Traveling with my KCC Adventure Team is one of my absolute favorite things. It is a wonderful opportunity to bond with my little adventure cats and to expose them to new and exciting things. It’s unfortunate that many people don’t realize cats can make wonderful travel and adventure companions! It may take some training, and you’ll need to get some adventure cat gear, but it’s well worth it.
Before trying to take your cat outdoors, you definitely want to make sure you have all of the necessary equipment. Of course, the bigger the adventure, the more gear you will need. But even if you are just taking your cat out into your backyard, there are several must-have items!

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1. Sleepypod Mobile Pet Bed
If you are traveling in the car with your cat, even for a short distance, you definitely need to secure them in a travel carrier. Don’t neglect to secure your cat because you think they are calm and will sit nicely in the car seat beside you or in your lap. Tragedy can happy in a split second. All it takes is a fast brake, something spooking your cat, or, worse-case scenario, a car accident.
The Sleepypod Mobile Pet Bed is our #1 choice for travel pet carriers! Sleepypods double as both a cat bed and a carrier, allowing your cat to travel safely in the comfort of its own bed. This greatly helps to reduce any travel-related stress for your cat. The mesh-dome top also allows your cat to have a clear view of everything while traveling. Not to mention that Sleepypods are totally stylish! They come in seven different colors, with an exciting new color coming out in September (but available for preorder now!). Spoiler alert: it’s violet! ๐

Not only are Sleepypods functional and stylish, they are safe. They are equipped with multiple velcro straps that secure the mobile pet bed into the seat of a car with a seat belt, so you can be sure that the carrier and your pet won’t be going anywhere. They have passed all of their crash-tests, and they have even held up in multiple auto accidents without injuries to the pets! (All accident information was voluntarily shared with Sleepypod by its customers.)
2. Harness + Leash + Identification
A high quality and secure harness and leash are an absolute MUST when going outdoors with your cats! Cats are quick and can bolt or climb up trees in the blink of an eye. They can also be prey to other outdoor animals, such as large birds, aggressive dogs, or even other cats. For their own safety, you want to keep them secured with a harness and leash.
Our favorite harness is the walking-jacket style – specifically the Mynwood Cat Jacket. They are the most secure, and your cat is less likely to be able to slip out of these. Trust me, I know from personal experience! Kylo Ren has slipped out of a step-in harness more than once. I now have Mynwood Cat Jackets for the entire KCC Adventure Team. As for leashes, we recommend a standard 6-foot leash.
>> Check out this Harness Style Guide for more information <<

There’s always a chance for accidents though. Just in case your cat does manage to wiggle out of her harness, be sure that she is wearing a collar with clearly marked and updated identification tags. These tags should have her name, your name, and your phone number. A tag that says something to the effect of, “If outside, I am lost! ” is a good idea too. That way if someone finds her, they will know that she needs help. I also highly suggest having your adventure cat microchipped!
3. Water, Food, and Treats
You can’t have an adventure without hydration and sustenance for everyone! Water is an absolute must, especially if it’s hot outside. Heat stroke can happen quickly and suddenly, so make sure that your cat is properly hydrated while outdoors. He may also get hungry, so having some of your cat’s favorite food is always a good idea. Nobody likes a hangry hiking or canoeing buddy, amiright?
Treats are handy to help reward and reinforce positive behavior. These are especially important if you are in the process of training your adventure cat. Not to mention the fact that having food and treats can help to calm your kitty should he get nervous about something.
4. Sleepypod Yummy Travel Bowl
When taking your cat out on an adventure, you can’t leave the house without food, water, and treats. The best way to store those things for easy travel? In a Sleepypod Yummy Travel Bowl! These travel bowls are a 3-in-1 prepack system, which includes:
- A spill resistant water bowl that serves as the base
- A food bowl slips that into the water bowl, making the water bowl leak-free
- A lid that doubles as an extra dish, sealing the Yummy Travel Bowl and making it totally spill-proof

These bowls are so great because if your cat doesn’t eat all his food or drink all his water at once, you can easily close it all back up and adventure on. When he is ready for more later, it will still be there, kept fresh in the Yummy Travel Bowl!
5. Backpack Carrier
A cat backpack carrier is definitely a must-have adventuring accessory! Riding in a backpack allows your cat to get acclimated to new environments and situations from the safety of a carrier. It also provides a safe space for your cat to retreat to should you encounter something or someone who spooks your kitty. Plus, if your cat gets tired when out on adventure, she can retreat to her backpack for a rest.
>> Click here for more information about cat backpacks and how to backpack train your cat <<

6. Pet Waste Bags
Pick up the poop! You hear that all the time for dogs, but you’ve got to do it for cats too. In case your adventure cat feels the call of nature while enjoying the great outdoors, you want to be prepared with some disposable (and preferably biodegradable) pet waste bags. While your cat may not be used to going potty outside, she may eventually feel comfortably doing so. I remember the first time Sophie went potty while out on adventure. It was so unexpected, as she had never done it before, so I wasn’t prepared. Don’t be caught off-guard like I was!
7. Towels
No matter what kind of traveling or adventuring you are doing, there is always an opportunity for messes to be made. Your cat may walk through some mud, fall into the river, or even have an accident in the car. Having a towel or two to clean things up with is always super handy. Trust me – I know from experience!
8. Favorite Toy/Blanket
Having something familiar from home like a favorite toy or blanket can help your cat to feel more comfortable while traveling in the car or even while outside on an adventure. I always bring Sophie and Kylo Ren’s favorite wand toy out on adventures so that we can enjoy some play time together and because it can help to calm them down if something spooks them.
Having a blanket from home helps for the same reason. We personally love the Sleepypod Cloudpuff Blankets. They are soft and fleecy, so the cats love to sleep and snuggle on them. I leave them out at home all the time, and then bring them along with us on trips. The familiarity of the scent and blanket helps the KCC Adventure Team to feel right at home.

