Cat Camping

 

Y'all meet Tali, our ~17 year old rescued tabby cat.  

Like any cat, she thinks she's the queen of the house, and as the sole survivor of our critters, she pretty much is.  She sleeps in our bed at home, (just walked across my keyboard to tell y'all: "23£££££" whatever that means), meows whenever she thinks we've taken too long to get her wet food out, and is addicted to Churus.  

We kennel her for any trip longer than two nights away (that's one of the great things about self-reliant cats) but after having kenneled her for our two week-long Thanksgiving trip we would have had to kennel her for nearly another two weeks over Christmas and New Years.  And we really didn't want her to spend that much time in a small Kitty Kondo.

So, after a bit of blog and internet research, and some shopping on Amazon, I'm sitting here on Christmas Day with Tali snuggled beside me and really glad she's here and not in the kennel.  However, I will say, it wasn't all roses getting here.... but we'll save that for the end.

Here's a list of the things we bought to make camping with a cat for Christmas do-able:

A portable, collapsible crate:

We wanted something to contain her at night, and anytime we would be in and out of the camper (so that she wouldn't have a chance to dart out of the camper door and explore the great outdoors). We sized out the crate we bought to make sure she'd have room for food and water, her litter box, and her bed, but not have the playpen take up too much space in the camper.

We bought it well before we planned to take her camping, set it up in the living room of the house, and would occasionally throw cat treats in it to entice her to get in and check it out.  After a few days of that, we'd zip up the door with her inside and give her treats, then eventually we took it (and her) out to the camper in the driveway so she could explore the camper and associate the kennel with the camper.  The top of the playpen zips off, which made it really easy to place items inside and clean out the litter box once we were camping. 

Which is the number one thing that everyone seems to ask about when camping with a cat: what do you do with the litter box?

Skoon Disposable Litter boxes  - We've used Skoon litter at home for several years now, and I wish I had known about when we first got the cats.  Its a non-clumping large granule litter so there's minimal tracking thru the house.  The disposal boxes were perfect for camping b/c we don't have to bring another pan or clean up one at the end of the trip. We did use dog poop bags to scoop out her poop and throw it away to keep the litter box clean after each use. (BTW - since this is a non-clumping litter, you stir it each use, and won't see 'piles' of stuck together liter from pee.) As we sit here 5 days into camping with a cat, I can attest there is _zero_ cat smell in our camper. 

A water fountain for her water bowl.  Similar with the kennel/playpen, we bought this in advance so she could get used to drinking from it at home before we took her camping.  Tali is a notorious water splasher, so we we hopeful that perhaps the already-splashy water fountain would deter some of that.  But, knowing that she is spitefully stubborn, we also bought puppy training pads to fit in the kennel to sop up any water spills.  Since the playpen has a zipoff top it was easy to thread the power cord thru the top of the kennel and over to an outlet in the wall. 

Soft Couch Cover: Knowing that Tali would be all over the camper (like she's all over the furniture at home) and our sleeper sofa is faux-leather, we decided to buy a couch cover to protect it from her claws.  I probably could have gone for a slightly smaller size, as there's a bit of excess material that I have to keep tucking in every time I sit on the couch, but I think I'd rather have the extra than have an area of the couch not covered.    

We can tell she's pretty comfortable here in the camper with us, and hasn't minded at all being in her kennel at night and the few times we've left the camper to run errands.  Overall, it's been a good experience for the three of us.  

But I told you it wasn't all roses, right? 

The trip up here - a 4 hour drive - was not so good. Tali cried. The. Entire. Way. You'd have thought that she'd settle in after an hour or so, but nope. She didn't. Also, like us, you've probably heard that a cat won't soil itself in a carrier while traveling. Well. I'm here to tell you that is not the case. So when we got to our campsite at nearly midnight we had to wait for our water to warm up so that we could bathe her, and then, stay up to help her dry completely (and stop shivering) because it was the first of three nights of below freezing weather.

She may look cute now, but we are not looking forward to the trip back home.  

And another potential bath. 

Know that you can research and be creative and prepared (we even have the name, number, and address of a local 24 hr vet b/c she's geriatric and you never know), but if your cat doesn't travel well and you don't know that, well, it will bookend the trip in ways you likely won't want to ever repeat again. 

_________xoxoxo__________

We were so grateful to have taken Tali with us on this trip, as it was her last great adventure: after taking a turn for the worst with her kidney disease just two weeks later, we made the impossibly difficult decision to let her sleep.  These last pictures and memories of her are something we'll remember fondly. 

Even with the baths.

