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**Stefrobrts** · 08-10-2006, 06:05 PM

Wow, I'd like to camp there someday! That's amazing encounters. I think I'd keep the cat inside though

OreExcella · 08-10-2006, 06:35 PM

Stef,

Our thoughts are with you and Dave.

We have two cats that travel with us; on the road they're quiet and stay inside the trailer at campsites, except when we take them out.

At home, they're very territorial. One of the them walks the property line of our lot - sometimes several times a day! They will run off other cats except for a select few of the neighbor kitties.

One or the other disappears every few months for a while, then finds his way home. Sometimes they just want to be fed, other times it's a trip to the vet to be checked over.

For you guys (and Lucy), we're hoping for the best.

Jim & Karen

Pahaska · 08-10-2006, 06:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stefrobrts

Wow, I'd like to camp there someday! That's amazing encounters. I think I'd keep the cat inside though

The cat and I (used to be 2 cats) often go to state parks during the week when they are pretty empty. I have 3 state parks within 30 miles of where the trailer is stored and 7 parks within 80 miles. My wife prefers to do whatever she does and doesn't mind me going when I get cabin fever.

If you happen to come through Central Texas, McKinney Falls is one park that I can recommend. About 75 W/E sites in the typical Texas Hill Country cedar, live oak, and persimmon breaks. The falls are fascinating at any water level. There is a warning siren because they can go from a trickle through the convoluted rocks to a torrent covering the rocks within minutes if there is a storm upstream. They have a nice 1/4-mile trail close in with an overlook on two waterfalls and miles of trail further out.

Another great central-Texas park is Inks Lake. Lots of W/E hookups , many lakeside, and many in good shade. Hiking trails go over "bubbles" of granite that were heaved up eons ago. I like to kayak into the Devil's Waterhole with cliffs all around and a waterfall in wet weather. Lots of deer there that will eat out of your hand.

My favorite, although it is a little far to go very often, is Lost Maples State Natural Area. Small W/E campground close to an isolated stand of maples that are absolutely gorgeous in the fall. Lots of trails, ranging from easy service roads to trails that go straight up the mountainside. I often see feral hogs there; something to avoid. Deer are a given. The photo is at Lost Maples.

When things are quiet, the cat walks well on the leash and seems to like the outings as much as I do.

BJo · 08-10-2006, 09:28 PM

Our cat absolutely goes ballistic whenever we get him in the truck. So, we pay a cat sitter to come & take care of him. He's one of those who is most content in his own surroundings. However, since I'm a cat lover, I tend to gravitate to cat owners when we're in the rv parks. One motor home in the state park in Junction, Texas had this huge cat stretched out on the dashboard. Of course I struck up a conversation with the owner. They had just purchased the coach & were on their way home. She told me that her husband snored at night & the cat hated the sound. So when her hubby rolled on his back & started his nightly music with his mouth wide open, the cat would gently jump up on the bed & put his paw in the man's mouth which would, of course, awaken him. That would stop the snoring - temporarily. This scene would be repeated 3 or 4 times. Finally the man would get up & close the sliding pocket door, closing the cat out. When he'd fall asleep again & resume the snoring, the cat would get so mad that it would put his paw under the pocket door & rattle it back & forth until his owner would awaken & silence would resume. She wasn't sure how long her hubby would agree to allow the cat to travel with them. I wonder if they're still a couple?

summerkid · 08-10-2006, 09:41 PM

I love that cat!!!

I used to have a nutty feline who would screech "EE-ee-ee-ee" and run out of the room whenever I played the piano. Yet my little Russian blue, Julie, likes to play herself, especially in the middle of the night, when the nervewracking sound of a stocky cat landing squarely on a dissonant lower chord seems to herald the Grim Reaper in those confusing moments when you surface from a murky dream into heart-thudding awareness...

ZoominC6 · 08-11-2006, 05:42 AM

BJo,
Great story! That cat sounds like something our Tonk might try. Aren't they funny? We travel with our Golden Retriever, Yellow Lab and our Tonk, aka, Monkenese (half monkey and have tonk). Since we purchased her as a kitten in S. Fla. one Christmas season, the Airstream and TV were her first home and she is most comfortable with travel and dogs in close quarters. Oh, she fusses for a few minutes when we first hit the road then settles in under a seat for most of the drive. Every once in a while she comes out to check the dogs out or jump up on the dash to wash and bask in the sun. She's a very laid back little girl. Happy Trails.

tprince · 02-22-2007, 01:02 PM

Any suggestions on where to put the litter box on a 2007 34' Classic. Our cats are named Mildred and Stuart and our Airstream is new. Looking for some advice!!

bake315 · 02-22-2007, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tprince

Any suggestions on where to put the litter box on a 2007 34' Classic. Our cats are named Mildred and Stuart and our Airstream is new. Looking for some advice!!

We put ours under the dinette since we seldom use it for dining. I'd recommend getting a roll of that adhesive plastic they put down in the high traffic carpet areas at RV shows, and putting it down first. Then, you can just pull it up and toss it after returning home.

overlander63 · 02-22-2007, 03:28 PM

You can try putting it in the tub/shower area. if anything "gets out", you can rinse it down the drain.

romap · 02-22-2007, 03:57 PM

We have two Norwegian Forest Cats, Kirby and Olivia. They are actually true brother and sister even though a year and a half apart in age. When Kirby was just under a year, we took him on his first trip. He was fine traveling, but after two days he began to get stir crazy and began defying gravity by running around the rear wall above the bed. He has slowed down alot now, but Olivia is still too young. They are inseperable so we will have to wait to take them both. Don't want any damage by wild behavior! When we took Kirby, the litter box was in the shower, only removed when the shower was needed. It worked out fine and kept the errant litter pieces under control.

