ArboursAbroad contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. If you purchase using one of the affiliated links, we may receive compensation at no extra cost to you. See our Disclosure Policy for more information.
Who knew we would have a van life cat with us roaming on the road.
When Georgie broke into our home, we had no idea how much we would fall in love with her. She’s the sweetest thing, and we couldn’t imagine not including her in our van conversion/life on the road. I imagine if you’re reading this post you’re the same way with your furry animal.
It may be intimidating to think of traveling in a van with a cat. But it’s really not all too bad. In fact, cats are super adaptable and they make great heaters in the van for those super cold nights and frigid mornings! 😉 Adding a few things to your van conversion will help make life on the road easier for both you and your kitty!
Here’s a look at what we did to make Georgie the most comfortable in the van.
Van Life Cat in Our Van Conversion
Scratch Pad (made from scraps around the house)
Water and Food Dish (recycled yogurt containers)
Cat Hideout (we cut a hole into under bed storage for entrance)
Light Up Collar (the best for when she’s outside at night)
Harness and Collar (for when she needs to be on a leash)
A Closer Look At Our Van Life With a Cat Buildout
Scratch Pad (made from scraps around the house) | find yours here
Did you know that scratch pads not only help maintain healthy claws for cats, but they also are a stress reliever? If you don’t include a scratch pad into your build, you’ll likely find your cat scratching at your nice wood buildout or the front seats. We custom-built our scratch pad to fit our van and add some texture and coziness to the van wall, however, you don’t have to go that route.
In all reality, you could snag a scratch pad like this and throw it in the van, and your cat will be set.
We will say, don’t be alarmed if your cat scratches on something other than the scratchpad. Cats have a mind of their own, and honestly do whatever they want. So you’ll have to train them to use the scratch pad if they instead start scratching elsewhere. A little spray of water when Georgie scratches on something she’s not supposed to usually does the trick!
Water and Food Dish (recycled yogurt containers) | find real ones here
Obviously, you need to have a food and water dish for your van life cat, but the important part is having a space created for them to eat. When you’re on the road and moving all the time, you want to feed your cat inside the van, so they know that’s where home is and where they can rely on food and water. This helps when you let them off the leash, knowing they will come back.
We use recycled yogurt containers that came with lids as Georgie’s food and water dish. It’s a simple way to reduce plastic waste, and they work pretty well as they’re big but shallow. We will say, we had to replace the water dish after opening and closing it too many times, as it now leaks.
And before you think you’ll just use what you use at home, trust us when we say you want both a food and water dish that has a lid. This allows your cat’s food and water to be easily closed when you have to drive just down the road, and then easy to reopen when you want to leave your cat in the car for a few hours.
Don’t want to use recycled containers? Check out these cat dishes with lids.
Cat Hideout | check current prices here
If you’ve already started your van build and can’t find a way to include a cat hideout in the design, don’t fret. This portable cat hideout will work great. You want a place where you’re cat can feel 100% comfortable and safe inside the van.
Again, this helps your cat to come back to the van when you let your cat off the leash at a campsite and something spooks them. If they know they have a safe hiding spot, they’ll go straight to it.
When we first got on the road, Georgie would ride in her little cat hole. She wasn’t used to the sounds of the cars passing by and the sound of the road. (Don’t worry, she’s since begun sitting where she can watch out the window!) She’s also used her cat hole when we had to replace our tires, or got an oil change, and any time we park and others approach the van to chat, she jumps right into her hole.
Again, if you can’t swing building a cat hole into your van design, just a safe space like this, that’s always set up in the van would do just fine!
Light Up Collar (the best for when she’s outside at night) | grab one here
A light up collar is a straight game changer. When we first hit the road, we didn’t have a light-up collar for Georgie, and every time she would be exploring the campsite at night, we’d either follow her with a flashlight, or search for her with one once we lost sight of her. We quickly learned a light up collar would be 1000% better for her to wear at night, so we didn’t have to worry so much about her whereabouts.
This light up collar is perfect. You can cut it to the perfect size, and it’s rechargeable. The only downside to a light-up collar is the safety aspect of your cat getting stuck somewhere with it on. If there are lots of holes for Georgie to explore we don’t have her wear it, for fear of it getting snagged on something and trapping her inside.
However, when you’re in an open field or in a wild camping place that doesn’t have many potential snags, it’s great! It’s also super cute! 🙂
Harness and Collar (for when she needs to be on a leash) | check current prices here
Yes, you will become that cat person that walks their cat on a leash. I still laugh every time we put Georgie in her harness and leash and can’t believe we are those people.
There will be times when you just can’t get around it. Whether that be a time when you overnight park in a public parking lot because you can’t find a place in nature to camp. Or maybe it will be when you’re in bear country and animals have to stay on a leash for their protection and yours. Or heck, if you plan on going to any national park in the United States, you’ll also need to have a leash for your pet.
READ MORE | a complete list of United States National Park, by state
More Details on Living in a Van with a Cat
5 Things to Include in Your Van Build When Traveling with a Cat
12 Essentials for Van Life with a Cat
10 Ways to Make Van Life with a Cat Easier
More Van Build Ideas
How to Properly Insulate Your Campervan
Why a Van Vent is Necessary if You Have A Van Life Cat
Van Life Apps To Make Life on the Road Easier
Save and Share This Post With Others
It truly helps us tremendously when you save and share our posts with others! It’s a great way to show this post was helpful and we should write more like it in the future. Use these pictures to pin this post on Pinterest!
