No Stupid Questions: Any Advice On Bikepacking With A Cat?


A reader writes:

I love traveling, and I have a lot of experience backpacking, but I also ended up being “forced” (by her cuteness, affection, and a LOT of purring) into adopting a kitten a few years ago. I’m getting her used to going outside with me with a harness and leash, and I am hoping to get her into backpacking. How about bikepacking with a cat? Any info, recommendations, and advice on that?

Thanks for the question! The first thing to say is that I have no personal experience of cycle touring or bikepacking with a cat, or dog, or any other pet. But I know plenty of riders who have, so rather than try and answer the question myself, I’m going to suggest a handful of topics for further research, based on what I’ve heard of their experiences.

1. How will your cat travel while you’re riding? 

The classic solution for cycle touring with pets is a two-wheeled trailer, so you have a stable, covered platform for them to call home while on the road. Cargo bikes have also come into vogue in recent years.

These approaches will, however, add bulk and complexity. This will also limit where you can actually ride – say goodbye to singletrack trails – and make transporting your bike and gear more difficult.

See my post on the trailer versus panniers debate and the recent question about trailers, backpacks and frame luggage for more on this topic.

Cats generally being smaller and more portable than dogs, there may be other solutions here, and I’d love to hear what you settle upon.

2. How will you feed her? 

At home you might be used to buying commercial cat food, but that might not always be an option. You haven’t said where you’re planning to ride or for how long, but I’d suggest considering what types of food might be available given the specifics of your bikepacking plans.

3. Don’t forget about import/export regulations. 

Every country is different when it comes to bringing animals across borders. This may not apply to you, but if you’re thinking of cycle touring internationally with your cat, you’ll almost certainly need to prepare documentation in advance, and this will probably involve health certifications and/or proof of immunisations.

4. Prepare for accommodation options to be limited. 

If you’re camping on your bike tour, and especially if you’re wild camping, you’re (mostly) in control of your circumstances. 

But if you want to stay in guesthouses or hotels, you’ll be subject to someone else’s rules, and not all accommodation providers are pet-friendly by far. 

This is also something that tends to vary by culture, again depending on where you’re going.

5. Anticipate varying cultural attitudes towards animals. 

Again, this is for if you plan to travel far and wide. Just don’t expect everyone to “get” the idea of a pet cat, let alone travelling with one. 

Where I live, for example, dogs are kept purely for security, guarding either property or livestock, and are typically abused and aggressive. Cats are tolerated as they help to control vermin. But the idea of an animal as a friend and companion simply does not exist. Until very recently you’d have to travel to a specialist store in the capital city to buy pet food!

In other places you might find that restrictions apply to animals in protected areas for conservation reasons. Australia and New Zealand, for example, are famously strict about this. It’ll be wise to check before, say, cycling through a national park or state reserve that you aren’t breaching their rules by bringing your cat along for the ride.


The last thing I’d suggest is that travelling with a cat – possibly in her own trailer – will make you something of a novelty! This can be a double-edged sword: you’ll be such an unusual encounter for many of the people you meet that you’ll inevitably draw reactions, most of which I imagine will be good (who doesn’t love a cute, affectionate, purring cat?), but some of which may be unpredictable and difficult to understand. Depending on your personality type, becoming the centre of attention in this way may or may not appeal to you.

Hoping these are useful starting points – and if you do go ahead with the bike trip, I’d love to hear how you got on!

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3 responses to “No Stupid Questions: Any Advice On Bikepacking With A Cat?”

  1. 1bike1world.com

  2. Ferruccio avatar
    Ferruccio

    I don’t think we should travel by bike with a cat.

  3. Look up 1bike1world. Originally on a bike but presently in a campervan

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