4 Must-Haves for RVing with Cats
We have been living full-time in our motorhome for almost 2 years with our two cats Nacho and Tinkerbell, who are almost 7.5 years old. It was definitely a transition for them (for all of us) to the motorhome. They don’t love the motorhome when it is moving, but when we are stationary they are happy and fall back into their usual routine. These four must-haves make RV living with cats easier for pet parents and more enriching for the cats. Don’t have time to read this now? Pin it for later! We only recommend products we love and your support means a lot to us! This post contains affiliate links and if you make a purchase after clicking on our links we will receive compensation at no additional cost to you.
4 Must-Have for RVing with Cats
Four must-haves for RVing with cats:
Automatic Litter Box
Scratching Post
Slow Feeder with Cat Treats
Automatic Feeder
Automatic Litter Box
Our Litter-Robot automatic litter box was a game-changer. We never have to scoop a litter box again and the litter box is always clean for the next cat! This litter box is definitely an investment at around $450, but it is one of the few things that we will always have from now on.
I didn’t always think that though. We had ours prior to moving into our motorhome (we have had it for almost four years now), and I was not looking forward to moving it into the motorhome. It is big and bulky so there was nowhere we could fit it easily except in the living room. When we moved into our motorhome I figured once we got the cats settled we would switch back to a traditional litter box that could be tucked away under the sink.
It didn’t take me long to realize that we were never going to switch. There is no way I am going back to a traditional litter box! I don’t care if this litter box has to be in our living room. This litter box is essential if you are living in an RV. When you are living in such a small space it is even more important to always have a clean litter box to keep the smell minimized and if you have multiple cats how are you going to have multiple litter boxes in an RV? An automatic litter box is a solution. We have two cats and still only need one litter box since it is self-maintaining. We can leave the RV and not worry about the litter box getting dirty and a strong smell when we get back.
Twice a week we have to change out the bag and add a few cups of fresh litter. That is it! This Dr. Elsey's Premium Clumping Cat Litter from Amazon is the best. We recently tried the Scoop Away Clumping Cat Litter from Costco since it is not always easy for us to order from Amazon when we are on the road and we hate it. The Scoop Away litter has finer grains and gets stuck in the cat’s paws then goes everywhere! Never again. We are going back to the good stuff.
You order the bags aka waste drawer liners directly from Litter-Robot. If you can, it is best to order 100 bags at a time as it is cheaper per bag, more convenient and 100 bags doesn’t take up that much space. Plus if you’re on the road, having to manage fewer shipments is better.
Use this affiliate link to receive $25 off your first purchase at Litter-Robot.com. You and your cat will love it! I know the price tag seems steep and yes, it is a big investment, but afterward, you’ll wonder how you ever managed without it. If ours died today we would 100% buy a new one. We would love the WiFi-Enabled version because you can receive a push notification when the drawer is full. One of the downsides of this litter box needing such little attention is sometimes we forget to change the bag.
Scratching Post
Nacho on the Cat Scratching Post
When we lived in our house the cats always loved playing on and scratching their cat trees. I knew when we moved into the RV we needed to get them something new since the cat trees were not going to fit. We purchased this Frisco 33.5 inch Cat Scratching Post from Chewy.com and they absolutely love it.
Nacho sits on it (as shown in the picture) most of the day when he is not sleeping and Tinkerbell is always scratching it. I really like how tall this scratching post is at 33.5 inches. When I ordered it, I thought we were getting a much smaller one and didn’t realize how tall it was going to be so I was surprised when it arrived. However, it’s turned out great and I love that it gives the cats a chance to get up high which they love.
Slow Feeder with Cat Treats
Nacho getting treats out of the slow feeder
Moving from a house to an RV means the cats have less room to play. We are always looking for ways to keep them entertained. We also want them to have to work for their treats. Our solution was to purchase this Dog Bowl Slow Feeder from Amazon. We put some Feline GREENIES Natural Dental Care Cat Treats, also purchased from Amazon, into the bowl and the cats have to get the treats out with the added bonus of the treats cleaning their teeth. For other Slow Feeder, options check out these from Amazon.
Both of the cats love treats, what cat doesn’t, so both are always excited when I put treats in the slow feeder. I love watching them try to get the treats out especially when they don’t get one so instead they lick their paw. Do they lick their paw because it tastes like treats or are they trying to get better traction on the treats? We will never know.
If you are interested in other toys and treats for your cat, Litterbox.com, the same company that makes the Litter-Robot now has a monthly subscription cat box that includes toys and premium products. New customers can save $10 with our affiliate link for Litterbox.com.
Automatic Feeder
Even though we were using a measuring cup to feed the cats, and only feeding them three times a day both of the cats were gaining weight. Then after daylight savings time, Nacho started standing on me, while I was sleeping, at 6 am crying for food and I was not having that! We decided it was time to switch to an automatic feeder. After reading reviews on Amazon we decided on this WOpet Pet Feeder. We are very happy with this feeder.
Nacho no longer bothers me in the morning as he and Tinkerbell have learned that we don’t feed them the feeder does. Consistency is good for cats, especially for Nacho who tends to get stressed out if he is hungry or doesn’t know when he is going to get fed next, and this feeder is consistent unlike us even when we try our best. So no matter if we have a long day of driving or a short day of driving if we got up early or went for a sunset hike the cats are feed on a schedule. Both cats know when the feeder is going to go off and typically are standing around it waiting.
Tinkerbell comes running when the automatic feeder goes off
In addition to consistency, we have control over their food portions. You can configure four different feeding times and set the amount for each meal. We are very slowly decreasing their food portions one meal at a time and hopefully, over time they will lose a little bit of weight.
You have the option of recording a message to announce meal time but we choose not to, so there is a little sound you hear instead that is the default message. We opted to not record a message because when I am sleeping the last thing I want to hear is myself telling the cats it is meal time.
Like cats? Take a look at our Cats articles. What are we doing next? Don’t miss an article, subscribe today.