Blogging: Behind the Scenes #2

Just because she doesn't come camping, doesn't mean she can't be on the blog.  

My little editor is sleeping on the job!

Happy New Year 2021!

 I think we're all glad to have turned the page from 2020...

Diesel wishes you the best smells and treats (and health!) 

as we continue camping into 2021.

Meow-ry Cat-Mas.

 

She doesn't get to travel with us 

(and she's probably glad for that!) but

Tali wishes you all a very Merry Christmas.

She also says: The tree may be small, 

but she can still destroy it.   

Blogging: Behind the Scenes

In case you wondered what it looks like to make a blog post:

I have a very demanding editor...

Home again, home again, jiggety jig

"Here we go camping again," I posted on FaceBook, "who nose what kind of adventures we'll get in to!"

Sooo, I'm typing this from my kitchen table.  Back at home.  In the middle of a camping weekend.   Because there was a short list of items, we realized on the way to Lake Somerville State Park, that we had forgotten: from needed medication (me) to motorcycle keys (RDB).  What was it someone said about the best laid plans of mice and men...?

Without the bike keys, it meant last night we slept with the bike in the toy hauler like we were boondocking.  I figure it at least gives us an idea of what it'll be like with Diesel and the Harley in there with us (more space than we imagined, actually).  For those who were worried that Diesel wouldn't be coming with us anymore, or that he wouldn't have enough space, I'm here to tell you he probably had the best night sleep out of the three of us.

The cats, on the other hand, were not exactly happy to see us home early:

Dang it, Mom, meow I have to hide all the cat-nip.

We grabbed the items we needed, had lunch with Bestie, and then spent the better part of the heat of the day at home (blogging and watching YouTube videos) before heading back over to the park.  When it comes to learning new habits in a new camper, you just have to be patient and flexible.

Tips & Tricks #3: Camping is for the Dogs!

Because he might lick you to death.

By now, I'm sure you've figured out, we love camping - with our Pup.  I won't say it hasn't been challenging - from having to plan for his meals (he's on a raw diet) and all the looks you get from people who mistakenly think that he's aggressive, and having to figure out what to do with him while you're trying to set up and break down (come to find out - he likes to curl up in the driver's seat... and occasionally honk the horn!)  It can be tryinga t times, but I think any dog owner will tell you that the love and loyalty that a dog gives makes all the extra work worth while.

So, a few things that we do, or bring, to make the dog days of camping a bit more fun:

Notice the reflective collar - it's the first thing I grab out of the camper, as we're heading out, and change Diesel into.  Not only is it reflective, it's bright orange, and even lights up with a detachable rechargeable battery pack.  I was looking for something with high visibility for our deer-like dog while camping.  There's no mistaking him for wildlife when he's got his camping necklace on!

Attached to the collar are his dog tags - one that has all of his important, constant info engraved on it (name, our phone number, his rabies tag number, Harris Co. licence number, microchip and vet phone numbers) and another tag that is temporary. It has our check-in and -out dates on one side and the camp site number on the other.  I use a permanent marker and the metal-ringed paper tags (find them at the office supply store).  They've lasted through rain, dirt, and some chewing.  Good enough for a weekend trip - in case he gets loose, I want people to very quickly be able to return him to us.

And hopefully, we won't ever have to worry about him getting loose, because we use a trolley system to keep him in the campsite.  The red steel cable in the pic above attaches to another steel cable that runs between two posts we drive into the ground (or in this case, one post and one perfectly placed tree).  The trolley gives him the ability to have some space to roam around in, but be securely within the boundaries of our site.  Keep in mind, different campgrounds have different rules about dogs-on-leash and driving posts in the ground.  Most TX State Parks require no more than a 6' lead, but we've not had any problem with this system.  We make sure Diesel is well inside the boundaries of our site - and that there's plenty of space between him and the road.

Once inside the camper, we use a collapsible crate.  Diesel is crate trained at home, so he's very comfortable going in and laying down in his 'house.'  We bring the same blankets that he has in his crate at home so they smell like him and are familiar.  One gets placed over the top of the crate to make a 'cave' and the other is tossed inside for him to lay on - he's happy as can be to just lie in there and sleep.  This crate lives in the camper, folded down compactly and on the bunk end.  Since we don't need the extra bunk for sleeping and we use it for storage while we camp - it's become Diesel's bunk at this point, too!