Jacob D. · 02-22-2007, 04:17 PM

I've been training my cat Loki to travel in the car. And by "training", I mean I just let him loose in there on the way to & from work (he sleeps all day at work behind my desk - I have tolerant employers).

He seems to like it pretty well, but he's exceptionally outgoing & confident, he doesn't tend to run off when he's put down somewhere unfamiliar, and I started when he was a very small kitten. I have two other cats, Victoria & Elizabeth who I'm leaning towards leaving at home, although I guess it'll depend on the amount of time I'm away. Victoria is your archetypal lazy fat cat (well, she's only plump, I wouldn't let her get really fat) and she'd probably be happy just sleeping on a cozy bed in the trailer all day, but Elizabeth is a mostly-outdoors cat (the other two are indoor-only unless I'm carrying them or they're on a leash/harness) and an expert at dashing through the door. And Victoria once took a 3-day unauthorized excursion in the neighbourhood. So I suspect it'll be just me & Loki travelling most of the time.

Anyway, I've been eyeing ground-level spots in the trailer for putting a litter box. I favour the sifting ones - quick to clean and not too awkward. So I want a place I could slide a tray in with 10-12" of vertical clearance and a high lip or a door to keep stray litter inside. I also have a little Dyson handheld vacuum cleaner that I'll keep around for quick cleaning.

gaylejoe · 10-16-2007, 09:17 PM

This is a very good thread. I was wondering if Gayle & I were the only ones traveling with a cat. We introduced our Oreo to the AS last year. We took a 2 week trip with Oreo. She is placed in her pet carrier while inside the vehicle. Oreo has adapted to traveling very well. This year she completed a 9 State vacation with us.

We keep the litter box in the shower box and have had no problems with this arrangement. The food and water bowl is kept at the door. At night she sleeps on our bed as she does ever night when we are home.

Recently we added a 2nd cat named Wanda. She also carried in a pet carrier while traveling. The only problem we have experienced with Wanda is that she will go to the bathroom in her carrier within a shot distance from home. We are hoping that she will improve with future outings with us. She does not appear to be nervious during the traveling.

At night Wanda will usually behind the sofa.

We would not think of traveling with them. Oreo really made our vacation this year. Every day we had Oreo to greet us at the door as we returned to our AS each day.

Pahaska · 10-16-2007, 10:03 PM

We added a new cat recently. He is "Onslow", an all-white Munchkin that we found at the shelter. Munchkins are the Dachhunds of the cat family with normal bodies and very short legs. Anyone who watches the British Comedies on PBS will know where I got the name Onslow. Our Onslow is good natured, bone idle, and sleeps about 16 hours a day just like the character in the comedies. Onslow is currently learning to walk on a leash and I hope to have him ready for the pet show at the spring Region 9 Rally.

Our old cat, Dakota, who never traveled with us before, now has to have daily medicine, so she goes along also. Dakota and Onslow ride side by side in carriers in the back seat while Zoe rides in her usual place on the console.

With the exception of having to clean the litter box twice a day, we have no more problems with 3 cats than with one. All 3 sleep at our feet at night.

Phil/Edee · 10-17-2007, 07:44 AM

Do any of you have a pet stroller for your Furkids? We bought one for Phantom, another rescued kitty, and she loves it!! It's also much easier taking her for a walk since when she's on the harness and leash SHE usually takes me for the walk! ^_^

We keep the litter box in the "bedroom" since I found a brand that tracks very little and doesn't get smelly.... honest! I try to clean the box daily but even if I miss a day no one notices an odor! Can I put a brand on here or should you PM me for that????

Edee

str8strm · 10-17-2007, 08:36 AM

We find the tracking is the worst problem for us. We keep the litter box in the shower on top of a carpet so we can keep most of the litter away from the gray tank.

Wabbiteer · 10-17-2007, 09:32 AM

Please post your favorite litter - it is 'your' opinion and you are entitled to sharing it whether in print or on the phone etcetera etcetera.

When on a road trips in SEVERE weather I keep a litter box wedged in between dash and bench seat of the standard cab pickup and my feline partner has no qualms using it either at 80mph or on twisty windy country roads. There is a hidden box provided under the topper in the pickup bed that handles most everything else, when it's not -35°F or 105°F outside...

Here is a picture taken at 70mph driving back to Twin Cities from a weekend in Iowa helping a friend finish a wind turbine tower; young Tomcat does very well truck camping - has almost 35,000 miles as co-pilot in a F-150 and still puts himself in between possible danger and myself when I sleep when going cross-country...

Phil/Edee · 10-17-2007, 09:38 AM

Ok.... we've been sold on the "ScoopAway- multiple cat formula" that you get in the big box stores!! We occasionally have some pretty "picky" visitors just looking at the trailer and no one has ever noticed a smell so far! More later w/a pic.... have to run do some research for my college student! ^_^

Edee

Phil/Edee · 10-17-2007, 09:58 AM

I Think the photo is here! My first time to try ....

.. did I mention that we also have a cat tree for her in the trailer??? I think you can see it in the picture.... if the picture gets here..... sigh

Edee

thecatsandi · 10-17-2007, 09:59 AM

A small carpet near the box that the cat has to walk on. This leaves the litter on the carpet for easy clean up.

gaylejoe · 10-17-2007, 10:46 AM

Our black & white Oreo has gotten me up around 5AM at least 3 times a week since we have had her. This going on 6 years now. She apparently does this when her stomach growls. If I am not at home she will not do this to my wife. She awakens me with her claws lightly touching my skin or here wiskers brushing against my face. Our new addition, Wanda, hasn't learned that trick yet.