Here are 15 easy methods to make your RV pet friendly. In this article, we have also added RVs that are suitable for pets.
How to Make Your RV Pet Friendly? Some RV drivers want to keep their pets with them on a long tour. In this situation, you have to make some arrangements in RV. First, collect the food, water, and other belongings of the pet. Then create a comfortable sleeping place in RV. You should also provide them toys and short breaks for playing outside during travel.
How to Make Your RV Pet Friendly?
It provides a chance for pets to visit outside areas frequently. It can have a good impact on both their health and mind. Because sitting and sleeping all day at the same place can cause anxiety in your pet. They can make themselves adaptable to a different environment.
Secondly, you need not worry about who will care for them in your absence. When you outside for more than a day, keep them safe. You can take care of all their necessities in RV. It can also ensure their safety because people can easily steal lonely pets.
It is a lovely experience to travel with your pet but it also causes some severe challenges.
Create a suitable place for sleeping
We know that domestic pets are usually solitary. They have their schedule for sleeping and taking rest. While on the travel, they can have shifted in the sleeping schedule. You have to provide them all the comfort for a homey feeling in the RV.
When it comes to the sleeping area, you can take your pet’s sleeping bed along with you. You can also keep a crate where your little bunny can sleep. Keep the box close to your seat to observe your pet.
Make it secure with anything so that sudden jumps do not threaten your pet. Big pets like cats and dogs can also sleep on the floor spread a clean mate for them.
In the case of small pets like hamsters, keep their cage with your seat. You can also keep them in your lap to get sleep. When you do not have any bedding, create comfortable bedding in RV storage places like space under the dinette seat.
There is a separate bed present in the RV, which has a lot of space beneath the mattress. You can create a sleeping place in this place also. Keep the blanket and pillow of the pet on the bed.
Bring plenty of food and water for pets
Usually, pets eat food with short time gaps. You should feed your pets properly, even in an RV, store extra food and water for them in the RV.
It would help if you had an excess of fresh water for pets. When they are ok with local campground water, then go for that water. Keep the feeding and water bowl in RV. You should also have a sponge and soap to clean up bowls before giving them food.
Store all the edible in place to avoid any hustle in searching them. Try to keep all the food in a plastic container to protect it from insects and germs.
When you have two or more pets in the same RV, store their food separately. Keep a specific place for a litter bowl in the RV where pets can relieve them. Use dried or frozen food items to feed your pets because of their higher shelf life.
Bring pet toys
All the pets are active and friendly. They like to run and play in the ground or other areas. When you are traveling in RV, sitting or sleeping in the same place for a long time is torture for them. They become anxious and feel bound in the vehicle. That’s why playing and doing some exercise with your pets is essential.
Some RVs have enough places where the pets can stretch, run and jump. In such a case, give them toys to play with them.
When you do not have enough place where pets can play, take them to campgrounds. In markets, pet activity monitor devices are available. These devices tell about the physical health and fitness of pets.
Take them for a walk in any nearby ground every morning and evening..` The campgrounds have a fenced area to allow all the pets to play. In this way, they can also become familiar with other pets. When your pet is extra energetic, you can distract them by serving something to chew. It makes them busy while you are driving or relaxing.
Ensure the safety of pets in RV
While driving, we feel many jerks and jumps on the road. It is dangerous for the safety of our pets. It is appropriate to make all the arrangements for the pet’s safety in the RV. There are many options you can choose to make them secure.
First of all, arrange a seat harness or belt especially when you RV with a large dog. The seat belt should allow to pet to sit or late easily on the seat. Big pets have their leash that you can secure with any other harness.
Using a seat belt or leash reduces the mobility of pets. Sitting for too long can make them anxious and tired. The carrier is another good option to ensure the safety of pets. It should have enough place that the pet can sit, stand and lay easily.
Make the carrier secure with chains and locks. It will protect them from any injury or accident during riding in RV. Leashes and carriers also reduce the possibility of your pet getting lost.
Spread a blanket or mate in the carrier to make the pet feel at home. Choose a high-quality carrier or crate for pets to prevent them from sliding during rides.
Take short breaks during travel
Take short brakes after every 100 to 150 miles while riding on the road. It is essential for the mental health of pets. Give them potty brakes and let them sniff roses and mosses in the garden.
Use pet tags during short breaks for easy recognition. This way you can find them easily in a crowded place. You can skip these brakes by making pets familiarize themselves with the vehicle in motion. First, before starting the journey, take them on short rides.
