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mojo_norte
Senior Nomad
Posts: 725
Registered: 2-14-2006
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Traveling with Kitty..
Kitty's (Cat) 1st Baja road trip. New 3 year old Tom (mutt) from the pound..mostly inside cat.. he's a bit nervous - traveling in small RV. camping
w/ occasional hotel. I'm a bit nervous about the army check points..
Tips?
Advice ?
Anecdotes?
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Hook
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9010
Registered: 3-13-2004
Location: Sonora
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Exactly what is it you think they might do to this cat?
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jeans
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I traveled to Texas & back with a cat who I thought was just "nervous" in the car, but her distress grew by the hour and it was not a fun trip. I
had to stop and buy a harness and a leash after she tried to bolt when I opened the door...putting her in a crate only made her wailing MEOWS intolerable.
Just make sure your cat cannot make a mad dash for freedom or it will be "Adios Gato".
In hindsight I should have accustomed her to car traveling before the trip.
Mom always told me to be different - Now she says...Not THAT different
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longlegsinlapaz
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Either get him used to a harness (more secure than a collar) & leash or get a cat carrier to confine him in. It'll be a hassle either way, but if
you plan on driving through several check points a day, I'd keep him in it rather than battle getting him inside for each checkpoint! If you want to
be really nice to him & have the space, get him a small dog carrier so he's got more space. If he's not a willing traveler to begin with, he'll
probably appreciate the "security" of his own private little room! But be prepared to hear him howl his heart out for at least the first 30 minutes
of travel each & every time you stuff him in the kennel. And don't even try
stuffing him in the kennel head first! Hold him facing you, stare right into his adoring little eyes, talk sweet & shove him in butt first &
slam the door in his fuzzy little face. His little paw will reach out through the grid pathetically pleading with you & then the
howling will begin. Steel yourself to tell him it's for his own good & he's in lock-up because you love him & he'd hate
having to scrounge up his own food out in the desert for the rest of his 8 lives!!  And whatever you do, DON'T believe him when he promises to stick around camp!!! Keep him tied when outside & never leave him
outside alone or the desert creatures might make a quick meal of him! Enjoy your trip!!
Hook.....Checkpoint aren't real concerned with keeping cats inside the vehicle when they do inspections, there is a very good chance that they might
let him out of the rig by accident to become a desert Kitty!
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BigWooo
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We have two cats that travel with us. We keep them in a large dog type cage that sits on the back seat of the truck when we're driving. Army usually
doesn't pay any attention to them. If they do, it's only curiosity.
Our Gato Lito enjoying Bahia Concepcion
[Edited on 2-13-2008 by BigWooo]
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Sallysouth
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Location: Capo Beach
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Mood: missing Baja...
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That is one beautiful Gato!! I used to have a cat that traveled with us from No. Cal to Loreto and south.We had an Airstream trailer with bathroom in
the back, toilet in the rear.That cat would wrap himself around the loo and when we stopped for lunch in the middle of no where, he would jump out and
go explore the desert.After a lunch and Margi, we would load up the kids, call the cat , and back on the road.That was one traveling cat and certainly
not the norm! He actually taught himself to use the toilet. Heck of a great gato.  Just watch out for the Coyotes and locals peros.
Happiness is just a Baja memory away...
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DENNIS
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Sallysouth
That is one beautiful Gato!! |
Indeed!!!!!!!!!!!!
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oladulce
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Travel with Kitty
I certainly agree with Kate and the success of your travel with Kitty will depend on his nature. I'd highly recommend some practice trips in your RV
to see how he does.
The first cat for BigWooo and I was a sweetie, but he hated to ride in a car. The poor guy spent about 3 mo of each of his 17 yrs at the "Cat Hotel"
while we traveled for a month at a time. It broke our hearts every time we dropped him off, but we would have all been miserable on those Baja drives
and I'm sure he would have escaped off in to the desert at the first opportunity rather than get back in the truck.
We vowed not to subject another pet to such long-term kennel stays while we traveled and had no plans to own another gato. Then Lito (pictured above)
and his sister were abandoned by their feral mother in our Baja bodega last year and out-the-window went those lifestyle plans. At 2 mo old, these two
Mexicano gatos rode back to Calif with us and did great on another Baja trip and proved to be great travelers.
In an instant we went from a couple of carefree travelers to the owners of 2 cats. Even worse, we reluctantly became (ugh) "cat people". At 9 months,
the girl slipped out of the house to be with Wooo while he washed the truck, and was hit by a car. We were devastated by the loss and I offer this
background to explain that we are extra-paranoid about our gatos to this day.
