I've travelled with my cats for decades. I always put them in a carrier & seat belt it in inside my vehicle, currently a Class B. If a collision occurs or even hitting the brakes & doing a hard stop, anything loose becomes a projectile. I don't want my cat splattered on the inside of my windshield. Animals can be easily injured, broken legs, pelvis, back, crushed skull etc. The last thing I need in an emergency situation is to be grieving over my cat too. If they are in a carrier they are safe & easy to find. I had a rig catch on fire while I was driving & we simply grabbed the carrier & everyone got out safely. An animal in distress will hide. You don't want to be trying to drag your cat out from under the seat when your rig is on fire. Think about getting everyone out to safety as quickly as possible in any emergency situation. Litterbox, I always leave some used litter in it when we first start out. The cat knows His/her scent & will find the litterbox. I put it in a sorta private place, the bathroom, in the garage at the back, etc. any place private & easily accessible. I never put a collar on my cats. It's easily caught on a branch & will hang the cat. Remember, cats like to climb & hide. They can't get away from predators if their collar is caught on something. If you want to leash your cat get a chest harness. Be aware, birds of prey, Falcons, Eagles, & cougars, Bears, Snakes, Coyotes, Wolves, etc, all enjoy a nice meal, & your cat is easy prey. If you suspect you're in a dangerous area for your cats, keep them inside. Cats adapt easily to inside living. If your cats are escape artists, leash or cage them. There are large cages available that collapse down & are ideal for letting your cats be outside & protected. Protect your cats from direct sunlight. Their skin & eyes burn very easily from the intense UV. Keep them in a shady area with lots of water available. Cats drink a lot of water. Tattoo your cat's ear or microchip them, this way they can be identified & returned to you if they get lost, & found by an honest person who will return it. In the beginning cats can have a lot of anxiety about being in a vehicle. Keep the carrier close to you, throw in a T-shirt you've worn, so they can see & hear & smell you. When its safe, poke your fingers through the cat carrier holes & pet your cat. They'll relax after a bit & repeated trips, when they realize they aren't going to the vet! Keep your cat's (pets) shots up to date & carry vaccination certificates with you. You may have to prove your animal has its current shots or it may get confiscated. When you're around other campers cats & dogs like to socialize & visit, curl up & sleep, steal food, mark territory, etc in other peoples rigs. Some ppl don't appreciate this. You are responsible for your animals. Cats freely wandering outside will dig holes for "litterbox" use anyplace convenient. In the gardens, etc. To a cat, anywhere outside is a litterbox. If another camper has cats, its common for males to spray to mark territory. Again, some ppl don't appreciate this. Be prepared to deal with it. There are sprays available that have enzymes & biological medium in the formula to get rid of the smell after a few days. Clean up all visible urine &/or feces & spray with the bio spray. Good luck. :-)
Absolutely LOVE all of these tips that you wrote out in an amazing comment! Oh my goodness, thank you so much for taking the time to provide all of this wonderful information. You have so much experience! 😊
You guys should check out the tidy cats breeze litter box..game changer! It uses pellets, and then has grates where the pee goes through to a pee pad. There's absolutely no dust, the pellets are easier to clean up when the occasional pellet comes out. It's SO much cleaner than a typical litter box! Ok I'm nerding out lol. Check it out. You'll love it.
Pro tip: put an extra covering on your bed if you travel with pets in the trailer and allow access to the bedroom. They WILL get sick at some point and if the bed is a “comfort area” you’re likely to find a surprise. Even if it’s just a standard hairball it’s nice to just pull off the extra cover and be done
We always add an extra sheet to the top of the bed, our golden & basset like to snooze (they are 13 & 14) on the bed during the day when we are parked & this saves the bed from being a fur covered mess.
I have a neat little trick for the cat litter trail for you. Get one of those inexpensive cat scratch boxes and put it right below his box. He will step out onto it and it will trap so so much of that litter in his paws.
😁 Many of the things in this video I can relate to. We had a pull-behind 23', no slides and kept the litter box next to the bed. We daily cleaned the box and had a carpet runner so she, (Mimi the cat), would clean her paws on. That worked fine for us as we traveled up north from Florida and also across the U.S. One scary evening when we visited the Grand Ol' Opry, we came out after the show and I saw the side screen had a big hole in it! I thought for sure someone broke in, but then Mimi came running up to us from underneath the pickup! Boy, we were so shocked, yet so relieved to see that she was ok. Two times I took her for short rides in the camper and each time she buried herself in the pillows and the head of the bed; so no more. We always let her free in the car, so that meant that we couldn't drive with the windows open. Going through a drive-through was always fun as she would always want to visit with the person in the window and see what's going on. When I would stop for gas, she would take that time to eat and use the litter box, which was behind the passenger seat. After about seven years she finally settled down while driving, but by the third day of driving she started to get cranky. She's gone now and this summer I'm heading up to Chicago to see my kids and grandkids, and my son's cat had kittens of which they're trying to fix me up with one. :) They're so cute, too. Take care of that precious critter! I look forward to seeing him on your vids, too.
We’ve been part timing with our 2 cats for a year so far. We’re in a semi truck for the time we’re not in the rv, working as truck drivers. Our cats are accustomed to being free while moving down the road, and we tried putting them in their carriers while in the pickup but they were NOT happy. So instead we tried them in the trailer for a small stint down the road, and they were sleeping together on our bed when we stopped! We’ve kept them in the trailer ever since, they’re just happier and much less stressed that way!
We have 6 cats and 2 dogs, been full timing 4 years. 3 of our cats joined us while traveling. We have 40 lb size wire cages, one is used as a dog crate at night, we keep our extra blankets on top of the cages so the cats sleep up there when not traveling. We never bring slides in until the animals are in the truck. We use 2 litter boxes, both in the closet floor. We tried other spots, this works best for us.
Hey Elizabeth!! You guys have quite the family ❤️Love this!! Nice work on full timing for 4 years as well!! We are so happy for you guys 😃Thank you for sharing your setup and how you make things work, it's really nice to read your comment! Keep these comments coming!! Best to you and your fur babies
We have always taken our 2 miniature dachshunds with us but now that I work remotely, we're hoping to spend a lot more time in our 5th wheel in the winters (my husband's downtime). We have 3 cats who miss us terribly when we're gone for the weekend so we definitely need to learn to travel with these babies too! If you can do it with 6, we can do it with 3!
We are full time RV’ers and have been on the road for about 3-1/2 years now, traveling in a 40’ 5th wheel, with our almost 19 year old cat. The first couple of years we put him in a cat carrier much like yours, and he traveled in the back seat of our pickup when we traveled. The last year or so we have left him in the trailer, contained and isolated in the bedroom/bath area where his litter box, food, and water are located. He sleeps on our bed, in his bed (where he sleeps at night) and is now MUCH happier then he was in his carrier in the truck. When we stop and check on him, he is either still sound asleep, or gets up stretching after having been just woken up. 😆 He does not have access to the main portion of the trailer, and the bedroom/bath area is very secure with nothing that can fall or harm him. This method works much better for all of us, especially him, and makes him a much happier kitty! 😊
WOW 19 years old?! That's amazing 😻So nice to hear that he does better inside the trailer while traveling, maybe the smells and familiar environment really keep him at peace 😊What's your kitties name by the way? Love this!! You guys seem like you have a great system figured out for him and are loving parents. Where do you guys keep the litter box at? Is it on the floor of the bathroom or did you find a better place for it?
@@HappilyEverHanks His name is Simon, whom we’ve had since we got him at a shelter as a kitten. Unfortunately his litter box is on the floor of the bathroom, but tucked out of the way, in it’s normal spot. Our only concern about having him in the trailer would be overheating, which we monitor often. This hasn’t been an issue yet, and if it got too hot, we’d just pop him in the truck. Great VLOG by the way guy’s, keep up the great work! 👍 P.s. Simon looks just like an older version of your kitty. ;)
We’ll be taking our 3 felines full time in a fifth wheel another month or so. Definitely have some really comfy, roomy carriers for them that they already play and sleep in. They’re pretty good travelers now, but we plan on having short travel days (four hours). So right on about having them packed and in the truck before pulling in the slides. Use Feliway, Cat Crack and Valerian to help calm them. We are also building a portable catio to attach to a window. It IS all about the felines.
Oh this is awesome to hear!! It definitely helps with the short trips like you mentioned 😺Thank you for the suggestion! Will definitely look into this if Dexter becomes excited. He is so used to it now, he just sleeps the entire time which is good! You got that right, it's all about the felines! 😻 Keep us updated with how the building of the catio goes, we would LOVE to do this for Dexter one day!
We use pine bedding pellets from Tractor Supply. No smell (have had up to 5 cats), compostable. Dessicates cat's business really well, no scooping (unless you want to) just put it in a compoastable bag and dispose. Much cheaper as well.
