Travel days with the new cats

We lucked out big time when our two new cats, Piccolo and Mac, warmed right up to us, Tanner, and the RV...well, at least the RV while it was stationary. We still had one more big obstacle to tackle, and that was their first travel day. They were trailer cats in their previous life, but we don't know if they were stationary or mobile. We tried to gradually introduce them to the RV life, choosing to moochdock on private property for their first 8 days with us, to keep them from the sights and sounds of RV parks. Depending on their history, the sounds of giant diesel pushers or couples yelling at each other while parking might not be most welcome.

We also needed to contend with their fear of dogs. While they got along with Tanner great, Tanner was the exception. They had a "no dogs" tag on their file at the shelter, but we took a risk that a low-energy senior dog wouldn't intimidate them, and we were right. However, when they first heard a dog bark outside our trailer, they ran and hid. Our non-RV park stay was mostly quiet, except for our host's tenant's overly excited pup. Turns out this may have been a blessing in disguise, though, because over the course of our stay, the cats learned that the barky dog was not part of our home. Soon, they learned to ignore him. This boded well for any RV parks we would stay at on our way back to New England, because we would surely come into close proximity to loud dogs. It's a common campground soundtrack.

We were due back in Massachusetts the weekend of July 26. We had some appointments scheduled that following week. Spending 8 days in Ohio was a trade-off; it meant more time for the kitties to adjust to their new home, but quicker moving once we left.

I did my best to plan stays that would expose the cats to RV park vibes gradually. After our 8 days of moochdocking, I booked a stay at the Mercer Pennsylvania KOA, just over the Ohio-Pennsylvania border. "But Nicole, KOAs can be sheer madness!" True, true. But this KOA was sprawled over many acres, and they allow campers to choose from a variety of sites, some of which are purposely located in the back of the campground, away from the mayhem. I even got to choose our specific site. It cost us a pretty penny because it was a deluxe patio site, but it kept us far from the amenities and gave us plenty of space between us and our neighbs. Even better, our site was situated between a cabin which remained empty for our whole stay, and a permanent site which had a resident there only part of the time, and when he was there, he was very quiet. We stayed here for 3 nights.

We kept the drive distance within our typical range, hoping we could gauge if our "normal" travel day was tolerable for the kitties. The drive totaled 244 miles and estimated to be under 4 hours without stops. We had already decided to do a long stop to give the cats a break part way through.

First, though, we needed to update our travel day checklists to add a whole lot of cat-related tasks. Anthony's tasks are mostly outdoor and directly related to the RV, so his list didn't change too much except for the order in which he checked things off. I, however, went from a super streamlined checklist to over 50 tasks that took me almost 2 hours to complete. This was even more tasks than Lily required because by the time we moved into the RV, Lily didn't have much stuff. These kitties have tons of toys, cubbies, and food/water bowls all over the place! It's a lot to put away. Then, once everything was packed, it was time to pack up the cats. We decided to use a travel day car seat that's extra large and allows the cats to ride together, but it's not a carrier and instead stays secured in the backseat of the truck. So, I needed to pack up the cats in their actual carriers and then make the transfer over to the car seat once they're in the truck. At first I used both of their carriers, one each, but this was incredibly tedious and not sustainable long-term. For starters, we didn't have enough room to fit both carriers in the truck and didn't want to take the time collapsing them. Two carriers is also way harder to carry than just one. I made the decision then and there. The cats would share a carrier into and out of the truck.

Before we took the cats home, we wondered if 8 days would be long enough for all the pets to bond. What if they were still uncomfortable with Tanner? We wouldn't be able to put them all in the backseat of the truck. We half expected to need to put Tanner in the front seat and me in the back with the cats! Thankfully, that wasn't even remotely close to happening because the cats became comfortable with Tanner immediately. Their car seat is completely enclosed by mesh material and zippers, so Tanner cannot access them and they stay secure, but the 3 of them sharing the backseat works great.

We did one test drive with all the animals a few days before our official travel day to Pennsylvania. We wanted to get the cats used to the carrier-to-car seat transfer, and also teach them that car rides do not necessarily mean going somewhere scary, like a shelter or a vet. We expected them to be good with Tanner next to them, but we didn't expect this!

As soon as Tanner jumped into his seat, the kitties moved all the way over in their car seat to be as close to him as possible. If we had any remaining reservations about seating them next to each other, they were dashed in that moment.

Ability to tolerate moving vehicles seems to vary greatly among felines. We know some cats that freak out and need meds on even short drives. We know others that consider the car their happy place and literally ask to go in it. And everything in between. We've always said we wouldn't travel if our cats hated car rides or needed to be medicated. It wouldn't be fair to them. Lily never complained much in the car and learned to tolerate it just fine, perhaps even enjoy it, but she would get car sick. The more we traveled, the less it happened, but about 10-20% of the drives would result in her digested food coming out one way or another. Mac and Piccolo aren't thrilled with the movement, but evidence so far shows that it doesn't make them physically ill. They just complain a lot, especially during the first portion of the drive. Eventually, they will fall asleep.

We'd have to say that drive day 1 was the easiest of them all. The cats were none the wiser as I packed up the rig and secured all of our items. Tanner, of course, helped me pack as usual (and by "helped," I mean watch me intently until it's time to check the cabinet latches, at which point he always gets a treat). I joked with him that his siblings hadn't yet gotten the memo and that they didn't know what they were in for. Even in the truck, they fell asleep rather quickly.

