I know this isn't really RV related but you might find yourself in the position at some point in the future and I've discovered there is not enough information on the internet about this.
Traveling with a cat in your car isn't as hard as it seems. Basic rule of thumb to remember is that cats are fast and they can fit most anywhere, because of this I don't advice letting your cat run free in the car unless you want to fight them to get them out from under seat or from inside your dashboard. I've been there and it's not pretty. You also don't want to leave them in a cat carrier for to long because they need to move and they need to potty and unless they are leash trained then this presents a problem.
I have moved a long distance with a cat a few times and it doesn't have to be hard to do. I've tried it three different ways and the last two worked out great.
The first time was 300 miles and it was in a cat carrier. My poor cat wasn't happy and couldn't move and then peed in the kennel so I had to let it out and then it got in the dash followed by getting lodged under the seat. This was not good.
The second time was almost 330 miles. In this trip I put the cat in a large dog kennel (cocker spaniel size). Inside the kennel I put a plastic box for a litter pan (don't overfill or you will be cleaning your car) and in the other half of the kennel I put blankets for the cat to snuggle in. The only problem with this method was the cat cried most of the way and turned over the litter pan trying to dig her way out of the kennel.
On the next move (350 miles) I got a little smarter and wiser. On this trip I used two small dog kennels (chihuahua size). What I did was remove the doors of both dog kennels which isn't hard. You just bend the wire and later you can do the same to put them back on. Then I faced both kennels towards each other and zip tied them together. When you think you have it secure wiggle it around and add some more because the cat will be looking and fighting to find a way out. Next you need to put in the food bowls that come with the kennel and I recommend if you can zip tying them to the walls of the kennel or at some point during your trip the cats going to knock them off. Next I put plastic wrap about 1/4 the way up the side of the kennel that would house the litter pan encase of spills.
Once this is dine then go ahead and put a blanket or towel in one of the kennels that you will be using for the trip. In the other side put a small litter pan. I used one of the small square plastic boxes that they give you when you stay in the hospital but they sale these also at the store. I don't recommend cardboard because of urine and smell.
Then I put the kennels with the top hatched open in the floor a week before my trip and put snacks inside for my cat to find. It took her a few days but she was finally going inside and getting the snacks and taking naps. Make sure you put the snacks both in the floor of the kennel and the food bowls on the wall of the kennel so they get used to going there for food.
On the night before my move I only gave my cat a small amount of food so her stomach didn't get upset the next day because of nerves. Then the morning of the move I put her and the kennel in the bathroom with only a nightlight while we unloaded the rest of the house so that she would remain calm. That morning I also made sure I put her food inside the kennel and once again it was only a small amount. I also put litter from her regular litter box inside the litter pan in the kennel so it would have her smell.
When it came time for use to leave I went in the bathroom and closed the door. Then I sat on the floor awhile and loved on her. Once she was calm I put her favorite snack inside the kennel hoping she would go in but she was to smart so instead it was a fight but I got her in. Then I covered the kennels with a dark thin blanket. The blanket is so that she can't see and will remain calmer because if at all possible you don't want to over stress you cat that is already going through a lot of stress anyway.
While traveling we put the kennels in the back seat and for the first few hours we kept them covered and after a while all went quiet and out cat went to sleep. Then we stopped for the dogs to take a potty break and checked on the cat and gave her a little more food and water. This upset her a little because she wanted out but she could walk between the cages and had a litter pan so she was fine. We also made sure to give her one of her favorite toys when we stopped but I don't recommend catnip because it over stimulates the cat while the poor thing is caged.
During the next part of the trip the cat got very vocal and I lifted just one side of the blanket so she could see out the window and at first she liked it but later I had to but the blanket back down because it was more calming for her.
That night we got to tired and had to stop for a nap. So we took the dogs for another walk and uncovered the cats cage because we didn't want her in total dark for too long. She got a little vocal then before going to sleep I covered her cage just a little over the top to give her a little dark.
We slept only an hour or two then we were off again but this morning I left one kennel uncovered and left the litter box side covered because she likes privacy when pottying. She got a little loud when we started out but then quieted down. When he were 10 minutes out from our destination I think she could read our vibes because she got extremely loud.
Once we got to our stopping point we didn't immediately let her out of the kennel. Instead she was put in a quiet place and given a little more food (still not a lot do to stress) but we left the cage uncovered so that she could see and smell everything. Then when we had everything unloaded and the RV had calmed down we opened the kennel but still didn't take her out. We just made sure that the kennel was by her litter box and near her food bowls.
Then when she was ready she got out and hid for two days. Then punished us for a few more by not letting us touch her. I have to say the last move worked out the best and if I ever have to do it again I will do it this way but with different kennels because now when she sees the kennels she runs and hides. My cat does not like to go outside or to travel but this is most likely because she is a rescue cat and was taken to the local pet store everyday for weeks and spent all day in cages before we rescued her.
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