Hey Cheryl! That's actually a great idea, love that you made the most out of it and still found a way to save money! It's great to meet you, we hope we can hear from you again soon! Cheers! - Kyle and Renee
Your cat is very sweet - and seems easy compared to my two. Open the carrier and he walks in! Unheard of. I’m afraid to camp with my cats but your advice is all good. When I moved a long way, I had the two cats in the back of my Subaru in small dog cages - each cat has their own. I included a small litter box, food and water (shallow amount in a very small hanging dish) but they never touched any of it! They waited all day until we stopped at a hotel. So obviously they are able to go a few hours at a time before breaks. My camper is small, but I like all your ideas. Thanks so much.
In the carrier is a great idea when traveling. There's another UA-cam RV channel I watch were they let their cats have "free range roaming" of the truck when traveling. One of the cats always climbs on the headrest of the drivers seat when the driver stops for fuel and gets out of the truck. A few months back, the cat did this as always and the driver closed the door of the truck ON the tail of the cat, because he didn't know the cat's tail was out the door while she was on the headrest. The cat attacked his head. They had to go to the ER for an expensive "repair bill" and get his head fixed up (staples even, not just stitches!)
That is a story! Wow! We just feel better knowing he has his space. Don't want him getting scared and running out the door! Or attacking our heads. Thanks for sharing 😃 ~Renee & Kyle
We lost one of our fur babies ( still mourning) just by turning our heads for a minute, so thanks you for the info! Mango is still looking around for her sister...it's very sad :(
I have to admit... When I found you guys, I was at the beginning of autistic burnout, and I couldn't give myself permission to do this... I need to slow down, I need to follow my passions and aspirations... I am doing what I can to get that RV as soon as possible. I'm a creative person I can turn my crafty and creative skills into semi passive income. I'm nervous, but I know now that's just my brain... I CAN do this!
Love 💕 how you guys take care of Dexter! ♥️. We do that with our cat, Duke. Duke gets a spoonful of Cool Whip every day …what a treat! He actually goes to the refrigerator and meows when he is having his cravings. 😹.
Awww that’s adorable!! 😻 Duke sounds like he is well taken care of too ❤️ Got a love our fur babies, they always know when it’s feeding time 😹 Love reading this message Jolene!!
Whenever we travel it's with our Yorkies. They love to travel. It's harder to travel with our birds especially the big ones so we usually have a sitter for them.
I travel with both my cat and my dog. I also got a Tile sticker to allow me to track my babies. It also plays an audible sound so it makes it easier to locate my cat when he’s hiding. I also use Waggle to track temperature in the rig and it also has a Geo fence
I have a few videos on my channel. I just started traveling with Dexter. He's great. A couple problems. I tried a kennel but, it wasn't for us. I have a small car. I let him cruise around as he pleases. Lots of areas for him to be comfy.
Hi to you folks. You guys are the greatest. My wife Pamela and I traveled with our cat Sammie for about two years. when we first got him, we introduced him to small dog harness. We tied a thirty-foot rope to it and a two-foot 2X4 to the other end. He would then wander our back yard. But, he would never go too far from home. After we moved into our 5th wheel, he still love the freedom. Of course, we never left him unattended. That was about twenty years ago. We would love to be full timers again, but, old age and poor health have limited that. Best regards, and happy trails, George and Pamela
😂 Thank you!! We are doing our best to keep it light and fun when making our videos! It is all worth it when we have the support that you are giving us!! We will be waiting for ya on Facebook! We have some funny footage on there that we just released ❤️
Were in the acclamation phase for Sampson, our orange Maine Coon. We've slept in the camper with him several times, and it took about 3-4 times for him to find his place and sleep all night. We just bought a larger wire cage, which we've just left sitting on the LR floor, open, and he just automatically went right in. We then bought a soft sleeping mat for it...we've watched him sleep for hours in the cage on the mat. Haven't closed the cage or made it to the truck yet. We'll see if all we've done to prepare him has made a difference! Thanks for your channel!
We too travel with our cat, Luna and your tips are spot on in our opinion. We did accidentally leave her in the TT once for about 5 minutes. When we realized what happened, we immediately stopped and "rescued" her. Man, we felt awful! Thankfully nothing bad happened, but she was very happy to see us when we opened that door.
Luna! What a great name! We are going to be on the lookout for her cameo in your videos 😻Yeah traveling with cats doesn't always come naturally, but after awhile I think they adapt well to the lifestyle! Glad to hear Luna is safe and sound, Dexter likes to keep us on our toes at times as well 😄Thank you for sharing you guys!!
I decided to binge watch you guys from the beginning. lol. I just watched a video of a woman who killed a raccoon with her slide. It snuck in as she was closing it. I'll never leave my pet in there while closing them after seeing that ! And we just upgraded our rv because our dog was to big for the one we had so I understand keeping the cat in mind when upgrading. lol
Awww this is amazing 🤗❤️ Thank you for taking the time to watch our old videos! Oh my goodness!!! That is horrible, I guess you can never be too careful What kind of RV did y’all upgrade to?
Awww thank you guys!! We had such a fun time filming this one with Dexter 😹Don't know if he would say the same though lol You guys rock for your support, much love ✌🏼- Renee and Kyle
We aren’t on the road yet BUT I wanted to give some people on here some advice about cat litter. We use pine horse pellet bedding you can buy at Tractor Supply Co. A 40lb bag is about $5. The pine bedding takes ALL stink out of the litter. Think of it like a composting toilet for your cat. It’s amazing. It’s the only thing I’ll ever use. I change the litter completely every 1-2 weeks and just keep the extra pine bedding in a covered plastic tote so it’s easy to get to. If you are wanting to transition over to this litter, I recommend putting a little bit in your current cat litter then working up to using only the pine bedding SLOWLY. Another option is toilet training your cat but that didn’t work out for me 😅 Thank you for the video guys!! We love your channel over here ❤
Oh my must confess we were full timers back in 2000 with our 5 th wheel. We were newbies and our cat stayed in RV while we were traveling. She would crawl under our bedspread and sleep and apparently the bedding served as a seat belt for her. She seemed fine with it. She preferred the RV to being in the truck? Go figure!
We take our Jack Russell terrier Daisy with us every time. She is a great traveling dog in our Class C. We keep her leash handy so we can take her for quick walks when we stop so she can "let 'er rip" too 😆
@@HappilyEverHanks thank you! Our older daughter named her when she was 4 - she did a great job! We have been toying with the idea of bringing our cat Rocky with us on a trip. He looks a lot like Dexter only with white paws and a white mustache 😆
@ChrisDavis1 2 minutes ago We currently are living in our RV with 5 dogs. Get's a tad crowded (we have a couple videos up and more to come). Love your channel Hanks! We watch every Thursday for sure! Thanks and keep the videos coming!
Ococat litter. No more bad smells. Biodegradable. Safe for your black tank. Leaves your RV smelling like cedar and 1/2 the price of regular cat litter.
We just started camping with our two big black kitties. We bought a 2011 37ft Laredo. Our kitties love looking out the windows. Were building them a cat condo. There loving it.
@@HappilyEverHanks Were new at this. Were hoping to travel to Calgary to see my son and to Nova Scotia to see my daughter. This is so much fun. I have already met some really nice people. This is the life.
That's so awesome to hear Tammy!! You got that right, this IS THE LIFE 🙌🏼We hope that we can continue to hear from you on other videos, much love from the Hanks family :)
Hello just started wtching yuor videos and drove about the same as you did and my Charlie was fine with walking around and sometimes lay or look out on my bed/bed pkat form from NH to Quartzsite, Arizona now it's just getting him used to going for walks ..oh and just sayin my lil dude didn't mind using the ct box and kept it cleaned and no problem
Great advice! We plan to travel with 2 cats and 2 dogs so we are a little scared. The cats will be no problem. The dogs are large dogs, german shepherd and husky and both have great bladder control so we should be good but we are worried about room for all the crates. We are looking at the rv's you can drive right now and obviously need some floor space for crates.
Hey Rebecca! So happy to hear that you will be traveling with your fur babies, are you guys going to be full time? Sorry to hear about the bladder control situation, that must be hard to handle at times. Beautiful dog breeds by the way, what are their names? 😃
I’m a hotshot driver and often take my Vizsla when I stop to walk them, I’ve put the water dish out for them to drink. They won’t drink unless their in the truck and I hold the bowl.
Awesome video! Ty! I'm definitely putting my cats in their own carrier during travel. For safety. & yes what if ur travel trailer unhitched somehow? At least my fur babies wouldn't die if it got smashed. They wud b with us in the truck. I think that is soooo imperative! God bless yall.
Thank you so much for your amazing support! We are so glad to hear that this video was of help to you 😊 We appreciate you taking the time to watch our videos, it means a lot to us ❤️
We had a Beagle who would get car sick every time we went anywhere & the Vet told us to get him some tryptophan chewable tablets and we never had a problem with him after that even driving from Denver to Detroit. When we had two cats, I would scoop the box out every day and people never even knew we had cats until they saw one of them! LoL
Hi I have not yet traveled with my cat in a RV but am thinking about doing that in the future,thank you for the great information. I use a safety harness when I travel with her in the car it has a small leash that you connect to the seat belt so she can sleep in her cat bed in the backseat. I know where she is and is perfectly safe if an accident would happens she will not get thrown around in the car. I use a brand called Trixie I can really recomend it Im sure that there are several other brands that also will work great for both cats and dogs.
