RV Life With Pets: What Traveling With Cats Has Really Been Like

 When people imagine RV life, they usually picture open roads, changing views, campfires, and freedom. What they don’t always picture—at least not right away—is cats. Three of them. With opinions. And routines. And very specific food preferences.

But for us, RV life with pets isn’t an add-on or an inconvenience. It’s just… life. And traveling with cats—Ellie, Abby, and Miss Fred—has taught us more than we ever expected about routine, flexibility, patience, and comfort on the road.

Our Cats Live Like They’re in a “Stick House”

Because we’re stationed in one spot for a while, our RV cats live much like they would in a traditional house. They play with toys, nap in sunbeams, stare dramatically out the windows, and cause just enough trouble in the middle of the night to remind us they’re fully in charge.

If you’re picturing chaos 24/7, it’s actually the opposite. Most days are calm, cozy, and predictable. The girls have their favorite sleeping spots, their favorite toys, and their favorite times to demand attention. RV life hasn’t made them restless—it’s made them adaptable.

Daily Routines (Yes, Cats Love Them)

If there’s one thing cats thrive on, it’s routine. And honestly, RV life has forced us into one whether we meant to or not.

Our biggest daily routines are simple:

• Feeding times

• Brushing

• Playtime (to avoid boredom and weight gain)

Miss Fred, especially, requires consistency. Because of the trauma and health issues she experienced before joining our family, food has always been a challenge. We’ve tried countless brands—dry, wet, expensive, budget, specialty—you name it. The only thing that doesn’t make her sick is Blue Buffalo dry and wet food.

And even then, there are rules.

Her wet food must be mixed with hot water and mushed into a very smooth puree. Room temperature will do in a pinch, but hot? That’s when she truly devours it. Spoiled? Absolutely. Necessary? Also yes. It’s the only way she keeps her meals down, and we wouldn’t change it for the world.

Game Nights, Toys, and Cat Chaos

Game night in an RV looks a little different when you have cats. Cards become toys. Boards become beds. Pieces mysteriously disappear. And when a game involves matching funny faces, well… the cats assume it’s about them.

Santa was very generous this Christmas and brought a lot of RV-friendly cat toys. We haven’t given them out yet, though. We’re saving them for after the new RV remodel. Once there’s more room to play, climb, and explore, those toys will feel brand new all over again.

You can get your own HERE

Sleeping Arrangements Change With the Seasons

Winter is our favorite season with the girls. All three sleep with us, every night. It’s warm, comforting, and honestly one of the best parts of cold weather RV living.

Summer is a different story. When it’s warm, only the two younger girls sleep with us. Ellie usually finds a cooler spot elsewhere. The tradeoff? More nighttime activity. More zoomies. More late-night cat conversations. Less sleep for us humans.

Would we trade it? Not a chance.

Exercise Matters (Especially for Indoor Cats)

RV cats are indoor cats, which means exercise is essential. Indoor cats can gain weight quickly, and we’re not shy about admitting that Ellie is our “fat hen.” She wears the title proudly.

We make a point to play with the girls daily—laser toys, chasing games, interactive toys—anything to keep them moving and engaged. It’s not just about weight; it’s about mental stimulation and happiness.

Planning Ahead: The Reality of Vet Costs on the Road

If there’s one tip we give to anyone considering RVing with pets, it’s this:

Have an emergency fund.

We recommend at least $2,000 per pet, set aside and untouched unless absolutely necessary. Vet care on the road is available, but it’s expensive, and emergencies don’t wait until you’re back home. That fund brings peace of mind you can’t put a price on.

Change Is Coming—and So Is Excitement

Right now, routines are a little off. We’re packing, planning, and preparing for a busy season ahead as we remodel the new RV. We’re even outsourcing help to speed things along so everyone—humans and cats—can get back to comfortable living sooner.

One of the biggest things we’re excited about is reimagining the windows. Our girls love windows. Bird-watching, people-watching, nap-taking—windows are prime real estate. Figuring out how that will look in the new RV is something we’re genuinely excited about.

Final Thoughts

RV life with cats isn’t about perfection. It’s about listening, adapting, and creating comfort wherever you park. Our cats don’t care if their home has wheels—they care that they’re safe, fed, loved, and included.

Ellie, Abby, and Miss Fred have proven that with the right mindset, routines, and preparation, cats don’t just survive RV life—they thrive in it.

And honestly? We wouldn’t want to do this journey any other way.

Was It Wise to Travel with Two Cat in Our RV?

 Was It Wise to Travel with Two Cat in Our RV?

I'm not going to hesitate to answer this at all. YES, and for so many reasons. But let's introduce you to who they are...

Meet Ellie she is our QUEEN BEE 5 year OLD

Ellie,

When I got sick "ER". We had made a decision to keep me home to fight my health battles by resting as much as I could back when we lived in Spokane, Wa. Mark suggested we get a kitten to keep me company. And so we did. She was so attached to me especially, when I was at my worst. When I was having a good day, she was all about her hooman daddy, but when I was having treatments or just being super sick, she wouldn't leave my side. Mark was even able to gage my days. So when Ellie became attached, he was on high alert making sure my needs were being met. 

It took here 3 weeks to get comfortable with her new surroundings.

Ellie and why her name is Ellie. During our time in Spokane, Wa we owned and operated a cleaning company. And, (MY) very first client Sarah and her wonderful family had two dogs. Ellie and Abby, (I'm sure by now your figuring out the story-line, but let me continue for the sake of perhaps one day forgetting or my other half having to live his life without me here on earth, could reflect on this memory). Ellie our client's dog had passed on and so the name became even more meaningful to us. 

