# can a cat temporarily live in a tent?



## sneakyocelot (May 24, 2015)

I work for Yukon government in Whitehorse. There's a temporary 6-month position in Dawson City that I would like to apply for. However, Dawson City has less that 1500 people and in summers it doubles and spawns a tent city. This means finding housing in summer is pretty much impossible.

I was wondering if it was possible for a cat to live in a large tent for two months until September when the weather starts getting cold and the summer workers go south. I won't go in for the job if I can't take my cat with me? Living in a tent in Dawson is considered pretty normal in summer. Probably 40% of homes in the town are blue jug and without running water, despite temperatures getting down to -50 in winter


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## LakotaWolf (Aug 10, 2012)

I should think it would be okay, depending on how your kitty handles things and its personality/nature, and what the surroundings around the tent "city" are like.

And - forgive my ignorance - I have lived my life in a land with no weather (southern California) so I am not sure what type of tent you mean - I'm assuming it's made from something that's hardier than your typical "let's go camping" tent, however!

Will you be keeping your cat exclusively in the tent, or letting it outside in the immediate area? If you're going to keep it in, can the tent's edges be secured to the ground all around so the cat can't slip out? Are there going to be other animals present, or the possibility of wildlife (whose presence might freak the cat out and cause it to panic/try to escape)?

I'd say your cat should definitely be collared and tagged with a couple of contact numbers for you - cellphone if you'll have one, work phone (if they can reach you during your working hours). Otherwise I don't think a cat will fuss much about living in a tent - my only worries would be about safety and the surrounding environment. As long as you can cover those to your satisfaction, I think it's fine.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Your cat??? I wouldn't want to do it myself. :shock: 

I thought I read a while back that they have very strict rules about what you can have in your tent with you. Like you couldn't have any food in your tents because it attracts bears and raccoons and other creatures. I think that would make it hard to have a cat with you and feed it.


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## eldercat (Jul 3, 2015)

Yes, I bet the *cat* would be fine, but..... is a pet allowed in the tent city? Will there be dogs who might chase your cat? Will the cat be a "tent cat" or in/out? What will the neighbors think/do? The catfood problem would be a challenge if there is wildlife about. Before signing up, I'd want a good bit more information. What if someone gets annoyed because you have a cat and wants it gone? Is there an authority who can force you to do something about your cat? etc. etc.


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## sneakyocelot (May 24, 2015)

I am hoping to find someone with a house that I can take over to catsit during the day. Money is not the issue. The job pays very well. I could probably pay $1600/month for an apartment, but there are none available. I have a Chevy Equinox with lots of room as well. Many people in tent city have animals. There aren't many rules in Yukon parks and none about pets. The campground is within the city, so wildlife is less of a problem.


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## RLynn (Mar 13, 2015)

You don't think kitty might try to claw the tent walls? That would be a concern for me. I'd also be worried about him escaping somehow and never seeing him again. Those would be my two biggest concerns.


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## Nuliajuk (Oct 25, 2014)

I have a book, written in the early 70s, by a fellow who travelled around Ireland in a VW camper van with his two cats. It's called The Travelling Cat In Ireland and I was amazed that he came back with the two he started with and that they came back to his camper every night.
However, that was Ireland, which no longer has large native predators. The Yukon will have coyotes, wolves, cougars, and bears, even near and within the cities. If you could rent something more sturdy, such as a small trailer, that might offer more protection than a tent.


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