Last fall an abandoned cat moved in with me and my German Shepherd Dog, Pearl. Said cat, Izzy, is a Bengal, or at least part Bengal: she's on the high end of social, fearless, and playful. Chases tennis balls along with the GSD, runs to greet people at the door, is undaunted by human "no" word, etc.
I've taken my Pearl Scamping before, but never a cat. Thinking about adding said cat to the Scamping mix. Anyone have any particular advice to offer?
I have a hunch that my best solution, if I really want to relax out there and not be spending the whole time thinking first and foremost about the animals and how to comfort them, is to hire a house/pet sitter, and go off on my own. :) But still: What do you all do with your pets? What works, what keeps them healthy and content? Were you surprised at their adaptability? Or, on the contrary, were you amazed at how freaked out they were?
All reflections welcomed, with thanks.
with two cats for next winter snowbirding, and a new 13' Scamp on order.
I'm thinking housesitter, as the heat, sump pump, etc. need to be checked and the mail brought in. The cats would be better at home and not in a cage for 1-3 months.
Now the dog's another story...I'm losing my two to an exiting gf, but travelling with a dog would be fine...you would have to invest in the tow vehicle addon that would allow a locked running car with the a/c on, but only the suicidal would open the door on a German Shepherd!
If not now, when?
Larry
Yeah, I think from what you said that the cat would just love climbing all that rat fur on the inside walls of the Scamp. If you do take her then I would clip her nails first. ;)
My cat Kojack has traveled to many states visiting family and friends. I’ve never taken him camping but, once I fix up my 13 ft fixer upper I purchased, I’ll be taking him on trips. Kojack is leash trained and also, has a stroller that he can hang out in outside on longer walks. I’m single and he’s been my companion for almost seven years so, he’s used to hanging out close to me. Kojack doesn’t always like car rides but tolerates them well. We go on several six hour drives to visit friends and family every year. So, I’m thinking he should be fine.
We traveled quite a bite with a cat. We kept a small crate with a plastic shoe box litter box (used big box plastic bag inside of it). Our cat felt secure in the crate. Our cat was a totally indoor cat, but I have seen a number of people with cats on leashes, with some tolerating it very well. Coyotes consider cats as "treats", and I haven't been anywhere there weren't coyotes. If the cat constantly tries to escape, it would be sitting it out at home for its safety, but if a crate or leash would work, I'd surely take it along. We have almost always, if not always, camped with pets of some sort from guinea pig to 2 large dogs.
Cathy
I took our GoldenDoodle with me on a 2 1/2 month trip out west last fall. He was great. I laid his pillow in the hallway at night or when I was gone from the trailer. Never jumped up on the bed or damaged anything. In a few weeks, I'm heading out with my border heeler. She's considerably more hyper and younger. We'll see how it goes. I think the key is making sure they have plenty of exercise, which works out well for making sure that I get plenty of exercise.
Thanks for all the replies, everyone. More tales and experiences welcome!
Those who travel with cats and a Scamp: do you keep the litter box in your tow vehicle, and then give your cat opportunities to use it? I would prefer it not to be inside the Scamp (only a 13), but maybe after all that would be the more convenient option. I suppose I could take the door off the porta-potty cupboard and slide a box in. Or maybe better yet, since I leave the bed up all the time, just put it way in the back under there.
The German Shepherd sometimes sleeps with me on the big bed, and sometimes on her own bed on the floor; and I'm sure Izzy the cat will figure out wherever she wants to be. After that, maybe it will be a matter of figuring out how not to get their leashes tangled, and how to make the cat go as fast as the dog wants to. "Herding cats." Hah! Well, maybe walking will be just one animal at a time.
I will probably never be able to take both the animals with me on any extended trip, but it's worth dreaming about, and maybe we'll give it a try this spring at the nearby state park before the season gets going and the population there rises. Time to start leash training the cat.
Consider a sifting litterbox from Arm & Hammer. Also converting it from clay litter to feline pine. We have traveled with 2 cats and you will find clay litter everywhere in the camper. The pellets aren't quite as bad. An extra large tweezers helps picking up the one or two pellets that get tracked out of the litter box.
We travel with a 19 lb cat and a 50 lb dog. I made a litter box from a plastic container that fits under the bed in the back of the Scamp. We haven't tried pellets but have a carpet strip that is relatively easy to shake out. The biggest pain is transferring the litter box from the SUV to the Scamp at night. We scoop the litter box out more than usual to keep the smell down, although the smell is a great way to check for Covid! The cat loves camping but is not thrilled about riding in the SUV. The cat decided that the wooden cover over the stove is his spot. We have a 50 ft leash and a harness so that the cat can poke around outside. All of our cats have been leash cats and have adapted well. The dog is a bed hog. Another annoying thing is animal food and water dishes on the floor, which occasionally get knocked over. However, we all travel quite well together.