Ellis is such an independent cat. She's not afraid of anything. When we lived in Oldtown, Idaho we lived on land and had an open range of wild animals. They all loved her, it was weird. The deer and turkey seriously hung out with her. 

What you don't see is the 16 other deer nearby. Every day we also had
about 18-24 deer that came by for the nightly dinner given to from our
awesome neighbor (we miss him greatly).

We had Smokey (I don't want to talk about her, I still cry about her)... I am looking for a kitten that is gray just like my beautiful  girl to completely fulfill our family. 

Isn't she beautiful - she was 100% ferrell (she the clip on her ear)
we were shocked that she became a lovie dovie cat.

Shy... But loved her station all to herself. 

And now for our BABY BRAT, Abby

Little Abby with Smokey who was such an accepting cat. 
She Mothered Abby like her own. 

Abby: 

She is the epitome of a SPOILED BRAT... Abby is a comical cat to every degree... And we blame Sarah (MY) first client lol. It's because of her, that we even have Abby. One day Sarah contacted me asking for help looking for some female kittens (she wanted 3 of them for her 3 boys). And so the search went on. We found Abby from the side of the road sign saying "FREE KITTENS" - and if you ever saw the true fashion of what a hillbilly house would look like - well, it was worse... I was more than happy to take the last female from the scary box. The lady was super nice and told us that she was the first to climb out of the box and completely acted differently from the others. There were 6 females and no one wanted our Abby.  

We took Abby to our training center office we had at the time to keep her there because we didn't want to cause issues with our two cats. That lasted a couple of days. We took her home. It wasn't long when Sarah said she was going to take 3 females from a relative litter if they were 3 females. Mark said NAME HER!! So I seriously put a lot of thought into it. And my favorite dog in the whole wide world just happens to be Sarah dog Abby. I knew her health was going and prayed she would hold on to the end of our stay in Idaho. Man I cried for a week, when I got the news. Abby was just so fitting and my way of keeping Abby in my memory. 

Abby has been a blessing to us, in every way. She's had a taste for the outdoor life and now we had to force her and Ellie into an indoor RV cat only. That was hard but amazingly, they have done so well. I bribe them with a new toy OFTEN and we have had subscribers send them presents, (which has been cool) and the girls love them but Abby is our major toy player of the family - she even fetches.

Her beautiful harness was a gift from one of our subscribers,
 Carolynn from Spirit Lake, Idaho

It's FREE entertainment and such therapy after long days.

 

As far as the expenses go. We hope to grow their instagram account to where enough is being made to help with their medical and food cost. We found vet bills to be through the roof. I don't want to talk about that. But if you decide to go on the road as RV fulltimers, make sure you budget $1000 emergency fund per pet. 

Amazon gift cards online can be sent to megonerving@gmail.com in honor of the girls and I'll always post about gifts given to Abby and Ellie 

So things to think about when traveling with cats is 

• Budget per pet - we recommend a $1000 per pet to cover surgeries if needed
• Vaccination records (we lost Ellies and completely freaked out about it
• We opt to have harnesses on our cats just in case they got out - that way people knew upon site that they were pets. And it would be easier for us to find them by their bright colors. 
• We don't feed them on the mornings of travel days. And I refuse to drive more than 3 hours at a time for them. They do so well, they nap and they ride in the car with me.
• We do have a kitty first aid kit - however I need to update and add some items - I keep everything in a fishing box (I have one for us too)
• I am always changing out their blankets for them, they love new stuff and it keeps them calm - they are such blanket cats. And of course Abby with her toys, (they never get bored because of that).
• I always keep their food storage bin full to the top in case we hit hard times. You just never know.
• Research cat litter and DON'T go cheap. That's a part of the budget we have no choice about. 

Why don't we have a dog? We are too active and feel it wouldn't be fair to a dog. Since being a RV Park camp host here at Holiday Hills RV Park in Coalville, Utah nope, nope, nope way too much barking for my liking. That's where cats are so much easier. We have decided we are more cat people than dog people. We love dogs but taking care of our girls brings us such great joy. 

Yep even Ellie has her rare moments - she's mostly a serious cat so
we stop and watch when she gets goofy.

Keep sending those toys, she loves them. Thank you subscriber, Jodi 
for sending this. Abby playing within a minute of taking this out
of the package.

They love their cat window perch. BEST thing we purchased for 
our girls. The view at this location was beautiful.

This was on travel day. We drove 3 hours and then we brought them
back into the rv where they are surrounded by their home to keep them calm between 
driving breaks.  

Like we said Abby is a weird cat. We are NOT kidding.
She fits like a glove in our home.

Abby with all of her energy is extremely lovable to us.
But she is VERY afraid of other humans. 

They are both so very loved!! We always want the best for them.
Taking on a 3rd cat will just add more adventure for the girls. 

Amazon gift cards online can be sent to megonerving@gmail.com in honor of the girls and I'll always post about gifts given to Abby and Ellie 

One day we hope a company will sponsor a product for them to test it out. They certainly will give it a whirl. We hope that you think about getting a cat for your traveling adventures. They are awesome about keeping mice away and eating flies when they sneak in the rv. On cold nights they nestle up to keep them warm but end up warming us. They take the stress out of life a little bit more and they are everything to us.