How Often Should You Move Your Adventure Rig When You Have a Cat?

I hit the ground running when it came to RV living and life on the road. For my first three days, we traveled from Atlanta to Vegas. This meant long car rides and long hours of me being in the carrier.

Once we got settled, missus moved much less often while I got used to the RV. I had barely settled in when we started moving once or twice every week for the whole summer. So, how often is too often for your cat?

Check in With Mister Whiskers

Whether you’ve had your future adventure cat for two weeks or 20 years, you know what an anxious cat is like. It manifests in many different ways, but you know what it is when you spot it: hiding, meowing, shaking, irritability, etc.

Give your cat some time to get used to the new, smaller home before making constant moving a habit. My missus moved the RV every 30 days when we started. I was very anxious and didn’t see the RV as my home. Now, I can’t imagine life without it!

TIP: Give Mister Whiskers the time he needs to adjust. You'll know when your cat is comfortable. Depending on your kitty, Mister Whiskers might come out of hiding, be less easily startled, and want to see outside the windows.

Gradually Escalate Moving Time

Start off as slow as you possibly can and then gradually increase it. We traveled slowly for seven months before speeding it up to get to Wyoming from California. But, we probably could have started sooner if missus hadn’t been so in love with Joshua Tree!

If you can’t stand the idea of sitting still for so long, then review last week’s post on the best travel setup. You might need a travel trailer, like the one my missus has. She was able to adventure with her truck and tent, even while I stayed put at the RV park.

TIP: Maintain a flexible travel schedule in the beginning. This will make it easier to travel faster or more slowly as your cat adjusts to life on the road. One way to maintain this is to avoid committing to any destinations.

Check in With Your Wallet

My missus is the one who gives financial advice to travelers—not me. But, I’ve seen a lot of humans on Instagram complaining about overshooting their budget, because they refuse to stay put for very long.

Even if you find ways to camp for free, the more you move and the further you travel, the higher the cost. This comes in the form of not just gas prices, but mileage-based maintenance on your vehicle and general wear and tear. So, budget accordingly.

TIP: Create a gas budget when you first start traveling and then make note of how quickly you burn through it. If you have very little wiggle room in your finances, this can set your parameters on how far and how fast you can travel each month.

Final Meowzings

Sometimes, you have no say in your moving schedule or you just can’t stay put. If this is the case, there are a few things you can do to speed up Mister Whisker’s adjustment period and give both of you some peace of mind on the road. We’ll discuss that and more soon.

Next time, we'll talk about the litterbox stink and how to get it under control. You can thank me later!

Want to give me a treat? I’m taking tips for catnip and tuna! 😺