with them from day 1.
It would depend on the cat itself, we tried our cat with a lead/harness, and he managed to wriggle out if it twice, and we were lucky to catch him again! So from then on we didn't bother with a lead, and he certainly seemed quite happy in the van. So much so that at home we had to be careful each time we went into the van, that he didn't creep in there without us knowing. He set the alarm off twice in the van, when we hadn't noticed him going in and so had locked and alarmed the van!
------------- Ina
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Well my cat has been on plenty of camping trips with us and lots of UKCS meets. When i open the side door hes into the camper and its hard to get him out. He will sit in the camper all day and only come out when hes sure we are not going away. He sits between the front seats when on the move and when the engine is turned off hes up at the window to see the sights. He has a lead and will walk local to the camper, but as yet hes not tried to go far or run off when the door is open. Not every cat is the same mind you. I hope that helps.
Earlier in the year we were on a site in Austria and out neighbour was a German couple and their cat. The cat seemed purrfectly happy on his long lead, although he did get tangled up now and then. It used to amuse us at night because he had a collar with flashing lights and that was all you could see of him!
Funniest thing I ever saw was at anaire. A huge Renault MPV packed full of kids and gear. And on the parcel shelf a big fat moggie using its litter tray. The expression on the faces of the kids in the back seat was just priceless.
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Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Cats and Dogs - Abroad
