This Kelowna cat Felix has been going camping for the past five years.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Terri Wilkinson
June 18, 2025 - 4:00 AM
It is camping season in the Thompson-Okanagan region and some people are taking their cats along with them to enjoy the great outdoors.
Kamloops resident Arwen Schulte has been taking her cats camping with her for over a decade.
“We started with our cat Stella years ago and at that time we were in a tent,” she said. “It was nice when it was cold to have a warm furry thing to cuddle up with. Cats are endlessly entertaining, there are so many bugs and birds for them to check out.”
While taking cats camping comes with benefits, there are a few things to consider.
“You have to get the cats trained to use harnesses, harness training is a must,” Schulte said. “Dog harnesses are better as cat harnesses are thin little nylon straps with tiny buckles. Dog harnesses are soft and padded with one buckle.”
Kamloops cat Freddy perches on a stump at Badger Lake rec site in May.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Arwen Schulte
These days Schulte has a travel trailer which makes camping with her two cats Freddy Purrcury and Prints Nelson much easier than using a tent.
“The travel trailer is nice for keeping the boys contained,” she said. “We open the trailer door and give them free range and they just hang out, they don’t go too far. You have to supervise them, it’s like camping with toddlers, you watch them at all times.”
This spring Salmon Arm resident Lynne McCartney took her senior cat Tigger camping for the seventh time, and also provided some tips on cat camping.
“The biggest challenge with him is that when we travel he poops,” she said. “It wasn’t pleasant the first trip with him in a small cat carrier in the front seat. I now have a large canvas pen I can put his litter box in which works great."
She said having an escape proof harness is essential as cats can squeeze out of anything when they are frightened.
“My friends taught me how to loop the leash around his body and back through the ring on the top. The more they pull the tighter is gets. It’s a life saver for both of us, Tigger is an escape artist.”
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Vernon cat Sir Dipity perches in a travel trailer while camping in the South Okanagan in spring.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Gen Illman
McCartney takes cat food, treats and cat brush with her, along with a pen. Tigger is a sociable cat and drags McCartney around to visit other campers and get pets from kids.
“He doesn’t like being in the pen outside, so I run a line from the front jack to the back jack and as long as I’ve tied him up right, he is quite happy,” she said. “The worst thing about cat camping is after we come home he is quite angry that he doesn’t get to be among trees and water,” she said.
Kelowna resident Terri Wilkinson has been taking her cat Felix camping for the past five years.
"It allows us to go on longer camping trips without arranging for a pet sitter," she said. "He is good company for our dog, Annabel."
If you have photos to share of your cats camping, send them to news@infonews.ca.
Kamloops cats Freddy and Prince camp at Badger Lake Rec Site in May.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Arwen Schulte
Salmon Arm cat Tigger camps at Mable Lake in spring.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Lynne McCartney
Salmon Arm cat Tigger rests in a travel trailer while camping in spring.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Lynne McCartney
Kamloops cat Prints walks around a recreational camping site in May.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Arwen Schulte
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