We haven't done RV yet, but while driving long-distance in our car, one of our cats is very nervous and actually loves having his litter box open and available, not just so he can use it as needed (we still make frequent stops to allow time if needed) but also just to lay in or near for comfort
Great video When ihave to change litter boxes, iput some of their poop in it and they’ll go in the new one or the new spot with no trouble. One thing about our situation that differs from yours is that my guys are NOT easy to put into a carrier, they’re very stubborn. And they get very stressed every time I have to put them into carriers, so I only do it when necessary, like vet visits, moving, and the like. I do even leave the carriers open, and they love going in them when they’re on the floor not going anywhere, but they KNOW when I’m about to try to get them in to take them somewhere, and they’ll fight me over it. They’re great guys, but getting them into their carriers to travel somewhere is a nightmare. So I figure I’d have no choice but to keep them in the trailer. All advice will be heard.
Dexter is my favorite cat of all time. Thank you for this video!! You gave us so many helpful tips for traveling with pets! We have two small dogs hitting the road with us in about a month! 😍
I appreciate this so much. We have talked and discussed going full time, but we have a 12 year old Calico, and have been unsure what to do with her. She is a big part of our family. Thanks for sharing this video.
I used to have a Calico as well!! They are such beautiful cats 😻 we are so glad that we could help! Thank you so much for commenting and giving us kind words 😊
we travel with our 2 dogs and 1 cat in our Class A. Our dogs adapted well. Our cat Sonny we had to transition more. We did short trips and I used cat pheremone spray too. He has a fish shaped scratcher bed he can hide in. He has also claimed underneath the passenger seat as his seat and our dogs sit by the doggie window. He has learned to stay away from the slides. I check where he is before moving the slides and tell him to stay and he does. Boy I wish I had a spot like you do for the litter box, our class A is small and no space in our bathroom under the sink. I have to clean the tracked litter up ALL the time, even with the low tracking litter and walk off mats etc. Yes they do know you just cleaned up the floor.... We take all of our vaccine records with us too. We use a pet corral outside when we are parked long term and it works for keeping him and our dogs contained safely. We did a video on it. Great info guys
Memaw's Matters Awww hopefully Sonny is making a better transition now that he is more used to it. That is too cute, sounds like a great way to help get them accustomed to new environments. Yeah we really lucked out with the litter box placement side of things, he still makes quite the mess though 😸 we will have to come check your video out! Thank you so much for watching, we really appreciate the support ❤️😊👍🏼 much love from the Hanks family - Renee and Kyle
You two give the best advice! Hugs to Dexter. And if you ever want to visit Tombstone AZ and Bisbee. .. good breweries and tons of fun in the wild west
Thanks for sharing your traveling with a cat experiences and tips of what you do to make your cat happy, comfortable and safe. We have a small dog furbaby named Daisy. She is a kissy-lovebug. We also love cats, but don't have one now. Looking forward to more of your YT's and IG's.
As someone who well also be travelling with cats (2), I though, I wonder the hanks have done a video. You answered all my questions and wonders. Your years of experience is invaluable to me and you are my go to for all my questions. I am a year away from my adventure so the more I learn now, the better it will go 😀. Who better to learn from then those who have done it. Great idea on my number one question, Where do you put the litter box.
Thank you Nelson!!! We are ecstatic to have your support. We want to keep bringing you the best content 🙂🙌🏼 we are even more so excited to hear about all your upcoming adventures when that time comes! We appreciate all your comments Nelson, they helps us out so greatly and you always bring smiles to our faces 😊🙌🏼
We have two cats, Iggy and Alphie, Iggy is trained to roll over on command with just petting as reward. We use pine pellets as opposed to litter, waaayyy cheaper and no odor. We had custom FlexScreen built to go behind seats of our class A so that they can't get into cockpit or under our feet but still feel that they are there with us. Pine pellets used for horse bedding is about 1/10 the cost of cat litter and much cleaner with way less mess!
@@HappilyEverHanks Maggie researched the devil out of this and I thought she was nuts but pretty sure I am the one that’s nuts! If you need info, give her a shout at 931 607 1956
Thank you for these awesome videos! My wife & I are planning on starting travel nursing full time (in an RV) in three years & have a cat as well. All of your videos have been golden for us & we can’t wait to hit the road too. Oh yeah, like you two, we are best friends as well!
Hey Chad, it’s awesome to meet you guys!! So happy that you guys are going to hit the road as travel nurses :) what specialty do you both work in now? Dexter handled the transition to RV living fairly well. Hopefully it is smooth for y’all as well. I know not all cats are the same, but Dexter definitely feels comfortable with this way of life now! That’s awesome to hear about you guys, would be fantastic to see y’all on the road one day :) any thoughts on what kind of rig you would be interested in purchasing in the future? - Renee and Kyle
Libby is ER & I have one more year of school, but plan on doing ER as well. I had to retire from Fire & Rescue a few years ago after an injury. So, one year to finish school & two years of staff experience for me & away we go! It will definitely be a 5th wheel & most likely the Grand Design, we just aren’t sure of toy hauler or not. We currently have a smaller travel trailer, but it’s a little too small to full time in....no matter how much we love each other! 😁. We are going to start taking Dobby (our kitten) with us when we go camping so he will be a pro when we’re ready to full time If you take an assignment in the Fredericksburg VA area, let us know....we might be working together!
@@chadwilliams7571 That's awesome!! We really love the ER, it's our kind of jam. Renee and I are both paramedics as well back in Pennsylvania. I started off as an EMT, then nursing and finally medic. Really great that you did the Fire and Rescue. We never dove into the fire side of things, but major respect for what you guys do! LOL can totally agree with you guys there, we started off in a 27 foot travel trailer and finally upgraded after living in that bad boy for 2 years 😂You guys won't go wrong with Grand Design, they make really solid rigs. Both the travel trailer and fifth wheel have been Grand Design for us. A toy hauler would be sweet! Dobby is such a cool name! Harry Potter fans by chance?? We haven't gotten our VA license yet, but if we do we will be sure to hit you guys up! We are always moving around the country, so we will definitely be in the area eventually lol Are you guys going to have to upgrade your truck as well or are you all set there for the fifth wheel? - Kyle and Renee
@@HappilyEverHanks Paramedics?? People after my own heart! That was my “specialty” when I was in Fire & EMS. Yes, Dobby is from Harry Potter....we are a couple of total nerds! We have a Nissan Pathfinder that does well for our TT now, but I know we need more truck for anything bigger. While it may be overkill, we are going to go with a 4x4 diesel dually. Everything we have researched says that will be the best route, particularly when we will be moving around every 13 weeks. Stay safe & we will be watching for your next great adventure! Chad & Libby
@@chadwilliams7571 Awesome!! You guys are both in great company, we are a bunch of nerds here as well :) lol You totally won't go wrong with the diesel dually, that's a really good choice! Stay in touch and keep us updated with your adventures, we would love to hear from you guys! Stay safe Chad and Libby, catch ya guys later 😃🤙🏼- Kyle and Renee
I had two chihuahuas. They both insisted on laying in my lap while I drove. The female was prone to seizures. And she passed away shortly after I got her on medication. The male took to sleeping in her space after she passed away. He lasted for about a year and a half after she passed. If it wasn't for medical problems I would probably have gotten another small dog. I was making arrangements where I would park my RV outside the shelter. And work toward the adoption fee.
I have a class A motorhome and just let my girls (3 cats) roam free. At this point, we have only taken a couple of trips and they each have their spot to "hide" during driving time. Now, Brutus, my pitbull sits on the couch directly behind the captain's seat and watches everything. I have been trying to get him to get up in the co-pilot's chair, he just refuses to do so. Litter Box, I keep it in the bedroom with a special mat the collects the loose litter. I also put the cover on it so that they don't throw as much out onto the floor.
In a Class A motorhome, I would let our cat roam free as well. Probably makes the traveling easier. Adorable, my sister also has a pitbull named Brutus! Another great spot for the litterbox, they love throwing that cat litter around! Thanks for the comment 😃~Renee & Kyle
Excellent information guys! We have two cats that will be traveling with us when we hit the road. We're going to start acclimating them to both traveling and trailer life soon and you've given us some good pointers to get us started! Thumbs way up!
Oh that is SO exciting!! Yeah that will be really good for them if they start acclimating early! Keep us updated on how traveling with two cats goes! We are curious to see how it goes with them sharing a litter box. Has that every been a problem for you guys? We want to get Dexter a friend so badly! Thank you guys so much for the support, it means so much to us!! 😃
HappilyEverHanks they have shared a litter box since we got married. We have a litter box for each of them, but there doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to which each cat uses. They both use both. Though, it does seem they prefer to pee in one a dookie in the other. I’m sure we’ll have to be ever vigilante about cleaning their box.
