A week in a holiday rental or caravan goes smoothly when your cat's toilet arrangements feel like the ones she left at home. The tray, the litter and the location are a single system to her: change one element and she may cope, change all three at once and she may refuse the tray altogether. Pack the setup as a unit, place it deliberately on arrival, and then leave it exactly where it is for the whole stay.
What to Pack for the Tray
Take the tray she already uses, or the travel tray she has practised with at home for a few days beforehand, so its size, depth and sides are familiar. Bring enough of her usual litter for the full week plus a spare day, because a rental's nearest shop may stock only a scented or pellet litter she has never accepted, and a mid-week switch is a common trigger for refusals. Add liners if she is used to them, a scoop, sealed bags for waste, and a mat wide enough to catch litter from her paws as she steps out.
Placing the Tray in a Rental
Choose a quiet, ventilated corner away from her food and water and away from the main route through the property. A bathroom or utility corner usually works, provided the door stays open or a cat flap gap is left so she can always reach it. Tell everyone in the party where the tray is and that it does not move: a well-meaning tidy-up that relocates it to a balcony or cupboard can undo her confidence in one evening. The mat underneath protects the rental's floors and marks the spot as hers.
Making It Work in a Caravan
Space and movement change the calculation in a caravan. A covered tray wedged in the shower tray or a fixed corner stays put when the van is levelled or towed, and the cover contains scatter that would otherwise spread across a small floor. Keep the lid and entrance facing a clear approach so she never has to squeeze past stored bags to reach it, and check after each move that the tray has not shifted or been buried under luggage.
Scooping and Smell Control in a Small Space
Scoop at least once a day into sealed bags and remove them from the living space promptly; in a rental room or caravan, odour builds quickly and a cat who finds her own tray unpleasant may look for a cleaner corner. Top up with the same litter rather than washing the tray out mid-week with a scented cleaner, which can make the whole setup smell wrong to her. If she hesitates, note when it started and what changed — a new bag of litter, a moved tray, visitors near the spot — before changing anything else.
If Someone Else Is Looking In
When a sitter or neighbour visits during the week, the litter routine is one of the details that has to survive your absence word for word: where the tray sits, which litter tops it up, and where sealed bags go. Write those points down rather than relying on a doorstep summary. Before you leave, KinsLe's Care Pass can pass the same litter and feeding notes to a named sitter for a set window, so the rental routine survives your absence.