Where to put kitty's litterbox?

[B_and_D]

There were some threads here a while back (but I can't find them now) asking where to put the litterbox. After spending a couple of weeks with our old cat (she's limited to the floor, can't get up onto anything anymore), and having her constantly underfoot (imagine 4 people and a cat in a 2720), I decided that the best place for her kitty area would be somewhere where she could kind of "hole up" and have her own little space.

We removed the existing panel from under the door side of the bench seat of our 2720, bought a 1/4 " 2' x 4' oak panel, and cut a hole in it for kitty to get in and out of the area under the seat. There is plenty of room for her litterbox under there, and also enough room for her to have her own bed space. We'll eventually stain it and add a door on hinges. Taking the existing panel off was quite a chore because I wanted to keep it intact in case we wanted to put the original panel back on, what with the glue and all. We'll see how she likes it on our next trip.

Thanks for your post. We too have an older, very spoiled, ,Calico. We have been debating where to put her box if we take her with us. Haven't done that yet. Your solution is ideal. thanks.

[B_and_D]

Last night I put a plastic liner around the area where the box will go, "just in case".

I think your Elder kitty is very lucky to have such a caring and dedicated staff (Dogs have owners, cat's have staff). I'm sure she will appreciate this latest improvement that you have made to HER TrailManor.

[fcatwo]

No longer having a cat, we made two cut outs like that on each side, used the cut out plywood pieces and oak picture frames to make doors, added appropriately sized pull-out plastic boxes (WalMart I think) and greatly improved the usefulness of that space. I'm sure we weren't the first to do this but some may not have thought of it. A little alteration and reinforcing of the framing under the seats with 1X2's was necessary but nothing beyoud the capabilities of the avarage handy-man/woman.

Sorry but no pictures. My wife is our photographer and she hasn't accepted digital as her savior yet.

I did something similar, but I used the bottom shelf of the under-bed cabinet that is found on the 27 and 30 floorplans. I removed the existing door and used it as a template to trace a new door on a piece of scrap plywood. I removed the hinges and handle of the original door to use with the new one.

Next, I cut a square hole in the bottom of the new door, just large enough to let my cat walk through. I then covered the new door with scrap carpeting (attached by staple-gun on the back side). I sliced the carpeting to make a flap over the kitty door and then attached the whole works to the cabinet using the original hinges. I did not use the handle, but I could have.

Inside of the cabinet I placed a litter pan made out of two deep 9 x 13 disposable lasagna pans stacked together because a standard litter pan would have been too wide. Now my cat has a secluded litter pan, a "hidey-hole," and a scratching post. We continue to use the upper shelf of that cabinet to store anything but food.

We started with the door flap tacked up to make the opening more obvious. Now that the cat is used to the setup, I am going to let the door flap down because this cat is pretty zealous when he buries things and he has managed to throw some litter out the door.

My cat accepted his new digs quite readily and he uses the carpeting often for scratching. We only had to sacrifice one shelf, and everything can be easily put back to normal if we sell the TM.

B and D, you setup looks great, especially because you can use the type of litter pan your cat is used to (mine will go anywhere he finds litter, and for this I am truly thankful), but I am wondering if she will freak out when the furnace comes on. Our dog hates the furnace and won't go anywhere near it when it is running. My cat doesn't seem to care, though, so yours may be just fine with it.

[B_and_D]

Kitty likes the little hole we made for her. As you can see, she's a very happy camper.

We'd like to bring our himalayan Jonah camping w/us after we pick up a new Elkmont 26 in a few weeks. Any advice from this group of cat lovers would be much appreciated.

Originally Posted by Displace

We'd like to bring our Himalayan Jonah camping w/us after we pick up a new Oakmont 26 in a few weeks. Any advice from this group of cat lovers would be much appreciated.

My 8-year old gray tabby loves the TM and camping, has ever since she was old enough to go. I would much rather have her with me than be boarded somewhere or have neighbors feed her while I am gone.

I don't sleep in the back bedding area so I make that her room putting her food/water and cat pan there along with a couple places to kick back and enjoy the view out the windows. I also use that area to keep stuff out of the way while in camp. I lay down large towels to keep cat litter and food off the cushions.

She has camped with me ever since she was a kitten. When I start getting stuff ready for a trip, she will go sit inside her cat carrier waiting to hit the road. She just loves it and having her around puts a nice finishing touch on making my TM my home away from home.

I really like the idea of utilizing the under seat storage area for when she gets to old to jump up to the rear bed, fantastic idea. Cats love places like that too. As it is now, I keep a small white plastic step stool on the floor at the back bed which she uses to get a boost in making the jump up to the rear bed area. However I can definitely see the day when that leap will be too high.

As for advice on cats and RVing, the only things that come to mind is watching the cupboard doors and the cat while they are open. My cat went exploring in the bathroom cabinet under the sink when I left the door opened, she managed to get way inside between the kitchen and bathroom cabinets and could have got stuck in the wiring and things way back in there. It took some effort to get her out.

Another more serious consideration is the heat inside the RV if you leave the cat alone. One Jeep trip I had was two days and one night. My cat was alone for about 2-days and one night and the daytime temps were in the high 90s. So I left the AC on with low fan speed but I also left two windows at the back bed area partially opened with the roof vent fan on low, so if the power went out, at least there was airflow at the windows easily accessible by the cat with cross flow air. And for as long as the batteries lasted the roof fan would help to move air through the RV. I also let an RV park employee know I would be gone and there was a cat in my RV should anything happen.

IF you have never tried RVing with your cat then most likely your RV will "feel" strange to them and some cats don't handle "strange" too well. A big warning in that case is DON'T let them out of the RV. Cats go into survival mode when feeling completely out of their element and they can be very unpredictable. For example, a good rule of thumb is after moving into a new house with your cat is to leave them locked in a room (or somewhere secure but comfortable) for about two weeks. Otherwise many cats will run away if they get out of the house in trying to find "Home". You don't want that situtation when camping in an RV park. If you are like many people who camp with their cats, your cat will find your new RV as their second home, if not righ a way, after giving them a little time.

Some ideas in helping your cat settle in might include brining along familiar things that usually make them happy or comfortable. For example I bring this brush that is always a big hit on a daily basis when my cat gets brushed. I can always break any bad mood or perceived concern by getting that brush out and suddenly life if good to her. Also I bring her favorite pillow, it goes in the cat carrier and then inside the RV, I suppose it's like her security blanket :O) Then just anything else you can think of that will help to provide familiar sights and smells. Cat's pretty much take care of themselves if they have food/water and a cat pan. One probably obious note about the cat pan, once you pick a spot to put it, it's best to always put it in the same place to make sure the cat doesn't get confused and "go" where it used to be.

All in all I found the TM is very cat friendly, there's lots of fun places to hang out and check out the new outside world and all the new critters.

I sincerely hope RVing works out for you and your cat. Have fun taking the "whole family" for quality time in your RV, you just can't beat it!

The best place to put a litter box is outside.............along with the cat!