Still more on RVing

[JackieOnLine]

wow, you really were lucky you didn't lose your cat!

we took ours camping when I was a kid and she hated it: if you didn't remember to lock her up somewhere before any camping equipment came out or packing activity went on, you couldn't find her.

and we were very glad for the harness/leash once when she wedged herself in between the pickup and the camper on the back and did NOT want to come out.

The other two fat cats act like they are paralyzed at first, and sit around pouting.

that sounds about right

 

[jillc]

Ouch about the price, but it looks like you're all set now. Can't wait to hear about your RVentures

 

[DianaCox]

My son is beside himself at the thought that we are going to take them camping and lose them, especially escape artist Loki, or that the stress will kill fat boy Onyx (because he TOTALLY stresses in the cat carrier and poops every single time, plus he's so fat and about 9 years old). He just had to put his cat down a couple of weeks ago (she was found struggling to breathe one morning, and by the afternoon, they determined she was going to die of pulmonary edema anyway), so he's pretty emotional about it.

I think it makes sense that we don't take them ALL with us the first couple of times, and certainly not on a long trip - and that Onyx gets his intro to RVing by himself. We need to figure out where they will be allowed to be while the rig is moving too - we cannot allow them to distract Charles while he's driving, or to get around the pedals or steering wheel. I think I know what to do (close them off behind the curtain in the bedroom/bathroom area, with a baby gate making moving the bottom of the curtain impossible) but Charles thinks locking them in the playpen would be better. We'll see.

I don't want to be stupid or selfish about this, but even with a "babysitter" at the house, the cats are not happy when we are gone - they miss having us around and their routines. Lately, we have been having to lock them out of our bedroom when we are away, because Loki has expressed his annoyance by pissing on our bed, and not having access to our room upsets all of them too. And if we leave them home, SOMEONE has to be here to feed them and clean the poop canoe (we use one GIANT litterbox), and while both of my kids are living at home at the moment, that isn't going to last long.

It's interesting that generally, cats are considered easier pets to have, but where RVing is concerned, I think dogs are easier.

 

[JackieOnLine]

that sounds true in general - after my last cats I thought if I ever had another one I would start taking them with for trips while they were young and then it wouldn't be such an ordeal for everyone.

 

[DianaCox]

Yup - trying to teach old cats (well sorta old) new tricks.

 

[southernlady]

Sometimes trying to teach "old" dogs new tricks can be problematic as well.
Desi & Lucy have ALWAYS ridden in the back seat since they were just 2 months old, for a LONG time with a safety belt attached to their harness. They just got use to staying in back and are fine back there.

Rose, OTOH is use to having run of the car, my daddy didn't keep her in back and many times, she was in his way. So we got her...and she is FINALLY getting the message she is to stay in the back...she still forgets but will go back when reminded. She's also learning that she doesn't get to go EVERYWHERE with us, esp in the summer. Leaving a dog in the car in the summer here is as dangerous as leaving a child.

 

[DianaCox]

OMG - we just picked it up (we're actually driving back to the storage area now). It ended up nearly $2600, and we're taking the Jeep back next week to get a hitch and bike carrier added to the Jeep for another $250. But it works! I can't wait to hit the road with this!

 

[Spiky Bugger]

So...

[(Price of RV + tweaking + price of toad + repairs+ cost of insurance on both RV and toad + total campground fees + plus accessories to include kitchen stuff and cat accommodations) / number of miles driven by you two to date] + cost per gallon of fuel to drive/haul the stuff around = why we dumped the RV in favor of room service and hotels with multiple stars...and I don 't want to cook or do dishes.

Back to packing for my train trip now.

Lol


PS---Mr. Sue said to tell you and Charles that you are welcome at our home any time...and that we live at the KOA campground outside of Filmore, Utah.

 

[bearmom]

There are some things about our RV that would NOT be OK for a cat. We have at least one cabinet under the kitchen seating that is a second access to electrical stuff, and it is designed to also be accessible from the outside. I'm pretty sure a small animal could get in or out of our RV if I left that cabinet door open. Make sure you know which, if any cabinets may have inside and outside access and never let cats try those. Or screen them.