@@HampyCampers Thats great to know! We didn't know if cats were a little more finicky when it comes to that stuff or not...sounds promising though! 😸Thanks for commenting, you guys rock!
Hello, its great to hear you are traveling with your cats. I also have 2 cats (Frankie a 17 pound Russian blue and Clemy a Occicat). Here is some ideals that may work for you and your family. We do travel with a hooded cat litter pan in the vehicle and I have found using Tidy Cat is the best litter for traveling..It will not produce as much dust as the other litters..For a traveling water bowl to use in the car, I use WaterBoy bowl. This is the best bowl I have found yet and it will not spill out no matter how you position the bowl.. Bring 1 bottle of clear Pedialyte, just in case your pet become really dehydrated on the trip. I usually start to put a little Pedialyte in their water about 3 days into the trip..This is a big one I use Feliway spray. I spray this in the vehicle 20 minutes before traveling. It smells like mint and it will calm your cat while you travel.
Wow this is fantastic information!! We honestly were just talking a few days ago about how much water we always spill in Dexters current bowl. We will immediately be checking this WaterBoy Bowl out!! Love the idea of the fresh spray too for the car! Thank you again for commenting and all the support ❤️ it means so much!
Hi guys! New to the channel, and also a newbie with the RV life.. just want to say first that I enjoy your videos! Thank you for the tip about the pets, I didn’t want to get a pet because I’m gone for at least 12 hours for my job with the commute included. and I don’t want to be cruel If had a dog but if I had a cat I figured It could take care of itself a little more? but still feel a little guilty. And I was wondering about where to put the cat litter. There are some good ideas here and appreciate the channel you guys are awesome!!! And your Beautimous cat!!🙌🏼
Thank you so much for your wonderful support!! We actually keep extra cat litter right next to his litter box 😊 we totally understand where you’re coming from, we hope to hear from you again soon!! Stay safe
When I had my RV fire back in January it was a classy RV and I let my cats run around and the RV caught on fire while I was in my friend's house and both of my cats got out somehow. They both smelled like smoke but they both got out and didn't have breathing problems or anything.
Thank you. We are planning but the fur babies make me nervous...they are opinionated. Your tips are very helpful. You are very loving and responsible parents.
Rynn!! Thank you so much for this wonderful comment ❤️ We wish you and your fur babies nothing but the best! Keep in touch, we would love to hear more from you on your journeys and how things progress! Much love from the Hanks family 😃 👋🏼
You mention the problem of scattered litter on the bathroom floor. Have you ever considered one of those systems with the "flow-thru" pellets. They capture liquid in a piddle pad underneath and keep solids on top. I think the middle pad is good up to a week and the pellets up to a month. Depending what brand you get, I think some dessicate solids as well. It eliminates having to scoop urine clumps and put them somewhere until you throw it out (not sure if you throw out solids or put them down the toilet). And you aren't storing and constantly replenishing from litter bags. They aren't cheap, but it's what we would do with our cats, if we were to take them on extended trips with us. Unfortunately it's not an option currently for us as our cats both hate the car and don't like each other enough to live in a 34 ft trailer.
Wow this is fantastic information, thank you so much! Yes, Dexter seems to really track litter throughout the bathroom floor. We have never heard of the flow-thru pellets, but this sounds like a great thing to look into. Even if it is a little more expensive, it probably is a piece of mind knowing that you don't have to clean as much from the clumps and such 😃We really appreciate your time and comment! Thank you - Kyle and Renee
@@HappilyEverHanks check out the Breeze system on Chewy. But dont use the pellets that comes with it. Too sharp!! I get horse pine pellets bedding at TSC 40lbs/$5.00 instead of Feline Pine 7lbs/$7.00. Buy XXL puppy pee pads - I cut 3 pads from one to fit in the ‘catch’ tray. Absolutely no smell!
I brought my cat from Oregon up to WA state in my van and he was walking around in the van while driving. But I think he got motion sick. Like really bad. I will never do that again. Now I am redo'ing a Class B 28' rv (on the inside) and will travel with 6 cats! egads!!! They will have their cages even driving a class c. I think they do best in a cage for travel and not let to roam even in a Class C.
Greaaaat video... As you know be a full timer is a dream and I do have a cat (jack) and a dog (Michael) and I’m very concerned about traveling with them. #ThankyouHanks
Hey Thais!! Love your fur baby names 😊👍🏼 They sound so awesome! We are so glad that the video was helpful, thank you so much for leaving some support and comments as always!! Have a great weekend and we will talk to you again soon!
I'm going to be traveling cross country indefinitely with my 14-year-old cat, Chin and 2-year-old little dog, Betty in a Grand Caravan towing a 6x10 cargo trailer partial conversion. The litter box fits on the floor of the front seat, but I'm wondering where to scoop the poop into Also want to teach her to be on a long tether attached to a fishing net weight with Betty to give them both protected freedom to play outside when we're stopped. Over the last few months, I've been getting Chin acclimated to a halter, which has been tricky because she has been able to get out of all but the latest one, same for Betty with her halters. They are Houdinis!. Thank you for all your well-done, entertaining and educational content!
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I've travelled with my cats for decades. I always put them in a carrier & seat belt it in inside my vehicle, currently a Class B. If a collision occurs or even hitting the brakes & doing a hard stop, anything loose becomes a projectile. I don't want my cat splattered on the inside of my windshield. Animals can be easily injured, broken legs, pelvis, back, crushed skull etc. The last thing I need in an emergency situation is to be grieving over my cat too. If they are in a carrier they are safe & easy to find. I had a rig catch on fire while I was driving & we simply grabbed the carrier & everyone got out safely. An animal in distress will hide. You don't want to be trying to drag your cat out from under the seat when your rig is on fire. Think about getting everyone out to safety as quickly as possible in any emergency situation.
Litterbox, I always leave some used litter in it when we first start out. The cat knows His/her scent & will find the litterbox. I put it in a sorta private place, the bathroom, in the garage at the back, etc. any place private & easily accessible.
I never put a collar on my cats. It's easily caught on a branch & will hang the cat. Remember, cats like to climb & hide. They can't get away from predators if their collar is caught on something. If you want to leash your cat get a chest harness.
Be aware, birds of prey, Falcons, Eagles, & cougars, Bears, Snakes, Coyotes, Wolves, etc, all enjoy a nice meal, & your cat is easy prey. If you suspect you're in a dangerous area for your cats, keep them inside. Cats adapt easily to inside living. If your cats are escape artists, leash or cage them. There are large cages available that collapse down & are ideal for letting your cats be outside & protected.
Protect your cats from direct sunlight. Their skin & eyes burn very easily from the intense UV. Keep them in a shady area with lots of water available. Cats drink a lot of water.
Tattoo your cat's ear or microchip them, this way they can be identified & returned to you if they get lost, & found by an honest person who will return it.
In the beginning cats can have a lot of anxiety about being in a vehicle. Keep the carrier close to you, throw in a T-shirt you've worn, so they can see & hear & smell you. When its safe, poke your fingers through the cat carrier holes & pet your cat. They'll relax after a bit & repeated trips, when they realize they aren't going to the vet!
Keep your cat's (pets) shots up to date & carry vaccination certificates with you. You may have to prove your animal has its current shots or it may get confiscated.
When you're around other campers cats & dogs like to socialize & visit, curl up & sleep, steal food, mark territory, etc in other peoples rigs. Some ppl don't appreciate this. You are responsible for your animals. Cats freely wandering outside will dig holes for "litterbox" use anyplace convenient. In the gardens, etc. To a cat, anywhere outside is a litterbox. If another camper has cats, its common for males to spray to mark territory. Again, some ppl don't appreciate this. Be prepared to deal with it. There are sprays available that have enzymes & biological medium in the formula to get rid of the smell after a few days. Clean up all visible urine &/or feces & spray with the bio spray. Good luck. :-)
Absolutely LOVE all of these tips that you wrote out in an amazing comment! Oh my goodness, thank you so much for taking the time to provide all of this wonderful information. You have so much experience! 😊
Dexter's hidden litter box is the coolest thing I have seen TODAY!!!
You guys should check out the tidy cats breeze litter box..game changer! It uses pellets, and then has grates where the pee goes through to a pee pad. There's absolutely no dust, the pellets are easier to clean up when the occasional pellet comes out. It's SO much cleaner than a typical litter box! Ok I'm nerding out lol. Check it out. You'll love it.
Pro tip: put an extra covering on your bed if you travel with pets in the trailer and allow access to the bedroom. They WILL get sick at some point and if the bed is a “comfort area” you’re likely to find a surprise. Even if it’s just a standard hairball it’s nice to just pull off the extra cover and be done
We always add an extra sheet to the top of the bed, our golden & basset like to snooze (they are 13 & 14) on the bed during the day when we are parked & this saves the bed from being a fur covered mess.
I have a neat little trick for the cat litter trail for you. Get one of those inexpensive cat scratch boxes and put it right below his box. He will step out onto it and it will trap so so much of that litter in his paws.
This is a super great idea Lorraine!! Thank you so much for this 😻 Keep these great tips coming!! You mean so much!