We carry a box that's specifically for Diesel stuff - and this one goes with us on trips that aren't just camping trips, so it doesn't stay in the camper.  Let's see, there's a set of bowls, the trolley system I was talking about earlier, a small bottle of dog shampoo, some of his favorite treats (freeze dried salmon), the markers and tags from earlier, spare poop bags, a training snap (in the bowl), a spare leash, harness, and collar, and his dogie first aid kit (small white bag).  It contains the following:

• Instant ice pack
• Two sizes of sterile pads
• Tape (same stuff the vet gives us to post his ears)
• Triple antibiotic ointment
• Fine point sharp scissors
• Quick Blood Stopper (styptic powder)
• Q-tips
• Alcohol swabs
• Benedryl (1mg/10lbs)
• Ace bandage (in case we need to muzzle him)

It was also suggested that we take along a pair of pliers (in case of encounters with a porcupine or cactus) which we already have in the tool set in the camper, and also hydrogen peroxide (to induce vomiting) and I've got that in my Poison Ivy First Aid Kit.

So, that's our Diesel dog stuff.  Any other suggestions?

Diesel telling me how much he
 looooves to go camping!

A Relaxing Weekend at the Lake

Ahhhhhhhhhhh, camping. *sigh*

We left out Friday afternoon when RDB got in from work.  Getting into the fray of the north Houston traffic is not the best way to start the weekend, but it's a necessary evil. And am I ever so glad that RDB does a lot of our driving.  I had stopped off at an auto parts store and picked up extension mirrors for the truck - he said they helped out immensely.

We arrived at Lake Livingston after dark (I have a feeling most of our trips are going to start this way - winter camping calls for short days).  I checked in with the Ranger, and found out there were 3 camping groups that were on site this weekend - including a contingent of over 40 boy scouts! We were supposed to be camping with the Southeast Texas Pop-Up Camper's Club, but that group outing fell through.  Oh well - we were still going camping regardless!



LED lights in the back of the truck.

Setting up in the dark presents it's challenges - and lighting was certainly one of them this trip.  We had a few handheld flashlights, but by the end of the trip we bought cap clip-on lights and a set of LEDs for the back of the truck - I had never realized how dark it gets back there! By the time we were done unpacking and setting up Friday night and dinner was ready, we were ready to crawl into bed!

Saturday morning we woke up to beautiful weather (and a chance to see our site for the first time). Nice big trees, plenty of space - but RDB noticed that it looked alot like the underbrush had been clear cut.  The unfortunate side to this meant that we got to see a lot more of our neighbors than we really wanted to. 

It's interesting camping with Diesel now that he's growing into a larger dog.  It's not so much 'Oh, what a cute puppy!" anymore.  He started the day off barking at the kids on bikes, but quickly learned that they were no threat, and stopped reacting when they came by.  One of the kids came back with a larger group of friends (and a Mom) and stopped at the end of our site: "That's a mean dog!" he said to his friends.  I was sitting on the ground by Diesel and replied back: "He's not a mean dog.  What makes you think he's mean?"  "He barked at me earlier." Hmm, teachable moment here.  "Well, he barks when he's afraid of new things - like your bike - or when he's excited and wants to play.  He barks when he's happy, too.  Just because he barks, doesn't make him a mean dog."  He's not mean, I thought, he's just misunderstood. In fact, let's just see this "mean" dog in action.....

Yeah, he photo-bombed me in the last one.  I just about died laughing when I saw it.  And, yes, he took my spot on the bed, too.  Tell you what, he was anything but a mean dog this weekend.  Too bad people have a prejudice about the breed.

RDB and I really just enjoyed a relaxing weekend.  I made french toast and sausage for breakfast, Campfire Queso and guac for lunch, Grilled Banana Pudding (post coming soon!) and Jalapeno Poppers.  It wasn't a weekend evolving around food, but other than that, all we did was rest and nap and sleep! Honestly, we were in bed by 8:30pm Saturday night!

We woke up Sunday morning to the sound of rain on canvas.  Ahhhhhhh, perfect! (and ahhh, crap - because we'd have to pack up wet).  I was surprised how emptied out the camp ground was by 9am - it was booked full Friday night, but we were the last of three families when I went out to get breakfast.  Does it make for a challenge when it's raining and you're camping? Sure. Does it mean a little more work when you get home? Yes.  But it is the most relaxing, calm, and serene thing in the world to sleep in with the rain gently pat-pat-pattering on the roof of the camper.  I wouldn't have missed it for all the dry socks in the world.



All packed up and ready for the next adventure.

We were in site 76 at Lake Livingston State Park.  It wouldn't have been my first choice, but it was the last of three sites available on Friday night - what with the camping clubs there.  It sure didn't feel crowded, though. No wait for the bathrooms, and for the most part, very quiet.  The Park Ranger came by just about every hour or so, but he never stopped to say any thing to us - just waved and drove on.  We'd love to go back earlier in the week to grab one of the lake front spots (50-71).