Otherwise, a totally enclosed cabinet with fluff stuff in it is a perfect cat bed if you can spare the storage space. My cat loved the tight dark quarters, and didn't even mind when we shut the door for a bit like when we had the main door open at a gas station or something that we did not want him to get out. My cat was pretty dog like, but he absolutely became accustomed to traveling, and really liked it.

 

[DianaCox]

(Thought I posted this hours ago ...)
Safely arrived at storage area, figured out how to unhitch and stow everything (had a problem with one side of the hitch - I had to go to the back of the Jeep and lean in and lift the rear), disconnect the auto brake, and oops forgot to put the parking brake on the Jeep first! - and put the Jeep back in driving configuration. I'm sure it will eventually become second nature, but it seems very challenging at first!

And yup, it is going to be a while before we "recoup" the sunk costs, but part of the pleasure we're getting out of this is the planning and setting up. And perhaps perversely, I LIKE camp cooking and even washing the dishes - something I don't do at home.

And tell Mr. Sue it's too late - my GoogleFu skills (together with some insider info) located your home address already, and the only thing that's keeping me from telling Kirmy - so she can retaliate in the war of the housewarming gifts - is my promise I wouldn't do it (though I am really regretting it right now!). Thought that DOES look like a nice KOA: http://koa.com/campgrounds/fillmore/

We aren't going to take the kitties on this next trip, as it is going to be ~ 10 days. We'll start out with just an overnight or two the first time we take them out. We still need to get them used to the playpen (it's sitting in the guest room, open for them to walk in and out), and to using a cat box in it (we bought a smaller secondary one, as the "poop canoe" is too big). Then we'll close them up inside the playpen in the house. Then we'll try putting them in the playpen OUTSIDE in the courtyard.

In the meantime, I'm trying to train them to accept a harness and leash. I'm putting them in their harnesses several hours a day. At first, two of them (Fat Boy Onyx and voluptuous Mimi) acted like they were paralyzed by the tightness - and both of them managed to get out of the harness when I wasn't looking. Loki didn't seem to mind - so I tried taking him outside in the courtyard with the leash. Now keep in mind, he's the escape artist - he's ALWAYS wanting to get out if the door isn't carefully attended. He usually goes to ground when I yell at him to stop, so I can pick him up and bring him back inside. But outside with ME, he acts like he knows he's not supposed to be out there, and runs for the door to go back IN! It will be a process.

 

[Munchkin]

And it's just amazing that Charles is feeling so well, so soon! Bravo!

 

[DianaCox]

He had his checkup yesterday - and didn't get the other drain out - it was still "producing" too much fluid. And he elected to keep his stitches in another week. We're hoping he can get them out on Wednesday.

He's still nowhere near up to full speed, but I am amazed how well he is doing. At 2.5 week out post brachioplasty and lower face lift I was a freaking basket case, barely moving and stoned on Percoset day and night and having panic attacks. Today, he got up really early, drove down to the storage area, drove the RV from the storage area up to the hitch shop, and then drove it back, towing the Jeep, where the two of us unhitched it, put Sallie back to "bed" for another week (closing curtains, windows, blinds), and then drove us home.

 

[JackieOnLine]

glad to hear things are going so well, seems like with mature kitties slowly will eventually work. and I guess Charles is superman!

 

[DianaCox]

We just did our first outside experience in the playpen outside. They weren't happy, but they didn't freak out either. I stayed outside with them - one issue - it's a little crowded in there with two cat beds then none of them want to use. I'll probably take the cat beds out and maybe put down a towel or something. I also think if I put them in the sun (they were in a shaded courtyard today), where they can see the birds, they will be more entertained. Normally, they are in bed or in the living room, "watching" TV - they are addicted to technology . It will be a process.

 

[Munchkin]

Get a baby blanket you can roll up when not in use. One of those fleece ones that dry in about 10 minutes. Then you can get rid of the beds.