Lito was lost without his sister so we got 4 month old Kiko as a companion for him. A couple of weeks after we brought her home we took a Baja trip
and they both did great while driving and sleeping in the camper. I don’t know if it’s the early exposure to car travel or just their personalities
that make this do-able. It sounds like Sally had a very unique cat that she could call, and it would come back to the RV. I wouldn’t trust either one
of ours to return upon command!
We remove the back seat of our crewcab where we can fit large plastic Rubbermaid containers for supplies for our trips. The large dog carrier where
both cats ride sits on top of the containers and is strapped down securely. It’s not quite as traumatic as Longlegs in LP describes to get them in
there, thank goodness, and even when we’re tempted to let them out during long drives thru the desert, we find that it’s really much easier for all
parties if they just stay in the kennel. I offer them dry food a couple of times on the all-day drives but they don’t eat much on the travel days and
usually sleep the whole time.
You can buy disposable litter pans from Petsmart etc and these fit perfectly inside of a 18 gal. Rubbermaid container. You can put the lid on during
travel and it helps keep the litter contained. Our cats jumped right in to the container the first time without coaxing and we move the entire
container back in to the camper at night to keep litter under control in the small living quarters.
Lito jumps right on to our shoulder when we take him from the cab to the camper, but Kiko can get a little squirrelly when you carry her out in the
open. You can get a cardboard transport box (Petsmart has them in the pet adoption area) that folds up flat and is perfect for travel which is what we
use for her sometimes. She often does much better if she can’t see where she’s going.
Except for going from the cab to the camper when we carry them, our gatos only go out with harnesses on. They are 100% house cats at home in Calif.
but in Baja we use harnesses (“small dog” sized harnesses is what I got) and retractable leashes and they wait at the door every morning and
“complain” until we get their harness out to go exploring around the yard. They’re usually only out for about 15 min before tiring and are ready to go
back in the house, and they don’t fuss the rest of the day. Cats are weird.
That’s all the tips I can offer right now, but I think your travel success is mostly dependent on the personality of Kitty. Buena suerte and I hope it
works out.
Kiko out for a stroll a couple of days ago.
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DanO
Super Nomad
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Registered: 8-26-2003
Location: Not far from the Pacific
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| Quote: | Originally posted by morgaine7
Cats aren't real good at respecting a driver's need to concentrate. |
Yep, I made the mistake of putting a cat in the car (for a trip to the vet) without a carrier -- once. I put it in the backseat, and as soon as we
pulled out of the driveway, it jumped up and dug its claws into the sides of my face, clamping my head to the headrest. Must've been something to
see, a screaming guy swerving all over the street while attempting to tear a howling cat's claws off of his face. I don't believe we ever made it to
the vet in that configuration. I also recall a 10-hour drive in a car with someone else's cat in a carrier in back. It howled the entire time. Cats
are territorial creatures for a reason -- they generally only travel on their own terms. If I had to travel with one on a lengthy drive, I'd consult
a vet on whether there is some kitty equivalent of valium available.
\"Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible.\" -- Frank Zappa
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Barry A.
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My old 18 lb bluepoint male simese would run to the car whenever we were leaving, begging to get in, and then he would have his front legs on the
dashboard, like a dog, and would really get exciting, looking at everything as we cruized along. What a hoot!!!! You just never know------and
simese are wierd, noisy, but delightful!!!
Barry
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Sallysouth
Super Nomad
Posts: 1835
Registered: 10-9-2003
Location: Capo Beach
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Mood: missing Baja...
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Yeah, Oladulce, Kinda like Barry says, ya just never know. I would always do a test drive with a cat.Mostly, they either hide or freak and get under
the peddles, or on your back/head! My gato was one huge long haired black cat named Stokley (after Stokley Carmicheal) and I think he was more like a
dog than a cat.Kitty kitty never worked.Whistle and call his name. BTW, where do you find your beautiful cats?I think Lito is gorgeous but Kiko is
stunning!!! The markings on Kiko are unusual and what beautiful eyes! Baja cats rule....
Happiness is just a Baja memory away...
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vandenberg
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Train your pooch.
No more cat runaround
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djh
Senior Nomad
Posts: 936
Registered: 1-2-2005
Location: Earth mostly. Loreto, N. ID, Big Island
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Mood: Mellow fellow, plays a yellow cello...
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| Quote: | Originally posted by longlegsinlapaz
But be prepared to hear him howl his heart out for at least the first 30 minutes of travel each & every time you stuff him in the kennel. And don't even try stuffing him in the kennel head first! Hold him facing you,
stare right into his adoring little eyes, talk sweet & shove him in butt first & slam the door in his fuzzy little face. His little paw will
reach out through the grid pathetically pleading with you & then the howling will begin. Steel yourself to tell him it's for his
own good & he's in lock-up because you love him & he'd hate having to scrounge up his own food out in the desert for the rest of his 8 lives!!