For more camping photos, go here.

Shame, Shame, Shame

Pardon me, I need to rant for a moment.

prej·u·dice/ˈprejədəs/

noun: Preconceived opinion not based on reason or experience 

I'll be the first one to admit that I was prejudice.  Having never had any personal experience with them, I thought they were mean-spirited, easily agitated, and fierce.  Just their appearance gave the impression that they were bad, vicious, and violent.  All you have to do is mention their name and people suck in air, gasp, or get squeamish:

Doberman

Picture courtesy: Randy W.

Yep, I had a "preconceived opinion not based on reason or experience" about the very breed of dog that is now such an integral part of my life.  Of my family.  (Please, note, I'm not one of those "the dog is my kid" people - but we have made Diesel a part of our everyday lives now, including our camping).

And that's what brings us to this rant.  I booked a site for this weekend, last minute, since we missed out on last weekend with the rain.  Just one night - and since I had wanted to visit Lake Texana earlier (such a lovely park!) I thought I'd give them call and book.

So, the booking was no problem.

Getting to reserve a specific site - no problem!

You guys allow dogs on-leash - no problem!

Well, until you read the fine print.  I received my confirmation email and get to the second to last paragraph, and find this:

Pet Policies:

PETS are to be kept quiet and secured by a leash of six (6') feet or less, OR confined. Pets may not be left unattended. Please clean up after them.  Pets other than seeing-eye dogs are NOT PERMITTED in the buildings.

AGGRESSIVE PET BREEDS such as Doberman, Rottweiler, Pit Bull or any mix of these breeds will not be allowed in any part of the Recreation Complex. If a pet demonstrates aggressive behavior, regardless of breed, it may be asked to leave the Complex.

(The emphasis, by the way, is all theirs.)

So, I called back within less than 10 minutes to cancel my reservation.  I get it, you don't.  You don't understand that just because a dog is, or looks like, a certain breed does not automatically make it a raving mad rabid lunatic of a creature that is hell bent on death and destruction.  You don't understand that it's more about the owner (and their choice to train and teach and nurture), than it is about the type of dog (or the nature of that dog).  You don't get it.  And I understand.

I expected that I would be refunded for the booking as I paid the deposit over the phone.  And they willingly did - minus a $5 cancellation fee.  I get penalized because of their lack of communication regarding breed specific restrictions? (I had asked if it was ok that I brought a dog along, they simply said, yes.)

So, here I am - ranting over $5, right?  No.  I'm ranting over the injustice of judging my dog simply by the breed type on his AKC registration.

Shame on them for being closed-minded.
Shame on them for being uneducated.
Shame on them for being prejudiced.

Shame, shame, shame.




Picture courtesy: Randy W. 






Viral Zoonotic Neuroinvasive Disease

Rabies

There's hardly another word that strikes as much fear in the hearts of pet lovers as the word rabies.  But visiting the country, as we love to do, means that it's a possible fear we face with Diesel every time we go camping.  We've done what every responsible pet owner should do and have him fully vaccinated against this horrid disease.

(And just in case you didn't know how truly bad it can be, read this. *Warning: this link contains graphic pictures!* There's really no coming back from it.  Even if your pet goes through the required 6 month quarantine, he's not likely to come back your loving, well socialized best friend.)

I was heading down to Corpus Christi for work this evening listening to public radio and learned that Fort Bend County (TX) will be air-dropping rabies vaccines into the surrounding countryside.

Quoting from KUHF:

Fort Bend is the first county in the Houston Metro area to try an

oral rabies vaccine program. Small planes and helicopters will drop

about 42,000 doses. Each dose is about the size of a ketchup packet.

"And it's covered in fish meal, which does not smell very good,

but it attracts the animals. There's a gel vaccine inside of it. 

When they bite into it, it squirts into their mouth, and they ingest it,"

says Melanie Manville with Fort Bend County's Health and Human Services.

(Get the full story here, and a better picture of the drop area here.)

It appears that if the program goes over well, they'll roll it out to other areas of the state.  Seeing that Fort Bend County has has a relatively high number of skunk rabies cases confirmed year after year: 2011 (12); 2010 (5); 2009 (12) - this sounds like a good use of time and money.

I can't help but wonder, though, what all those 'ketchup sized packets' are going to do to the local environment and wildlife (birds and fish, and us!) that will inadvertently be exposed to it.

Bonus:  In my research tonight, I discovered

September 28th is World Rabies Day.