Hey Wanderers!
Our furry friends are part of the family. When us humans decide to live in an RV our pets can be the ones who struggle the most with this big change. They may not like it at first and that can have behavioral changes, accidents, and even depression. Yes animals can suffer from depression.
How can we, as loving pet-parents, help our furbabies with this stressful transition? A few simple things can make all the difference or at least help a bit, obviously every animal has a different personality and it’s up to you to gage how your pet responds.
Cats tend to get quite upset if they can’t have a good window spot for naps, a dark place to hide at scary moments and a good place to scratch so the furniture is left alone. We have replaced the dinette with a small table and a chair below the window. The table is a good lounge spot for the kitties. I threw a blanket over the chair to make a tent under it and that’s a great place for them to hide from the noise of the vacuum.
Dogs need a space of their own too. A designated spot that has their bed and toys. Taking out the dinette and replacing it with the table and chair freed up so much space. There is a perfect spot under the table to put a dog bed. A pup can lay under there and not be in the way of anyone walking through the RV and it’s their own private little spot to hang out.
We were able to remove the large couch that came in the trailer with a fold out queen size bed. We didn’t need the bed or couch so that big space was perfect for a cat tree for looking out the rear window and a small desk for us to work. There is easily enough space for dog beds instead of a cat tree. The beautiful thing about RV living is, you can change things around if you’re willing to use some basic hand tools and a little muscle. Once you decide what furniture you need and what can go, you create a pet friendly home, or more storage if your pets don’t need much space.
I found a few cat condos that are made for RV living. I looked at window hangouts and window cages so the cats could be ‘outside’ but our cats just get more agitated with those than anything, so for our ladies, it’s not an option. Each animal is different so don’t be afraid to try things out and discover what works best. I hope this little bit helps you decide what you can remove and replace to fit your pets needs.
Until next time, keep them boots wandering!
With My Boots On 