A new challenge for us was making sure the kitties have time to use their litter. It's an interesting decision we need to make as cat owners who travel. Some owners bring a litter box into the vehicle, while others don't. We had a unique situation with Lily because she wore diapers due to her incontinence. Part of the reason for our long break during drive day 1 was so the cats had ample time to use their litter, in addition to helping calm their nerves. We spent over an hour at a truck stop but wondered if this was the right choice. We needed to disturb them from their car ride slumber. The truck stop ruined our plan to gradually introduce them to loud diesel engines. They needed to navigate the rig in its "stowed" position, and they ended up not needing their litter box at all. Over the several days we had them, we learned quickly that these cats were tremendously litter trained and also had very specific times they liked to go. Perhaps middle-of-the-day drives shouldn't be such a worry after all.

Drive day 2 was a long one. We wanted to get through Pennsylvania and position us for a quick drive into New England thereafter. I booked us 2 nights at Promised Land State Park, a short drive off I-84 and only a half-hour from the tristate border of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York. This drive totaled over 300 miles. Like last time, we decided to once again make an extended stop part way through. Unlike last time, we looked for a rest area and not a truck stop, though does it really make a difference when we park next to the trucks either way?

I noticed that Mac especially was tipped off by my packing this time, and both of them fought me harder to get them in their carriers. I thought this might happen. Their day 1 ignorance was lost and they were finally realizing that a life with their chosen humans meant a life with a lot of car rides. Their complaining lasted longer and Mac dug around every inch of the car seat to find a way out, but sadly there wasn't one. They eventually fell asleep. Playing soothing music helps. They seem partial to the stylings of Nea Harp.

If Mac's look is any indication, they do not like getting back in the truck after our break. This is all good information. Does this mean we take shorter drive days with no break? Does it mean they'd rather take their breaks in the truck and we need to give them a litter box, water, and food? Or will they eventually adjust to our style of driving and be good with shorter breaks?

Our state park stay had the nature, but our loop was full and our neighbs were soaking in their summer vacations. This campground had the barking dogs. It had kids running around and riding their bikes. It had families playing raucous games of cornhole. We had one neighb playing a ukulele and another a Native American Flute. The cats handled the noise like champs. It was clear that the more places they camped, the more they understood that our home was within the aluminum walls, and everything outside of them was only temporary. We learned with Tanner and Lily that RVing is a great way to expand a pet's comfort zone while keeping the comfort of home with them. We were happy to see that this was the effect on Mac and Piccolo, too. Promised Land State Park was our home for 2 nights.

Our last big drive day got us to Massachusetts. We stayed at Pine Lake RV Resort just over the Connecticut-Massachusetts border. The reservations website allowed me to book a specific site, and I diligently browsed every part of the resort (and it's a big one!), ultimately deciding on an end-of-row site in a smaller loop. There's only so much we can do when booking a site. Sometimes campgrounds are surprisingly quiet and other times they're a circus. This loop wasn't even close to full, but the campers we did have nearby could really fill a campground, if you know what I mean. By this point, we were convinced that our cats got a crash course in "Ignore that dog." This will do them well.

I'll save a more comprehensive review of Pine Lake for the next post, but let's talk about the drive. This was supposed to be our shortest of all, just over 200 miles and 3 hours without stops. We needed to stop early on to get gas because we had nowhere to get it while unhitched at the state park. We didn't let any of the pets out of the truck because they had just settled in, and by "settled," I mean settled into their routine of meowing up a storm and Mac scouring the car seat for a way out. He got extra pushy this time, attempting to bite open the zipper. I wonder what Tanner must think of the panic. But, as always, eventually the kitties settled down and fell asleep. Once in a while they'd wake up, realize they were still mobile and meow, and then fall asleep once again.

We expected to take another break, but once we were under the 2-hour mark and everyone was content, we wondered if we should push the distance and just get the drive done. Rest stops would become fewer and more congested as we made our way through Connecticut, which meant an extended break might not be in the cards anyway. Why stress everyone out if we could keep on trucking?

But then, New England wreaked havoc on our drive, as it often tends to do. We hit traffic, and then later, thunderstorms. The slow moving added an extra hour to our drive, but the further we went, the less we could do. We decided to just crawl our way to Pine Lake and hope to be out of the storms by the time we got there.

Ironically, this felt like the longest drive for us even though it was still the shortest. As for the kitties? We think we might be onto something with the whole "don't disturb them when they're asleep" thing. Piccolo has gotten the litter routine down pat. She has now used it once during a break and once right after a drive day. Mac hasn't had any issues, typically using the litter in the early mornings, so he's all set for the drive. Our other concern is keeping them hydrated, and we're especially paranoid after seeing what dehydration would do to Lily's urinary issues. Thankfully, the cats are fantastic about drinking lots of water at the end of drive days, and we always give them broth-based kitty snacks, though the jury is still out on whether or not they actually like them.

Moving forward, we have decisions to make. These drive days needed to be fairly far and fairly often, but once we have more flexibility in our schedule, we can decide if long or short drives make the most sense. We also think that we might be able to train the cats to drink water on command, which will allow us to offer them water without taking them out of the truck for long periods of time. A lot is still up in the air, but so far we are thrilled with how the cats have taken to the travel life. There is no doubt in our minds that they were meant to be ours, and every adventure they have with us solidifies that belief even more.