I think Dexter needs his own youtube channel. He's got big personality! :-)
Dexter has a way of stealing the show. You should see the Thanksgiving video we just released 😹😹😹
If a face could say it all...
@@HappilyEverHanks I’ll definitely watch his thanksgiving video!
@@lauram5518 ❤️😊
@@lauram5518 I apologize, it’s the Christmas decorating one that Dexter has a huge role in lol I got them confused 😄
😁 Many of the things in this video I can relate to. We had a pull-behind 23', no slides and kept the litter box next to the bed. We daily cleaned the box and had a carpet runner so she, (Mimi the cat), would clean her paws on. That worked fine for us as we traveled up north from Florida and also across the U.S. One scary evening when we visited the Grand Ol' Opry, we came out after the show and I saw the side screen had a big hole in it! I thought for sure someone broke in, but then Mimi came running up to us from underneath the pickup! Boy, we were so shocked, yet so relieved to see that she was ok. Two times I took her for short rides in the camper and each time she buried herself in the pillows and the head of the bed; so no more. We always let her free in the car, so that meant that we couldn't drive with the windows open. Going through a drive-through was always fun as she would always want to visit with the person in the window and see what's going on. When I would stop for gas, she would take that time to eat and use the litter box, which was behind the passenger seat. After about seven years she finally settled down while driving, but by the third day of driving she started to get cranky. She's gone now and this summer I'm heading up to Chicago to see my kids and grandkids, and my son's cat had kittens of which they're trying to fix me up with one. :) They're so cute, too. Take care of that precious critter! I look forward to seeing him on your vids, too.
We’ve been part timing with our 2 cats for a year so far. We’re in a semi truck for the time we’re not in the rv, working as truck drivers. Our cats are accustomed to being free while moving down the road, and we tried putting them in their carriers while in the pickup but they were NOT happy. So instead we tried them in the trailer for a small stint down the road, and they were sleeping together on our bed when we stopped! We’ve kept them in the trailer ever since, they’re just happier and much less stressed that way!
We have 6 cats and 2 dogs, been full timing 4 years. 3 of our cats joined us while traveling.
We have 40 lb size wire cages, one is used as a dog crate at night, we keep our extra blankets on top of the cages so the cats sleep up there when not traveling.
We never bring slides in until the animals are in the truck. We use 2 litter boxes, both in the closet floor. We tried other spots, this works best for us.
Hey Elizabeth!! You guys have quite the family ❤️Love this!! Nice work on full timing for 4 years as well!! We are so happy for you guys 😃Thank you for sharing your setup and how you make things work, it's really nice to read your comment! Keep these comments coming!! Best to you and your fur babies
We have always taken our 2 miniature dachshunds with us but now that I work remotely, we're hoping to spend a lot more time in our 5th wheel in the winters (my husband's downtime). We have 3 cats who miss us terribly when we're gone for the weekend so we definitely need to learn to travel with these babies too! If you can do it with 6, we can do it with 3!
He is the CUTEST
He misses you guys 😻
THAT IS HER HUSBAND!!!!
We are full time RV’ers and have been on the road for about 3-1/2 years now, traveling in a 40’ 5th wheel, with our almost 19 year old cat. The first couple of years we put him in a cat carrier much like yours, and he traveled in the back seat of our pickup when we traveled. The last year or so we have left him in the trailer, contained and isolated in the bedroom/bath area where his litter box, food, and water are located. He sleeps on our bed, in his bed (where he sleeps at night) and is now MUCH happier then he was in his carrier in the truck. When we stop and check on him, he is either still sound asleep, or gets up stretching after having been just woken up. 😆
He does not have access to the main portion of the trailer, and the bedroom/bath area is very secure with nothing that can fall or harm him. This method works much better for all of us, especially him, and makes him a much happier kitty! 😊
WOW 19 years old?! That's amazing 😻So nice to hear that he does better inside the trailer while traveling, maybe the smells and familiar environment really keep him at peace 😊What's your kitties name by the way?
Love this!! You guys seem like you have a great system figured out for him and are loving parents. Where do you guys keep the litter box at? Is it on the floor of the bathroom or did you find a better place for it?
@@HappilyEverHanks
His name is Simon, whom we’ve had since we got him at a shelter as a kitten.
Unfortunately his litter box is on the floor of the bathroom, but tucked out of the way, in it’s normal spot.
Our only concern about having him in the trailer would be overheating, which we monitor often. This hasn’t been an issue yet, and if it got too hot, we’d just pop him in the truck.
Great VLOG by the way guy’s, keep up the great work! 👍
P.s.
Simon looks just like an older version of your kitty. ;)
We’ll be taking our 3 felines full time in a fifth wheel another month or so. Definitely have some really comfy, roomy carriers for them that they already play and sleep in. They’re pretty good travelers now, but we plan on having short travel days (four hours). So right on about having them packed and in the truck before pulling in the slides. Use Feliway, Cat Crack and Valerian to help calm them. We are also building a portable catio to attach to a window. It IS all about the felines.
Oh this is awesome to hear!! It definitely helps with the short trips like you mentioned 😺Thank you for the suggestion! Will definitely look into this if Dexter becomes excited. He is so used to it now, he just sleeps the entire time which is good! You got that right, it's all about the felines! 😻
Keep us updated with how the building of the catio goes, we would LOVE to do this for Dexter one day!
How was it traveling with 3 cats? I have one and want to get another one and we are thinking about full time living in a 5th wheel.
We use pine bedding pellets from Tractor Supply. No smell (have had up to 5 cats), compostable. Dessicates cat's business really well, no scooping (unless you want to) just put it in a compoastable bag and dispose. Much cheaper as well.
Hey Cheryl! That's actually a great idea, love that you made the most out of it and still found a way to save money! It's great to meet you, we hope we can hear from you again soon! Cheers! - Kyle and Renee
We also use this- of Tractor Supply doesn’t have it- Lowe’s, Hone Depot, etc might too.
Your cat is very sweet - and seems easy compared to my two. Open the carrier and he walks in! Unheard of. I’m afraid to camp with my cats but your advice is all good. When I moved a long way, I had the two cats in the back of my Subaru in small dog cages - each cat has their own. I included a small litter box, food and water (shallow amount in a very small hanging dish) but they never touched any of it! They waited all day until we stopped at a hotel. So obviously they are able to go a few hours at a time before breaks. My camper is small, but I like all your ideas. Thanks so much.
In the carrier is a great idea when traveling. There's another UA-cam RV channel I watch were they let their cats have "free range roaming" of the truck when traveling. One of the cats always climbs on the headrest of the drivers seat when the driver stops for fuel and gets out of the truck. A few months back, the cat did this as always and the driver closed the door of the truck ON the tail of the cat, because he didn't know the cat's tail was out the door while she was on the headrest. The cat attacked his head. They had to go to the ER for an expensive "repair bill" and get his head fixed up (staples even, not just stitches!)
That is a story! Wow! We just feel better knowing he has his space. Don't want him getting scared and running out the door! Or attacking our heads. Thanks for sharing 😃 ~Renee & Kyle
I can’t believe he still has Carl the monkey! ❤️ can’t wait to see more videos
Tia Hanks he loves that monkey!! Best gift ever 😆
We lost one of our fur babies ( still mourning) just by turning our heads for a minute, so thanks you for the info!
Mango is still looking around for her sister...it's very sad :(
Oh my goodness… we are so sorry to hear this 😔😔 We are thinking about you guys in your time of loss. So sad 😞
I have to admit... When I found you guys, I was at the beginning of autistic burnout, and I couldn't give myself permission to do this... I need to slow down, I need to follow my passions and aspirations... I am doing what I can to get that RV as soon as possible. I'm a creative person I can turn my crafty and creative skills into semi passive income. I'm nervous, but I know now that's just my brain... I CAN do this!
When we traveled between Florida and Michigan with our cats, we recommend a cage. Roaming free was stressful.
Yes! We have found that Dexter really appreciates the cage, he likes a safe environment feeling 😻 Thank you for sharing Heather! Talk again soon
That is THE most chill kitty ever! 😻
Dex man is definitely a chill guy 😻 Much love to you Lorraine!!
Loved it when you said the RV style bought was for the cat, I totally agree - that's why I bought my current house.
Love 💕 how you guys take care of Dexter! ♥️. We do that with our cat, Duke. Duke gets a spoonful of Cool Whip every day …what a treat! He actually goes to the refrigerator and meows when he is having his cravings. 😹.
Awww that’s adorable!! 😻 Duke sounds like he is well taken care of too ❤️
Got a love our fur babies, they always know when it’s feeding time 😹 Love reading this message Jolene!!
My cat loves butter...
🔴What are some of your best tips when it comes to traveling with your furry loved ones?? Do you travel with dogs, cats or both? - Kyle and Renee
Whenever we travel it's with our Yorkies. They love to travel. It's harder to travel with our birds especially the big ones so we usually have a sitter for them.
Just a Single 2 year old Catahoula nowadays!
