Traveling with Cats October 14, 2019, 01:38:11 am I thought there was a topic already about traveling with cats (similar to the one with dogs). I could not find it despite a few searches. If a monitor can find it, please do a merge.Cats adapt.Just wanted to share - that our more shy cat, that typically doesn't like to be close to other people (not even the other cat at times), is warming up to the smaller RV space (vs the spacious house where she could stay 5-20' away from everyone else.Our shy kitty is build like a tank with solid muscles though she really probably only weighs about 12 lbs - we hear her kuthump when she leaps down onto the RV floor even from only 2 feet (let alone higher).The last month she has gotten more comfortable with being in the lounge area with us (more so when there is just one person there, not two). She has done more climbing onto of me asking for pets and coming up beside us closely to ask for pets. She sits up by the window in the lounge area more and doesn't get as concerned if someone is moving around at the opposite side of the lounge area (two people in the lounge area or someone moving withing a couple of feet of her still makes her uncomfortable and she leaves).Well last night, I awoke to tank kitty leaping onto my abdomen (yup, I did the ooff sound) quickly followed by her leaping away and the lighter cat (closer to 8 lbs) leaping on and off me off as she chased the first cat. This happened about 3-4 times over the course of the night, with me "oofing each time". DH just slept thru it all .Cats make up their own games, including chasing each other around the RV. While I am very happy the shy kitty is getting more bold around us, I am hoping this kind of rude awakening doesn't happen regularly through the night each night . Though if I had to choose between this and a cat being too timid to get good exercise, I would take the nightly awakenings.Jane 4 Likes
Re: Traveling with Cats Reply #1 – October 14, 2019, 09:25:35 am Here you go, Jane:Traveling with Cats
Re: Traveling with Cats Reply #2 – October 14, 2019, 09:43:52 am Welcome to the club. I 100% agree. Cats like humans learn and observe relationships between things. Some of us are faster and some of us are slower. Dylan and Syman are not related in any manner. Both are rescues. We had Dylan first. When we brought Syman home he ran for the basement. It took me more then a month to get him upstair with just me on the same floor with him. He would run from DW when he heard her come down from the bedroom. I'm not kidding it took him almost 10 years to get in her lap. He a very very shy cat. Dylan on the other hand is like velco and very very social. In fact if you come into my home or RV and don't pay attention he will wack you with his claws. I'm saying all this to say over the years Syman has watched how we treat Dylan and in spite of his very very shy nature is doing his best to be like his 'brother'.<smile> which is to say I'm thinking you are going to become a cat trampoline. Welcome to the club. Enclosed is Syman very first 'harnessed' trip outside the RV..... it only took him five years. 7 Likes
Re: Traveling with Cats Reply #3 – October 14, 2019, 09:31:04 pm During my brief OTR truck driving adventure I saw lots of drivers in truck stops with cats for company. They seemed to enjoy laying on the dashboard soaking up some rays. Trucks living quarters are pretty small and if a cat can be happy there they should love an actual RV. 1 Likes
Re: Traveling with Cats Reply #4 – October 15, 2019, 01:03:18 pm We travel with two cats. The roster changes from time to time as we tend to adopt adult and senior cats who tend to be overlooked in favor of cute kittens. The rescue we adopt from is cool with the full time RV lifestyle and let us take our latest candidate for a test drive around the block to see how he handled it and our other cat. Worked out great, and they treat the house like a very large kitty tree lol. Wouldn't want it any other way. 2 Likes
Re: Traveling with Cats Reply #5 – October 15, 2019, 06:25:46 pm "The rescue we adopt from is cool with the full time RV lifestyle"Sounds great! I'm sure others here would like to know where that is.I adopted my cat Penny from Best Friends animal sanctuary in Kanab, Utah. The place is amazing. They have hundreds of acres, with separate buildings for various kinds of animals. Quoting their website, "On any given day, Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, located in Kanab, Utah, is home to around 1,600 animals, including dogs, cats, horses, burros, birds, rabbits, pigs and others." They currently have 615 cats available for adoption, and they're very skilled at helping you find the best cat for you.No animals are killed at Best Friends; their motto is "Save them all." It doesn't matter if they're old, diabetic, or disabled--they're taken good care of for their natural lives. (I saw one cat that was paralyzed from the hips down by a spinal injury, but it got around OK on its front paws.) The facilities are superb; the volunteers clearly love the animals, most of whom are free to roam around (at least the cats are); they have a vegetarian restaurant... just a wonderful place. I adopted Penny there exactly two years ago today, and I'm so very grateful to Best Friends. 8 Likes
Re: Traveling with Cats Reply #6 – October 15, 2019, 11:59:22 pm Dart HP came from The Cat People in Bakersfield, CA. Best Friends has some slightly strange origins. It started as a cult called the Process Church of the Final Judgment after its founders were kicked out of the Church of Scientology in the early 60s. They mixed scientology with gnostic mysticism, seasoned with a vaguely satanic end-of-the-world eschatology. Anti-vivisectionism seems to be the only part of their belief system that survived the implosion of the cult.It's an interesting rabbit hole to explore. 2 Likes
