Video: Introducing Kitten To The Truck Camper

Camper_Jeff_&_Kelli wrote:
Archie Goes To Truck Camper School
Many of you know we recently lost our cat Charlie to old age. We adopted a kitten, Archie and he's getting bigger fast. We brought him out to the truck camper to get him used to it so he can learn to travel. If this should be posted in the pet forum, moderator feel free to do so. Enjoy. J&K

I have shared this picture before. We lost him to lymphoma in February 2018. His name was also Archie. That is a good easy name for a cat to understand, and we also used "Arch" as well.

On the beach in Port Townsend while camping:


One thing we did different from your training is we NEVER let him go in/out of the camper without being carried. We didn't want any idea in his head that it is okay to go through the door on his own.

Archie would ride in a pet bed in the backseat of the truck. He was never caged or put in a carrier. Of course he always had his harness on, and the leash was clipped in a seat belt - just in case he got a crazy idea to jump out a door or window. Often on night drives he would sit on the center armrest and 'talk' to the other vehicles as they went by.

We live in the country, and he would always sleep quietly until he started to see trees out the window. That meant (to him) that we were almost home. The last 1/4 mile up the gravel lane was the only time he was allowed on my lap while driving. I would put the window down and he would hang on the window sill until we were stopped. Then I would open the door and set him on the ground - again, never letting him jump out on his own. He would run to the back door and wait for us to let him in. This did occasionally create 'false positives' when we were in other areas with trees as he thought we were home. LOL!

We have only been camping twice since we lost him. The camper seems empty without him. DW is against another cat (even though she wanted our first cat back in 1995), because she is afraid of the impact it will have on her recently remodeled house. Makes me sad as I miss the companionship.

-Eric

Last month I had a cat move in. I hadn't intended on a cat at this point in life, but the Cat Gods poo-poohed that idea and sent him to my door (literally).

He is very social, so cannot stay home alone like my prior cat. He has been learning camping cat rules. Harness is to be worn at all times - ID tag attached with our license plate number for both the SUV and the camper. Microchipped. Always leashed before a door is opened. I found a great lightwieght 15 ft cat tether so I can attach him to the camper without restricting his movements inside. Always in a cat carrier while driving. We got one that lets him see everything going on, but he is secure.

We also have a portable cat crate big enough for him, his box, bowls and pillow. This will rarely be used, but it's there is we need it.

He has been practicing sitting outside on the front porch with his tether. Soon we will do a short trip with him.

When a dog spooks they usually look to their owner for protection. When a cat spooks, they hide from everyone including their owner. So he will NEVER go outside without being tethered, on a leash or in a carrier/crate.

Camper_Jeff_&_Kelli wrote:

JoeChiOhki wrote:
We'll be doing this hopefully this fall with the two new brothers we adopted, Haru and Harlock.

Are they named for literary characters?

Anime Characters actually :). Haru is from a series called "My roommate is a Cat" and the other is Space Pirate Captain Harlock from the classic 1970s Anime series, "Captain Harlock".

That’s awesome Jeff. I was wondering if we’d be seeing a new cat buddy after Charlie passed on. I love Archie’s markings. Glad to see him getting used to the harness and leash.

I never thought it would come to this, but we are traveling with three cats currently. We had just one for the longest time, and then the boss decided she was going to “foster” kittens for the local humane society. She failed, miserably. So now we have three.

We just returned from a three week trip up the east coast all the way to Bar Harbor, ME. That was an experience. You do have to keep a close watch on cats, and ours are never allowed outside without a harness and leash, even at home. They are all good travelers and seem to have learned that they don’t leave the camper or the truck cab without being in our arms or on the leash.

Kahlua (brown fur) in the “window seat”. She’s about 20 years old, and is definitely the senior cat.
Selina (tortoise shell) sprawled on the table. She’s about 3.
Dixxie (calico) curled up on the seat. Two years old.


:):)

JoeChiOhki wrote:
We'll be doing this hopefully this fall with the two new brothers we adopted, Haru and Harlock.

Are they named for literary characters?

We'll be doing this hopefully this fall with the two new brothers we adopted, Haru and Harlock.

I know of worse things that have happened to pets at stops like forgetting the dog was hooked onto the trailer hitch and driving down the road. Our pets are always in a harness on leash and both of us watching.

We was always so afraid to bring along our CAT on the RV trips...

We had a bad experience moving from Sacramento CA to Virginia with two house cats... We was driving a pickup truck pulling a car and a moving Van cross country... At a roadside stop over one cat went outside to pee and we could never find him again... He was probably just a few feet away from us watching us from the bushes looking for him... We eventually had to move on without him... Nard thing to do with our pets haha...

Our dog would always answer up or come back to us when called etc...

Roy ken