Be prepared for emergency conditions
During travel, your pet can suffer from many issues like stress, anxiety, and other illnesses. These pets can suffer from injuries during riding in RV. Keep the following things in RV to resolve the problem.
- First aid kits
- Edible green clay to treat bloating and other GIT problems
- Antihistamines
These medicines are necessary to treat occasional allergies. The sensitive pets may be allergic to many think like dust, sting bees, and pollens.
The muzzle covers up the nose and mouth of the pet. It prevents pets from biting you during the aggression.
Maintain the temperature in the RV
It is essential to control the temperature of an RV for pets. You should be aware of the weather forecast before taking the pet on the ride.
Sometimes when we travel towards a hot climate, RV got heat up. The high level of temperature is harmful to both pets and humans.
Some RVs have a built-in thermometer to sense temperature changes in the vehicle. You can run it on a battery-driven fan to pets when the weather is hot.
You can also purchase a temperature monitoring device for your vehicle. This type of device connects directly to your mobile phone through Bluetooth. When the temperature rises inside the RV, you will receive a message on your phone. These devices also monitor the humidity level of the RV.
Easy access to RV door
It is essential for pets having issues in climbing or running due to injury. Some pets do not understand stairs to enter an enclosed box like RV.
The enter and exit door should be wide enough so that you can walk along with the pet. This way, pets feel safe and comfortable in entering this new place. You can also add ramps for quickly accessing the dog door in an RV.
Get cooling mats
It is the best option to keep pets cool in hot weather. These cooling mats are available in different sizes and features. You can spread them on a pet crate carrier or on beds to provide a cooling effect to them.
You can use cooling mats on the RV floor where the pet sits comfortably. To avoid mats getting filthy with dust pet litter, wash them buy washable rugs. That will prevent RV and pets from getting dirty.
Turn on the RV air conditioner
Some RVs have an inbuilt air conditioner to keep them cool in summer. You can turn it on when the inside gets hot.
But it also needs a generator for operating in RV. You have to keep it clean and maintained for proper functioning. It has a thermostat where you can preset the temperature. It will turn on and off above and below that point.
In this way, it serves as a heater in a cold environment. In freezing weather, cover the pot with a blanket. Shut all doors, windows, and shades of RV. On rainy days keep the pet calm by distracting it with toys. The thunderstorm can threaten your pets in RV.
Keep all the medical records of pets
When you take pets on a ride, keep all their belongings with you. It includes many things like Pet ID.
- Pet ownership card
- Medical records
- Vaccination records
All these things will help to get the consultation of any local vet on the way. You can also call any vet through mobile phone in case of emergency to get advice for them. Please keep all the things in one place immediately or dedicate a separate cabin for them.
Familiarize pet with the RV
Introducing a pet to a vehicle in motion is tricky. It would be best if you had a lot of patience to do it. When you start the ride, keep them with you in the next seat.
Start the engine and ride for few minutes. If the pet is nervous, turn off the vehicle for some time. Then again, turn off after calming down the pet.
Give them special treats to make them calm in moving RV. In case your pet gets out of control due to anxiety, try some OTC anti-anxiety remedies. It will make them calm for an extended period, and they can drive with no worries.
Hire a pet sitter
Many hotels, restaurants, and other public places do not allow pets inside sitting areas. In this situation, you have to leave the pets in RV alone.
To overcome this, hire a babysitter who can take care of your pet. You can accompany any friend as a babysitter in RV. He should be able to fulfill all the duties of pets.
Provide all the information about pets like eating, sleeping, and playing schedule to the babysitter.
10 Best Pet Friendly RVs
- Dutchmen Kodiak Utralite 285BHSL -$25000-$35000
- ROCKWOOD 8311WS 294RKSS – $77000-$77800
- Highland Ridge Travel trailers – $19000- $24000
- ACE Motorhome- $20000- $25000
- Rockwood bunkhouse travel trailer – $30000-$32000
- 2018 grand design momentum – $21000-$22000
- Keystone Cougar X-Lite – $16000-$18000
- Happier Camper HC1 Travel trailer – $19000-$20000
- Newmar canyon star – $25000-$30000
- Fleetwood flair – $16000-$18000
How to choose a pet-friendly RV?
Some modern RVs like motorhomes and trailers have various features for pets. In such RVs, you do not have to make any arrangements. These features include the following.
- Built-in pet beds with blanket and mattress
- Secured carriers
- Pull out pet dishes for easy cleaning.
- Low height windows for pets to have a view of the outside.
- Flooring with lesser carpets
- Wet storage area
- Outdoor shower facility
- Tie-down hooks or leashes
- Ramp for entry and exit
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