Re: Traveling with Cats Reply #7 – October 16, 2019, 09:33:53 am Quote from: thefuofus - October 15, 2019, 11:59:22 pmDart HP came from The Cat People in Bakersfield, CA. Best Friends has some slightly strange origins. It started as a cult called the Process Church of the Final Judgment after its founders were kicked out of the Church of Scientology in the early 60s. They mixed scientology with gnostic mysticism, seasoned with a vaguely satanic end-of-the-world eschatology. Anti-vivisectionism seems to be the only part of their belief system that survived the implosion of the cult.It's an interesting rabbit hole to explore. Interesting. Here I live in Kern County and didn’t know about The Cat People. Might be worth a visit down to Bakersfield to check them out. Think I’ll stay away from the other group, though . . . 1 Likes
Re: Traveling with Cats Reply #8 – October 16, 2019, 09:49:21 am Quote from: thefuofus - October 15, 2019, 11:59:22 pmDart HP came from The Cat People in Bakersfield, CA. Best Friends has some slightly strange origins. It started as a cult called the Process Church of the Final Judgment after its founders were kicked out of the Church of Scientology in the early 60s. They mixed scientology with gnostic mysticism, seasoned with a vaguely satanic end-of-the-world eschatology. Anti-vivisectionism seems to be the only part of their belief system that survived the implosion of the cult.It's an interesting rabbit hole to explore.All I got to say is cats can put your brain in strange places. That's why I always wear a tin hat and welding gloves when I'm dealing with them.......glen 1 Likes
Re: Traveling with Cats Reply #9 – October 16, 2019, 02:16:47 pm Quote from: colddog - October 16, 2019, 09:49:21 amAll I got to say is cats can put your brain in strange places. That's way I always wear a tin hat and welding gloves when I'm dealing with them.......Welding gloves can be handy when taking the cat to the vet.Larry 1 Likes
Re: Traveling with Cats Reply #10 – October 16, 2019, 02:36:02 pm Quote from: Larry W - October 16, 2019, 02:16:47 pmWelding gloves can be handy when taking the cat to the vet.LarryWe had an indoor feral cat that required welding gloves, thick winter coat and eye protection for vet trips. This happens when the indoor tame cats fall in love with an outdoor feral cat and lure her into the house. She was with us for several years, and we brought her with us when we moved house. She fully understood cat flaps and litter boxes, but never warmed up to people, just cats. She came into heat not long after she came indoors. Our neutered male cat was overcome with joy and confusion. We did not take that one camping. We would sometimes leave a tame cat home to keep her company for short trips.
Re: Traveling with Cats Reply #11 – October 16, 2019, 06:38:28 pm At one time, I lived up in the hills with 3 dogs and 5 cats. It came time for the cats to have their exams and shots, so I put the snarky cat in one box, stuffed two pairs of more mellow ones into the other two carriers, loaded the menagerie into the pickup cab and off we went down the hill to the vet. Cardboard is not a secure material for cat containers, particularly when the occupants are determined to rip and tear their way to freedom. It didn't take more than 10 minutes for all 5 of them to claw their way out and erupt into the cab; cats on the dashboard, on the floor under my feet, climbing on me and on the back of the seat, yowling, squalling, and frantically digging at the windows and windshield. (Fortunately, I had remembered to roll up the windows!) Pretty sure that the 'cat cab' entertained passing drivers, particularly since by that time, I had pretty much lost it and laughing like a mad woman because the whole scene was just nuts! I managed to get to the vet's without going into a ditch; fended off cats enough to crack the window and beg a woman passing through the parking lot to ask a couple of vet techs to come out and help me wrangle the cats back into the carriers and get them safely inside. Why I thought it was a smart move to take all 5 at once, I can't say, but it was definitely a 'one and done'! 11 Likes
Re: Traveling with Cats Reply #12 – October 17, 2019, 12:45:45 pm Glen, lol. Yup cats and dogs also can do odd things to our human brains.While our cats for the most part remember we are humans with fragile skin, rarely they forget that our legs are not climbing trees. Or forget that running by us and batting/pouncing on us will not result in a game of chase.
Re: Traveling with Cats Reply #13 – October 17, 2019, 02:31:25 pm Quote from: Andy Baird - October 15, 2019, 06:25:46 pm"The rescue we adopt from is cool with the full time RV lifestyle"Sounds great! I'm sure others here would like to know where that is.I adopted my cat Penny from Best Friends animal sanctuary in Kanab, Utah. The place is amazing. We went there last spring and it was the highlight of our two month trip for my wife. Nice RV sites for a fair price and the vegan restaurant was actually pretty good. Definitely worth a sidetrip for anyone passing through the area. There's an interesting book about the founding and the founders they sell in their store that is a good read. Amazing what these good hearted people accomplished for a relatively small cash outlay 1 Likes
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Topic: Traveling with Cats (Read 391 times)
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