CAT HAMMOCK FOR THE RV

While planning my November trip to the Atlantic Coast I gave a lot of thought about how I was going to travel with my 3 cats and 2 dogs in my small Class B Pleasure Way van.  The last time I took a trip with all of my pets was when I still had the 26 foot Class C motorhome which had lots of room for the cats in the top overhead bunk.

Since I traded that RV in on my current van I've left the cats at home whenever I took a trip.  They do fine for a week.  I leave lots of food and 3 litter boxes for them and always come home in less than a week.  However, I want to take a month in November to travel east and I have come to the conclusion that they will have to come with me.

So, here is what I've come up with.  I've decided to build a Cat Hammock to hang over the 2 front seats.  I purchased 2 - 10 foot lengths of 1 inch PVC pipe,  2 - 2 foot lengths of 1 inch PVC pipe, 4 elbow joints, and some rope.  I already had some canvas in my art supplies.

First I cut the long pipes into 5 1/2 foot lengths.  Then cut 4 small pieces.

Next I drilled some holes in the small pieces for the rope.

I attached the end pieces and measured the length of rope I needed for each piece.

I placed the knot inside the pipe.

 

I then attached the long side pieces.

Placed the canvas on the floor and cut to fit.

Sewed up the sides and now ready to put in place.

At first I tried placing the rope over the door but didn't like that setup.  So I tied it to the front hand grips and cabinet door handles.

This will do for now.  I'll probably install hardware that I can attach the rope to later on.

My pet alligator fits nicely.

So now the cats will not only have the rug covered dash to sleep on but their very own hammock bed.

Of course this can only be used while parked but that's OK.  The cats usually hide under the seats while we are moving.  I think the movement makes them dizzy.  Once parked they all come out and explore their surroundings.

I will probably store it on top of the dog's bed while we are traveling.  I could also take it apart and store the pieces in the closet but I don't think that is necessary.

Can't wait to try it out.