Van Cat Life

*Note: no animals were harmed, this is intended to be humorous.

Skye begged to get a cat for years, but we had two dogs and told her that was the maximum number of four-legged creatures we could support. During the dumpster fire of 2020, our 15 ½ year old pug Boston Terrier mix died. From the parking lot of the vet who put him to sleep, she exclaimed, “it’s sad, but now we can get a cat!” After visiting the cat room at a local animal rescue for almost three years, we found a cat we thought could hang with our traveling lifestyle. She was friendly, fearless, and let us pet her teeth. She adjusted quickly to life in our brick-and-mortar home.

Five months later we embarked on a month-long road trip to Louisiana and Texas. Armed with a travel litter box, an animal backpack, a cat harness, and only five months of experience with cat ownership, we left Colorado. This what we learned:

1. Cats can meow for four hours nonstop until they are confined in an animal carrier out of earshot. So, it’s possible they can meow longer.

2. Cats will eventually get used to vehicle travel and will stop meowing. Probably after two hours of being confined in an animal carrier.

3. Cats like to sit on counters and will slide off if the brakes are used. Don’t let cats sit on counters while driving.

4. Cats will try to exit the vehicle every time a door is opened. Tether or confine cats before opening doors to avoid spending an hour coaxing them out from under gas station dumpsters.

5. Put cat harnesses on upside down. They can easily slip out of them when wearing them correctly with the leash on the top. They cannot easily slip out of them when wearing them incorrectly with the leash on the bottom.

6. Close windows before leaving cats in vehicles. This is particularly important if cats are harnessed and tethered as they can jump out and hang just above the ground, startling other campers with their loud meows.

7. Cats can sense rodents running around your camper at night and it will make them feral. They will find a way to get out and disappear until 2 a.m., to return crying and encrusted in salt from the Gulf of Mexico’s briny wind.

8. To train cats to walk on leashes, carry them away from the camper and then put them on the ground. They will walk with purpose back “home” and you look like you have the coolest cat in the world.

9. Besides waking you at 5 a.m. like a rooster, cats are wonderful travel companions.

10. You become quite popular when you travel with cats, especially if their best friend is a big dog!