9. Pet First Aid Kit
Having a travel-size pet first aid kit is a MUST! What happens if your cat gets a splinter, gets bitten by a snake, gets cut, etc? You want to be prepared to treat your adventure cat as best as you can until you can get her to a vet. Items you’ll want to include in your first aid kit are:
- a pair of latex gloves
- medical tape
- gauze pads
- antiseptic wipes
- self-adhesive bandages
- tweezers
- scissors
- styptic pencil
- q-tips
You can put together a kit yourself, or find one online. (Though many of the pre-packaged kits are lacking some essential items and will need to be modified.)
>> Click here for more details about putting together a Cat First Aid Kit <<
10. Camera
No adventure is complete without a camera to document all of the fun! Whether it’s your phone camera, a point and shoot, or a DSLR, you’ll definitely want photos to commemorate the day with your adventure cat. A video camera is also a plus. Our personal favorite is the GoPro! Great photos and video all in one, plus it’s durable and water proof! ๐
Okay, so now that you’ve got the gear, what are you waiting for? Get out there and start adventuring! Remember to start small though, and always prioritize your cat’s safety!
Do you travel or adventure with your cat? What items do you consider to be “must-have?”
I love this! All of it is SUCH great advice.
what a great list….
I’ve been tempted to purchase a SleepPod for Raven, but with my lucky, she’d ignore it. She has started enjoying our outings to the back yard, so I might get her a vest style harness. I think she’d feel safer in it than the “strappy” one I currently use. Love the video of all of you walking & wobbling at the park.
Angel and Chuck have their harnesses and leashes, but they only go into the yard…not really adventuring. Almost every morning, I ask them if they want to come to work with me, but they never do…huh?
That a mighty nice bunch of cool stuff!
I would love a sleepy pod for my cats, maybe someday.
Great list. Do you have any brands of life vest you recommend? I’m in the market!!
Hi Tanya. I haven’t found the perfect life vest yet, but I will be trying out a new one very soon and writing a post about it. I’ll keep you updated on my findings!
Excellent list! A sleepy pod would be great even if you’re not an Adventure Cat. ๐
Excellent information! What an adventpurrrrrrre team?!
Great list of items for adventure kitties! First aid kit is very important and will be very helpful in case of accident!
What a wonderful, well thought-out list. Some of those things would be great even for non-adventure cats. ๐
Great advice, and great list ! Purrs
Well, now…Pipo knows exactly what to tell petcretary to get if we have to travel! I really love that sleepy pod; much nicer than a regular carrier…
This is a great detailed and thorough list Emily. Back in the day if I took a road trip with my girls I didn’t have a life vest or first aid kit in mind. I did have most of the other items though. I love the yummy travel bowl product. That’s a great idea. I wish I heard about this product when I used to travel with my munchkins.
Absolutely love this fabulous kitty cat list!!!!! These products all look meowtastic and perfect for ANY adventure cat!!!
These are some great suggestions! We want to get a vest-type harness for Jasmine and try to take her hiking soon.
What a great post! You list everything one would need if traveling with a cat. My cats don’t like riding in a vehicle. They do like to get in through the windows, though, when I’m parked in my driveway. They curl up on the seats and snooze. It would be so cool to have a cat go on the water with me, in a kayak. ๐ Thanks for your time putting this together for us. Ciao
I have thought about taking my cats out on a harness so good info on the best kind, and the travel bed is adorable! Thanks for the info
Many of the same things for little adventure dogs! Which life vest are you using? All of the ones I’ve seen have little rings but we tend to buy a lot of more specialty gear.
Towels! Hydration and Towels!!
When we took Dusty out for his road trips he always had water and plenty of towels and comfortable bedding. He was never tht hungry but your trips are longer, I am guessing.
Dusty didn’t walk like yours do (AMAZING!!) but I agree 100% about the vest type harness I have seen them here and they just ‘feel’ more secure.
LOVE the VIDEO!!!!!!
I wish I’d worked with the girls when they were younger so I could take them out with me and on trips. I got a vest type harness, but was concerned because of the Velcro closures. Have you had any problems with them?
I love the Sleepypod!
Thank you for compiling this list! My youngest cat is in training to be an agility/therapy cat. As part of that goal, I’ve been taking her on adventures to get her used to the outdoors and to socialize her. Once she is ready to do therapy, she’s going to need some travel supplies. I’ll be using this list when I shop!
We love the SleepyPod bed – and you look so awesome in it! Great gear review – we’ll share it with our kitty loving friends!
Yay kitty gang!!! ๐ Always love seeing their adventures and the sleepy pod is so cute.
I love all these! I think though if I attempted to bring my kitties out and about they would probably hate me hahaha!
I really like this article