Yes we have a chihuahua! He never sleeps. Doesn't whine and enjoys looking out the window?
I travel with both my cat and my dog. I also got a Tile sticker to allow me to track my babies. It also plays an audible sound so it makes it easier to locate my cat when he’s hiding. I also use Waggle to track temperature in the rig and it also has a Geo fence
I have a few videos on my channel. I just started traveling with Dexter. He's great. A couple problems. I tried a kennel but, it wasn't for us. I have a small car. I let him cruise around as he pleases. Lots of areas for him to be comfy.
Hi to you folks. You guys are the greatest. My wife Pamela and I traveled with our cat Sammie for about two years. when we first got him, we introduced him to small dog harness. We tied a thirty-foot rope to it and a two-foot 2X4 to the other end. He would then wander our back yard. But, he would never go too far from home. After we moved into our 5th wheel, he still love the freedom. Of course, we never left him unattended. That was about twenty years ago. We would love to be full timers again, but, old age and poor health have limited that.
Best regards, and happy trails, George and Pamela
I'm not a cat person, but a 16 hour bladder... that's impressive.
#BingeHanks
Yes, Dexter does a great job but we never make him wait that long! Thanks for watching!
Ok, so I've been binge watching your videos and I'm getting ready to add y'all on Facebook!! You guys are great!!...."we do people pills...." 🤣🤣
😂 Thank you!! We are doing our best to keep it light and fun when making our videos! It is all worth it when we have the support that you are giving us!! We will be waiting for ya on Facebook! We have some funny footage on there that we just released ❤️
It’s me again! 😉
Awe….look at those Baby faces!
Very excited to find a play list in order!
I’m binging today!
Were in the acclamation phase for Sampson, our orange Maine Coon. We've slept in the camper with him several times, and it took about 3-4 times for him to find his place and sleep all night. We just bought a larger wire cage, which we've just left sitting on the LR floor, open, and he just automatically went right in. We then bought a soft sleeping mat for it...we've watched him sleep for hours in the cage on the mat. Haven't closed the cage or made it to the truck yet. We'll see if all we've done to prepare him has made a difference! Thanks for your channel!
Nice!! Sampson is doing well so far! Cats can be so picky
We too travel with our cat, Luna and your tips are spot on in our opinion. We did accidentally leave her in the TT once for about 5 minutes. When we realized what happened, we immediately stopped and "rescued" her. Man, we felt awful! Thankfully nothing bad happened, but she was very happy to see us when we opened that door.
Luna! What a great name! We are going to be on the lookout for her cameo in your videos 😻Yeah traveling with cats doesn't always come naturally, but after awhile I think they adapt well to the lifestyle! Glad to hear Luna is safe and sound, Dexter likes to keep us on our toes at times as well 😄Thank you for sharing you guys!!
Trying to watch oldest to newest. I would like to curl up with my favorite blankets too!
Let the binge begin…🇿🇦✌🏻
Thank you. Love the litter box location idea.
Love that there are different products available to ensure temperature in the rig is safe; we have a Govee. ~ Brad and Diana
We are going to check out this Govee! Yes we love that we have some piece of mind while we are out and about! Thank you guys for commenting 😃👍🏼
I decided to binge watch you guys from the beginning. lol. I just watched a video of a woman who killed a raccoon with her slide. It snuck in as she was closing it. I'll never leave my pet in there while closing them after seeing that ! And we just upgraded our rv because our dog was to big for the one we had so I understand keeping the cat in mind when upgrading. lol
Awww this is amazing 🤗❤️ Thank you for taking the time to watch our old videos!
Oh my goodness!!! That is horrible, I guess you can never be too careful
What kind of RV did y’all upgrade to?
Great first video guys! 👏🏻 We gotta find some time 🕰 to get away from creating stuff for our channel so we can binge YOURS!!! 🙌🏻
Awww thank you guys!! We had such a fun time filming this one with Dexter 😹Don't know if he would say the same though lol You guys rock for your support, much love ✌🏼- Renee and Kyle
We aren’t on the road yet BUT I wanted to give some people on here some advice about cat litter. We use pine horse pellet bedding you can buy at Tractor Supply Co. A 40lb bag is about $5. The pine bedding takes ALL stink out of the litter. Think of it like a composting toilet for your cat. It’s amazing. It’s the only thing I’ll ever use.
I change the litter completely every 1-2 weeks and just keep the extra pine bedding in a covered plastic tote so it’s easy to get to.
If you are wanting to transition over to this litter, I recommend putting a little bit in your current cat litter then working up to using only the pine bedding SLOWLY.
Another option is toilet training your cat but that didn’t work out for me 😅
Thank you for the video guys!! We love your channel over here ❤
293 subscribers! Rocking it guys!
Thanks man!!
Love this!! And Dexter is great!! 😍
Dexter LOVES soaking up the attention, until that attention because tangible and someone walks through the door lol Thank you so much!! 😻
Oh my must confess we were full timers back in 2000 with our 5 th wheel. We were newbies and our cat stayed in RV while we were traveling. She would crawl under our bedspread and sleep and apparently the bedding served as a seat belt for her. She seemed fine with it. She preferred the RV to being in the truck? Go figure!
Hey how about that! That’s nice that it worked well for you guys 😀 Thank you so much for sharing Pamela! It’s great to hear from you!!
Dexter is adorable!
We take our Jack Russell terrier Daisy with us every time. She is a great traveling dog in our Class C. We keep her leash handy so we can take her for quick walks when we stop so she can "let 'er rip" too 😆
What an adorable name 😊 she sounds like a great travel companion!! Yes! Everyone needs to “Let Er Rip!!” LOL 😂
@@HappilyEverHanks thank you! Our older daughter named her when she was 4 - she did a great job! We have been toying with the idea of bringing our cat Rocky with us on a trip. He looks a lot like Dexter only with white paws and a white mustache 😆
Aww Rocky sounds like such a cool cat 😻That is so stinking cute!! Love this!! Tell Rocky that Dexter says hi!
@ChrisDavis1
2 minutes ago
We currently are living in our RV with 5 dogs. Get's a tad crowded (we have a couple videos up and more to come). Love your channel Hanks! We watch every Thursday for sure! Thanks and keep the videos coming!
Thank you so much for your amazing support! We wish you guys the best and we can't wait to hear from you again soon 😊 - Kyle and Renee
@@HappilyEverHanks Thank you much! Hope to see ya'll out there on the road sometime!
Ococat litter. No more bad smells. Biodegradable. Safe for your black tank. Leaves your RV smelling like cedar and 1/2 the price of regular cat litter.
Is that right? That’s incredible, thank you for the suggestion! We will check it out
We just started camping with our two big black kitties. We bought a 2011 37ft Laredo. Our kitties love looking out the windows. Were building them a cat condo. There loving it.
That is so awesome to hear Tammy!! Congrats to you guys!! We hope that we can meet up with ya'll on the road one day soon 😃
@@HappilyEverHanks Were new at this. Were hoping to travel to Calgary to see my son and to Nova Scotia to see my daughter. This is so much fun. I have already met some really nice people. This is the life.
That's so awesome to hear Tammy!! You got that right, this IS THE LIFE 🙌🏼We hope that we can continue to hear from you on other videos, much love from the Hanks family :)
Hello just started wtching yuor videos and drove about the same as you did and my Charlie was fine with walking around and sometimes lay or look out on my bed/bed pkat form from NH to Quartzsite, Arizona now it's just getting him used to going for walks ..oh and just sayin my lil dude didn't mind using the ct box and kept it cleaned and no problem
Great advice! We plan to travel with 2 cats and 2 dogs so we are a little scared. The cats will be no problem. The dogs are large dogs, german shepherd and husky and both have great bladder control so we should be good but we are worried about room for all the crates. We are looking at the rv's you can drive right now and obviously need some floor space for crates.
Hey Rebecca! So happy to hear that you will be traveling with your fur babies, are you guys going to be full time? Sorry to hear about the bladder control situation, that must be hard to handle at times.
Beautiful dog breeds by the way, what are their names? 😃
I’m a hotshot driver and often take my Vizsla when I stop to walk them, I’ve put the water dish out for them to drink. They won’t drink unless their in the truck and I hold the bowl.
Amazing video!!! I love your humor! 😂😂❤❤❤
Thank you for your wonderful support!
Awesome video! Ty! I'm definitely putting my cats in their own carrier during travel. For safety. & yes what if ur travel trailer unhitched somehow? At least my fur babies wouldn't die if it got smashed. They wud b with us in the truck. I think that is soooo imperative! God bless yall.
Thank you so much for your amazing support! We are so glad to hear that this video was of help to you 😊 We appreciate you taking the time to watch our videos, it means a lot to us ❤️
Found the Playlist to start from the beginning, let's goooooooo
Love this!!! We are so happy you are able to go back and watch our older content 🙂👍🏼 It’s quite a journey! Cheers Heather!!