And whatever you do, DON'T believe him when he promises to stick
around camp!!! Keep him tied when outside & never leave him outside alone or the desert creatures might make a quick meal of him!
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I vote we make legs our official BajaNo-MadCat Psychologist. I have 5... and have been paying dues at the kitty alter for over 30 years.... And,
Legs, you've got it nailed!!
djh
Its all just stuff and some numbers.
A day spent sailing isn\'t deducted from one\'s life.
Peace, Love, and Music
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longlegsinlapaz
Super Nomad
Posts: 1685
Registered: 11-18-2005
Location: La Paz
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Thanks djh, but MY vote is to hire Vandenberg to train more of those puppies to "SIT!"on command! If that pup grew
up to the size he looks like he coulda, then there's probably a trail of dead, maimed or VERY OBEDIENT cats in his path! Poor kitty!!
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elizabeth
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Location: Loreto, BCS
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Sallysouth
Kiko is stunning!!! The markings on Kiko are unusual and what beautiful eyes! Baja cats rule.... |
Kiko looks a lot like an occicat...I have one that looks like Kiko except my cat's stripes have broken up more into spots. Same color, same eyes that
look as if they have eyeliner! Occicats are bred from Siamese, Abyssinian, and Tabby. They are very lean, tend to be a bit vocal, are bred to be
spotted, but not all are to the same degree, and are known for the ease with which they are halter trained. Got mine from the local pound...no one
can figure out why such a beautiful cat sat there for 2 months...but, she was 2 1/2 and everyone wanted kittens. And she travels well...at least
locally!
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Sallysouth
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Elizabeth, I have never Halter trained a cat, guess I never had to. How is that done? and how is that word pronounced(occicat)? She really is a
beauty.That is an exotic mix of breeds.
[Edited on 2-15-2008 by Sallysouth]
Happiness is just a Baja memory away...
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vgabndo
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Sally! A black cat named Stokley
I knew there was another reason I liked you!
This is Bunz, trying to pretend that she's adorable. Cath and I have had her longer than the 15+ years we've been married.
Undoubtedly, there are people who cannot afford to give the anchor of sanity even the slightest tug. Sam Harris
"The situation is far too dire for pessimism."
Bill Kauth
Carl Sagan said, "We are a way for the cosmos to know itself."
PEACE, LOVE AND FISH TACOS
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vandenberg
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5118
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My puss will outdo your puss anytime.
And my Lhasa doesn't even have to sit on him to keep 'm in line.
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elizabeth
Senior Nomad
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Sallysouth
Elizabeth, I have never Halter trained a cat, guess I never had to. How is that done? and how is that word pronounced(occicat)? She really is a
beauty.That is an exotic mix of breeds.
[Edited on 2-15-2008 by Sallysouth] |
occicat is pronounced sort of like ocelot...I guess that was the breeding idea...a spotted cat that looked like a naturally spotted cat. I realized
after I said "halter trained", what I really should have said was harness trained like in oladulce's photo. I don't know how an expert would do it,
but what I did was put the harness on, attach the lead, and then whenever my cat stopped fighting it, I would relax the lead. It didn't take long for
her to get it.
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oladulce
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| Quote: | Originally posted by elizabeth
Kiko looks a lot like an occicat... |
Kiko is a Bengal- “Silver spotted”. Bengals are a cross between a wild cat from the forests of Asia (the Asian Leopard Cat) and several domestic
breeds like Siamese, Abyssinians, and Maus for the colors and to tame the wild nature of the Leopard Cat. Kiko is 5 generations from her Leopard Cat
ancestor.
Good guess Elizabeth, because she does look like some Occicats, but Bengals tend to retain some wild traits. She’s shy, intense (about play mostly),
uses her paws like hands to open doors and cabinets and unscrew lids from bottles, and is most comfortable when up high- ladders, rafters etc.
But the most unique is the behavior in this video that I’ve posted before:
kikomojado
To her running water is not play, it’s an obsession. Can’t leave the door closed with the shower or tub running or she’d claw and head butt her way in
til she was unconscious. Since the Asian Leopard Cat will hunt fish, this may explain the water thing. I thought she’d go nuts when I took her down to
the water in Bahia Concepcion, but she paid no attention and chased crabs instead.
Kiko is not a cat that I would have expected to be a good traveler which is why I think mojo_norte should give their Kitty some trial runs – they may
be surprised.
[Edited on 2-15-2008 by oladulce]
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