Tips for Camping with Your Cat

A few weeks ago, Evan and I decided we were long overdue for a camping trip together. Because he'd been in school for so long, our schedules just hadn't been matching up, so he'd never even been camping with Koa! And to make it a true family camping trip, we decided to bring Dylan (the girl cat).



We've had Dylan since February, and since then have been prepping her for adventure, so we weren't going from 0 to 100, but it was still a bit of a leap: the longest car ride she's been on so far, and the first time she's spent the night away from home since we've had her. But we are getting ready to move back to Northern California at the end of the month, so a short trip also seemed like a good way to have her test the waters of travel before taking a 6+ hour drive and moving to an entirely new place.

The night before the trip, we called her in and shut the doggy door so she couldn't go for a midnight adventure. In the morning we made sure to keep the door closed as well, and tried to make sure she didn't sneak out when either of us left the house, because we knew it was entirely possible that if she left the house she wouldn't be back for a while, which would ruin our schedule. And true to form, she somehow made a sneaky exit, and once we were packed and ready to go she was nowhere to be found. We biked around the neighborhood for a bit but didn't see her and eventually decided to have lunch and wait it out, because we would rather make a late start than go without her. Around 3pm, she casually sauntered in and the adventure began.

The hardest part for her, I'd say, was the drive there. She's ridden in the truck before but it was quite hot, so I had to offer her lot's of water and she even let me wet her head and body to keep her cool. When we first got out of the truck, a crow called loudly and Dylan puffed up her tail, looking around wide eyed, but she soon got comfortable on a rock and began to play with the tree branches and scope out the squirrels. Once we put up the tent, she walked confidently over to it and, when I unzipped it, she hopped right in. Overall, she had a great time. She got to climb trees, "help" us break up wood, poop in the wild (we picked it up, of course) and she went for her longest hike yet. We were so thrilled that she enjoyed herself, and are brainstorming some backpack modifications to make her hiking more pleasant for the next trip. If you are considering taking your cat camping, here are some tips for you:

Before Camping

Before heading out on a camping trip, make sure your cat is familiar and comfortable with the necessary equipment. You will need to:

1. Make sure your cat is comfortable wearing a harness.
2. Make sure your cat is comfortable on a leash.
3. Figure out your preferred system for hiking/walking. Some cats will walk like dogs alongside you, but Dylan is too slow and curious, so we keep her up on our shoulders or perched on the pack for most hiking.
4. Make sure your cat is used to riding in the car.
5. Make sure your cat is comfortable in new environments and outdoors. I recommend exploring a park and/or going on a short hike.

Things to Bring

1. A harness and leash.
2. A long leash — this was awesome to have as we were able to tether Dylan to a tree in the campsite and allow her to explore and climb at her leisure.
3. A safe space like a cat carrier. We made Dylan's carrier available to her in the car so she could choose to retreat inside if she felt overwhelmed, which she did at certain intervals. We also brought it out to the site when we first arrived so she could hide and feel safe if she was nervous. Finally, we kept it in the tent, and she chose to sleep in it. In fact at the end of a long evening of exploring she walked right to the tent door, hopped in when I opened it, and curled up in her carrier to rest.
4. Potty supplies. If your cat is only used to going to the bathroom in a litter box you may need to bring one. Dylan enjoys pooping in the open air, so we just brought extra poop bags to clean up after her.
5. Ample food, water, and dishes for each. Also, treats are good to have for positively reinforcing good behavior. I treat Dylan frequently when hiking so she is reinforced for staying stationary on the pack.