We had a Beagle who would get car sick every time we went anywhere & the Vet told us to get him some tryptophan chewable tablets and we never had a problem with him after that even driving from Denver to Detroit. When we had two cats, I would scoop the box out every day and people never even knew we had cats until they saw one of them! LoL
Oh wow! That is great information, thank you so much for sharing! Glad the fur babies do well!
Hi I have not yet traveled with my cat in a RV but am thinking about doing that in the future,thank you for the great information. I use a safety harness when I travel with her in the car it has a small leash that you connect to the seat belt so she can sleep in her cat bed in the backseat. I know where she is and is perfectly safe if an accident would happens she will not get thrown around in the car. I use a brand called Trixie I can really recomend it Im sure that there are several other brands that also will work great for both cats and dogs.
We haven't done RV yet, but while driving long-distance in our car, one of our cats is very nervous and actually loves having his litter box open and available, not just so he can use it as needed (we still make frequent stops to allow time if needed) but also just to lay in or near for comfort
We're still in the acclimation stage with our cats but you've definitely given us some tips! Thanks for sharing!
Absolutely can relate with you, thank you for watching and providing feedback! Your support is great!
Great video
When ihave to change litter boxes, iput some of their poop in it and they’ll go in the new one or the new spot with no trouble.
One thing about our situation that differs from yours is that my guys are NOT easy to put into a carrier, they’re very stubborn.
And they get very stressed every time I have to put them into carriers, so I only do it when necessary, like vet visits, moving, and the like.
I do even leave the carriers open, and they love going in them when they’re on the floor not going anywhere, but they KNOW when I’m about to try to get them in to take them somewhere, and they’ll fight me over it. They’re great guys, but getting them into their carriers to travel somewhere is a nightmare.
So I figure I’d have no choice but to keep them in the trailer.
All advice will be heard.
Thanks for sharing, a lot of people handle the situation differently!
Covering the carrier sides can help with motion sickness.
Great point Annette!! Thank you for sharing this 😃
Dexter is my favorite cat of all time. Thank you for this video!! You gave us so many helpful tips for traveling with pets! We have two small dogs hitting the road with us in about a month! 😍
I appreciate this so much. We have talked and discussed going full time, but we have a 12 year old Calico, and have been unsure what to do with her. She is a big part of our family. Thanks for sharing this video.
I used to have a Calico as well!! They are such beautiful cats 😻 we are so glad that we could help! Thank you so much for commenting and giving us kind words 😊
we travel with our 2 dogs and 1 cat in our Class A. Our dogs adapted well. Our cat Sonny we had to transition more. We did short trips and I used cat pheremone spray too. He has a fish shaped scratcher bed he can hide in. He has also claimed underneath the passenger seat as his seat and our dogs sit by the doggie window. He has learned to stay away from the slides. I check where he is before moving the slides and tell him to stay and he does. Boy I wish I had a spot like you do for the litter box, our class A is small and no space in our bathroom under the sink. I have to clean the tracked litter up ALL the time, even with the low tracking litter and walk off mats etc. Yes they do know you just cleaned up the floor.... We take all of our vaccine records with us too. We use a pet corral outside when we are parked long term and it works for keeping him and our dogs contained safely. We did a video on it. Great info guys
Memaw's Matters Awww hopefully Sonny is making a better transition now that he is more used to it. That is too cute, sounds like a great way to help get them accustomed to new environments. Yeah we really lucked out with the litter box placement side of things, he still makes quite the mess though 😸 we will have to come check your video out! Thank you so much for watching, we really appreciate the support ❤️😊👍🏼 much love from the Hanks family - Renee and Kyle
Great cat travel tips! Super fun video, take care!
Thank you! We had a lot of fun shooting this episode 😸 Happy trails to you!!
Just bought my first pop-up camper. Very excited to hit the road. Thanks for all the wonderful advice....😊
That's awesome, Scott! Congrats and safe travels!
Yes, we have our cat in the Skoolies with us!
Love this!! 😻
Great video. Stick with it. One day you might have over 50k subscribers 😉
Lol we might be there someday 😄 Thank you for watching our old content, this is very cool of you!! Talk again soon
This video gave us the courage we needed to go full time and take our cat with us. Thanks Hanks
Absolutely!! We are so happy to hear this 🤗 Much love
You two give the best advice! Hugs to Dexter. And if you ever want to visit Tombstone AZ and Bisbee. .. good breweries and tons of fun in the wild west
Thanks for sharing your traveling with a cat experiences and tips of what you do to make your cat happy, comfortable and safe. We have a small dog furbaby named Daisy. She is a kissy-lovebug. We also love cats, but don't have one now. Looking forward to more of your YT's and IG's.
I left questions on another of your posts. This answered them all and more. Thank you for your answers. God bless you three
As someone who well also be travelling with cats (2), I though, I wonder the hanks have done a video. You answered all my questions and wonders. Your years of experience is invaluable to me and you are my go to for all my questions. I am a year away from my adventure so the more I learn now, the better it will go 😀. Who better to learn from then those who have done it. Great idea on my number one question, Where do you put the litter box.
Thank you Nelson!!! We are ecstatic to have your support. We want to keep bringing you the best content 🙂🙌🏼 we are even more so excited to hear about all your upcoming adventures when that time comes!
We appreciate all your comments Nelson, they helps us out so greatly and you always bring smiles to our faces 😊🙌🏼
Dexter riding in the trailer could be "catastrophic" and if he were injured he might need a "catscan"!
🤣
Dexter is awesome, thanks for the information guys!
He is such a stinker for sure! We love the little guy :) thank you so much for stopping by! - Renee and Kyle
Thank you for good info- we are going for the first time with our 11 month old cat. I hope all goes well
We love y’all, Hanks!!!
Love you guys! And Dexter rocks.
We have two cats, Iggy and Alphie, Iggy is trained to roll over on command with just petting as reward. We use pine pellets as opposed to litter, waaayyy cheaper and no odor. We had custom FlexScreen built to go behind seats of our class A so that they can't get into cockpit or under our feet but still feel that they are there with us. Pine pellets used for horse bedding is about 1/10 the cost of cat litter and much cleaner with way less mess!
Love hearing this! We had no idea that this was an option, we will be sure to look into this 😃🙌🏼 Thank you so much Jim!!
@@HappilyEverHanks Maggie researched the devil out of this and I thought she was nuts but pretty sure I am the one that’s nuts! If you need info, give her a shout at 931 607 1956
Thank you for these awesome videos! My wife & I are planning on starting travel nursing full time (in an RV) in three years & have a cat as well. All of your videos have been golden for us & we can’t wait to hit the road too. Oh yeah, like you two, we are best friends as well!
Hey Chad, it’s awesome to meet you guys!! So happy that you guys are going to hit the road as travel nurses :) what specialty do you both work in now?
Dexter handled the transition to RV living fairly well. Hopefully it is smooth for y’all as well. I know not all cats are the same, but Dexter definitely feels comfortable with this way of life now!
That’s awesome to hear about you guys, would be fantastic to see y’all on the road one day :) any thoughts on what kind of rig you would be interested in purchasing in the future? - Renee and Kyle
Libby is ER & I have one more year of school, but plan on doing ER as well. I had to retire from Fire & Rescue a few years ago after an injury. So, one year to finish school & two years of staff experience for me & away we go! It will definitely be a 5th wheel & most likely the Grand Design, we just aren’t sure of toy hauler or not. We currently have a smaller travel trailer, but it’s a little too small to full time in....no matter how much we love each other! 😁. We are going to start taking Dobby (our kitten) with us when we go camping so he will be a pro when we’re ready to full time
If you take an assignment in the Fredericksburg VA area, let us know....we might be working together!
@@chadwilliams7571 That's awesome!! We really love the ER, it's our kind of jam. Renee and I are both paramedics as well back in Pennsylvania. I started off as an EMT, then nursing and finally medic. Really great that you did the Fire and Rescue. We never dove into the fire side of things, but major respect for what you guys do!
LOL can totally agree with you guys there, we started off in a 27 foot travel trailer and finally upgraded after living in that bad boy for 2 years 😂You guys won't go wrong with Grand Design, they make really solid rigs. Both the travel trailer and fifth wheel have been Grand Design for us. A toy hauler would be sweet!
Dobby is such a cool name! Harry Potter fans by chance??
We haven't gotten our VA license yet, but if we do we will be sure to hit you guys up! We are always moving around the country, so we will definitely be in the area eventually lol
Are you guys going to have to upgrade your truck as well or are you all set there for the fifth wheel? - Kyle and Renee
@@HappilyEverHanks Paramedics?? People after my own heart! That was my “specialty” when I was in Fire & EMS. Yes, Dobby is from Harry Potter....we are a couple of total nerds! We have a Nissan Pathfinder that does well for our TT now, but I know we need more truck for anything bigger. While it may be overkill, we are going to go with a 4x4 diesel dually. Everything we have researched says that will be the best route, particularly when we will be moving around every 13 weeks. Stay safe & we will be watching for your next great adventure! Chad & Libby
@@chadwilliams7571 Awesome!! You guys are both in great company, we are a bunch of nerds here as well :) lol
You totally won't go wrong with the diesel dually, that's a really good choice!
