What Happened When We Went Camping With Cats

Usually we leave our two cats at home when we camp. Our trips are short, and we are home after two days. The cats are older and tend to sleep most of the time while we are gone. Or, at least I assume they do.

This year we had a camping trip planned which would take us away from home for four nights, and the cats had to come along. I was dreading this, but it turned out to be better than I had thought. On this page I will share our experience while we went camping with cats.

Skittle and Fontana are My Two Black Cats

History of Cats and Traveling

Both Skittle and Fontana are black cats I’ve had for about fifteen years. When I moved from New Hampshire to Florida, they rode in my Subaru for three long days.

For that trip, I bought two small dog cages (paid link to Amazon), which gave them each plenty of space to move around. Skittle got a little wooden ledge added to hers so she could go up higher and look around better. We did that because she tends to get car sick and she never got sick at all on that three day trip! I saved those cages and used one for this short trip.

Our Recent Cat Camping Trip

For the camping trip to a north Florida, we only had to travel for two hours. Unlike the long driving trip for the move, I didn’t have to worry about food, water and a litter box, for the traveling part of this trip.

I decided to give Skittle the open cage, and Fontana rode in a normal, fabric cat carrier, like what I use to take them to the vet. Neither cat was happy! On the way home, we switched them out and they both seemed to do much better. Even though we brought the wood piece for Skittle, she never used it. Now it seems she is too old (and chubby) to climb up.

The Cats at the Campground

We camped in March, in northern Florida near Gainesville, at Mike Roess Gold Head Campground. You can read more about our trip at the link. This is a Florida State park campground. It was our first time camping here, and we loved it! My son drove each day to the Gator Nationals (drag racing) in Gainseville, and I stayed at the campground with the kitties.

Once the camper was backed into the spot, I carried Skittle, in my arms, into the camper. It’s important to condition cats to being carried. We carry them throughout the day at home. Skittle hates any loud noise, so as long as it is quiet, she is calm in my arms. From the truck to the camper was a short walk.

Fontana was in the carrier, so I kept her in there and put the whole thing on the bed in the RV. They occasionally go into the camper when it’s in the yard, so it was not a completely strange place.

Our camping trailer has two doors, and the cats are the big reason we chose that camper feature. Our camping trailer is a 2021 Grand Design 23 LDE model (link is to a YouTube video of the 2024 model where you can see the layout).

The cats can be shut into the back bedroom / bathroom area while we go in and out the other door by the kitchen. This did work out well, even though the cats were happy to stay inside!

Bought a Gazelle Screen House For This Trip

I purchased a screen house – the 5-sided Gazelle (Amazon paid link)- before the trip and this was mainly so the cats could be outside, but enclosed. I would carry them, one at a time, into the screen house. We set it up near the bedroom steps, where the cats liked to be.

As a side note – this screen house is so easy to set up and take down. It can be a bit warm inside, as air doesn’t get through the screen too well. That does make it cozy on a cool night though! The big test will be if the tight mesh will keep out the no-see-ums when we camp by the river.

No Cat Fights!

Even though my cats don’t get along real well, on the trip they did much better than at home. They didn’t want to go outside, and even when they were in the screen house, they didn’t stay long. The weather was nice, but they felt more comfortable inside the RV where they were secluded from loud noises and strange people.

My biggest fear that they would get out and run off. Neither cat really wanted to get outside, and that made things easier than expected.

Where to Put the Litter Box

The only bad thing about having cats is their need for a litter box. Camping trailers are short on space. Both cats usually go outside during the day at home, but I still have a litter box for overnight.

I ended up putting their litter box in the RV shower, on top of a towel, to catch the litter that inevitably comes out. We moved it to the kitchen when we needed to shower. By shutting off the bathroom and bedroom from the kitchen and living area of the RV, the cats had everything they needed.

What I Learned and Will Do Different Next Time

Next time we camp with cats, I will have little harnesses for both of them. Fontana had hers on during the four days so I could easily attach the leash and take her out. Skittle can’t be on a leash because she will escape from the harness if there is a loud noise – I know this first hand. For that reason, I did not get her a harness. But, a harness makes it easier to grab the cat if it does make a dash, or try to get out. The harness is light enough that is doesn’t bother them and can be worn constantly.

Here’s Fontana on her leash early one morning when the neighboring campsite was empty.

We’ll bring both cages so they can ride in a big open area. Also, I will bring the carrier just in case we need it.

Don’t count on a harness, no matter how tight it seems, to keep your cat contained! Cats can amazingly slip out and run off when you don’t think it’s possible.

A Successful Trip!

We enjoyed our longest camping trip yet, and the cats seemed to enjoy it too – except for riding! At least we know that we can take them if we want to do a longer stay.

If you have any camping with cats tips, please leave them in the comments. I’d love to hear from you.

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