Stay in touch and keep us updated with your adventures, we would love to hear from you guys! Stay safe Chad and Libby, catch ya guys later 😃🤙🏼- Kyle and Renee
Thanks, great information.
I had two chihuahuas. They both insisted on laying in my lap while I drove. The female was prone to seizures. And she passed away shortly after I got her on medication. The male took to sleeping in her space after she passed away. He lasted for about a year and a half after she passed. If it wasn't for medical problems I would probably have gotten another small dog. I was making arrangements where I would park my RV outside the shelter. And work toward the adoption fee.
I have a class A motorhome and just let my girls (3 cats) roam free. At this point, we have only taken a couple of trips and they each have their spot to "hide" during driving time. Now, Brutus, my pitbull sits on the couch directly behind the captain's seat and watches everything. I have been trying to get him to get up in the co-pilot's chair, he just refuses to do so. Litter Box, I keep it in the bedroom with a special mat the collects the loose litter. I also put the cover on it so that they don't throw as much out onto the floor.
In a Class A motorhome, I would let our cat roam free as well. Probably makes the traveling easier. Adorable, my sister also has a pitbull named Brutus! Another great spot for the litterbox, they love throwing that cat litter around! Thanks for the comment 😃~Renee & Kyle
Excellent information guys! We have two cats that will be traveling with us when we hit the road. We're going to start acclimating them to both traveling and trailer life soon and you've given us some good pointers to get us started! Thumbs way up!
Oh that is SO exciting!! Yeah that will be really good for them if they start acclimating early! Keep us updated on how traveling with two cats goes! We are curious to see how it goes with them sharing a litter box. Has that every been a problem for you guys? We want to get Dexter a friend so badly! Thank you guys so much for the support, it means so much to us!! 😃
HappilyEverHanks they have shared a litter box since we got married. We have a litter box for each of them, but there doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to which each cat uses. They both use both. Though, it does seem they prefer to pee in one a dookie in the other. I’m sure we’ll have to be ever vigilante about cleaning their box.
@@HampyCampers Thats great to know! We didn't know if cats were a little more finicky when it comes to that stuff or not...sounds promising though! 😸Thanks for commenting, you guys rock!
Hello, its great to hear you are traveling with your cats. I also have 2 cats (Frankie a 17 pound Russian blue and Clemy a Occicat). Here is some ideals that may work for you and your family. We do travel with a hooded cat litter pan in the vehicle and I have found using Tidy Cat is the best litter for traveling..It will not produce as much dust as the other litters..For a traveling water bowl to use in the car, I use WaterBoy bowl. This is the best bowl I have found yet and it will not spill out no matter how you position the bowl.. Bring 1 bottle of clear Pedialyte, just in case your pet become really dehydrated on the trip. I usually start to put a little Pedialyte in their water about 3 days into the trip..This is a big one I use Feliway spray. I spray this in the vehicle 20 minutes before traveling. It smells like mint and it will calm your cat while you travel.
Wow this is fantastic information!! We honestly were just talking a few days ago about how much water we always spill in Dexters current bowl. We will immediately be checking this WaterBoy Bowl out!! Love the idea of the fresh spray too for the car! Thank you again for commenting and all the support ❤️ it means so much!
Hi guys! New to the channel, and also a newbie with the RV life.. just want to say first that I enjoy your videos! Thank you for the tip about the pets, I didn’t want to get a pet because I’m gone for at least 12 hours for my job with the commute included. and I don’t want to be cruel If had a dog but if I had a cat I figured It could take care of itself a little more? but still feel a little guilty. And I was wondering about where to put the cat litter. There are some good ideas here and appreciate the channel you guys are awesome!!! And your Beautimous cat!!🙌🏼
Thank you so much for your wonderful support!! We actually keep extra cat litter right next to his litter box 😊 we totally understand where you’re coming from, we hope to hear from you again soon!! Stay safe
Awww love Dexter 🥰🥰
Thanks you 😻 he is a cutie for sure!!
Excellent advice. We will be pulling our 5th wheel with a dog and cat so great info. Love the watcher comments too. Very helpful #thankshanks
Thanks so much!
My cats use the toilet (thank you, Litter Kwitter!!) and they move easily from the camper to the hotel to the house and back again!
When I had my RV fire back in January it was a classy RV and I let my cats run around and the RV caught on fire while I was in my friend's house and both of my cats got out somehow. They both smelled like smoke but they both got out and didn't have breathing problems or anything.
I'm so surprised how well Dexter travels with you. Our small dog travels well. He doesn't sleep.
We are too, Dexter can be finicky at times...once he gets in the groove though he is a lot better 😊
Thank you. We are planning but the fur babies make me nervous...they are opinionated. Your tips are very helpful. You are very loving and responsible parents.
Rynn!! Thank you so much for this wonderful comment ❤️ We wish you and your fur babies nothing but the best! Keep in touch, we would love to hear more from you on your journeys and how things progress! Much love from the Hanks family 😃 👋🏼
You mention the problem of scattered litter on the bathroom floor. Have you ever considered one of those systems with the "flow-thru" pellets. They capture liquid in a piddle pad underneath and keep solids on top. I think the middle pad is good up to a week and the pellets up to a month. Depending what brand you get, I think some dessicate solids as well. It eliminates having to scoop urine clumps and put them somewhere until you throw it out (not sure if you throw out solids or put them down the toilet). And you aren't storing and constantly replenishing from litter bags. They aren't cheap, but it's what we would do with our cats, if we were to take them on extended trips with us. Unfortunately it's not an option currently for us as our cats both hate the car and don't like each other enough to live in a 34 ft trailer.
Wow this is fantastic information, thank you so much! Yes, Dexter seems to really track litter throughout the bathroom floor. We have never heard of the flow-thru pellets, but this sounds like a great thing to look into. Even if it is a little more expensive, it probably is a piece of mind knowing that you don't have to clean as much from the clumps and such 😃We really appreciate your time and comment! Thank you - Kyle and Renee
@@HappilyEverHanks check out the Breeze system on Chewy. But dont use the pellets that comes with it. Too sharp!! I get horse pine pellets bedding at TSC 40lbs/$5.00 instead of Feline Pine 7lbs/$7.00. Buy XXL puppy pee pads - I cut 3 pads from one to fit in the ‘catch’ tray. Absolutely no smell!
And No tracking through the trailer except for a pellet or two!
I brought my cat from Oregon up to WA state in my van and he was walking around in the van while driving. But I think he got motion sick. Like really bad. I will never do that again. Now I am redo'ing a Class B 28' rv (on the inside) and will travel with 6 cats! egads!!! They will have their cages even driving a class c. I think they do best in a cage for travel and not let to roam even in a Class C.
When is Dexter getting his star of the Hollywood Walk of Fame?!?!?
Soon, they are currently in the process of setting it all up 😹🙌🏼
awesome info!!! thanks for sharing.
Yay!! Thank you so much 😊👍🏼 We are so happy that this was valuable! Talk to you again soon, have a wonderful week ❤️
Greaaaat video... As you know be a full timer is a dream and I do have a cat (jack) and a dog (Michael) and I’m very concerned about traveling with them. #ThankyouHanks
Hey Thais!! Love your fur baby names 😊👍🏼 They sound so awesome! We are so glad that the video was helpful, thank you so much for leaving some support and comments as always!! Have a great weekend and we will talk to you again soon!
Awe. My boy's name is Dexter too. He looks similar. Blue seal point. He has Beautiful Blue eyes.
Oh how awesome!! Love this :) Thank you for watching!!
Loving the videos.
Thank you Charles!! We really enjoy hearing from you 😃
Woo hoo! Great informative video guys!
Thank you!
Thank you for the advice. Rvs have tons of storage, we can definitely utilize the bottom storages for the cats. Love this video!
Thank you for taking the time to comment, love hearing that you are also traveling with your fur babies 😻
@@HappilyEverHanks 👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾🥰
This is great!! Thank you so much!!
Absolutely Donna!! Thank you for your wonderful support 😃🙌🏼
I'm going to be traveling cross country indefinitely with my 14-year-old cat, Chin and 2-year-old little dog, Betty in a Grand Caravan towing a 6x10 cargo trailer partial conversion. The litter box fits on the floor of the front seat, but I'm wondering where to scoop the poop into Also want to teach her to be on a long tether attached to a fishing net weight with Betty to give them both protected freedom to play outside when we're stopped. Over the last few months, I've been getting Chin acclimated to a halter, which has been tricky because she has been able to get out of all but the latest one, same for Betty with her halters. They are Houdinis!. Thank you for all your well-done, entertaining and educational content!
I always wondered about the temperature issue. Thanks for sharing.
Hey Teresa! So glad this was helpful 🙂Thank you for the comment, it's great to meet you. Hope to talk to you more soon, cheers! - Kyle and Renee
I watched a few other videos on this topic and yours was the best.
Hey Amber! Thank you so much for the awesome feedback, we are happy to meet you. We hope we can hear from you again soon, cheers!! - Kyle and Renee