Touring - Touring with Pets: Specifically, a cat?

My wife, now that her recovery from her fall, Nov 30, is going so well, wants to do a tour this Summer up around the top of Lake Michigan. Now, we have a complication........we have Annie le Chat, our cat.

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o260/TomStormcrowe/006-10-2.jpg

So, this brings up the idea of rather than spending $600.00 to board her with the vet, and since my wife rides a recumbent trike, why not take her with us? We'll be hauling our gear on BOB style trailers, and this leaves the rack on the back of her trike unused. We could secure her pet carrier on the rack and shade it or put a rain cape of sorts if the weather gets wet. It works for long car trips, and she just naps, so why not on the back of the trike? Alternatively, she could ride in the crate basket already on the rack, with some carpet on the bottom and a secure mesh or wire lid. That would give her a bit more room to move around.

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o260/TomStormcrowe/003-6.jpg

Thoughts, or suggestions? Boarding her with friends or family is out of the question, by the way.

Dogs are a problem without toting around one of thier favorite chew toys on the back of your bike.

Wayne

Dogs are a problem without toting around one of thier favorite chew toys on the back of your bike.

Wayne

Fortunately, she's not a dog. ;)

This is sort of what I have in mind. There will be a cover for it that she can't get off, though

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o260/TomStormcrowe/2011%20Summer%20Tour/CatCarrier004.jpg

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o260/TomStormcrowe/2011%20Summer%20Tour/CatCarrier001.jpg

So this can't happen

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o260/TomStormcrowe/2011%20Summer%20Tour/CatCarrier003.jpg

as a life long animal owner (and a husband of a vet) I can understand (sort of) wanting to take her with you.....but realistically, I dunno. Seems like it would have a lot of downsides. First and foremost, while a car trip in a cage is one thing, or loose in the car, any car would be like a Rolls Royce compared to the jolting on a bike. I am not sure it would be that nice for her to get bounced around with potholes, rough pavement etc for a long period. The other thing I would worry about is her being disorientated and if she ever got loose at a break or campsite, it could be a real bugger to get her back, especially if there are scary smells of dogs, bears, you name it that are making her think "FLEE FLEE "--you know what I mean.
I guess you know how she is in that respect, but I would think that it would be a big stress on all parties taking her along. I would worry like crazy about having our cat on a trip, even car camping, because of the "take off and hide, get mixed up where you are" aspect. Even for a well behaved social cat.

and on that note, is she a real handful why noone can look after her? Or is it meds she must have or something liek that you arent comfortable leaving her iwth people you know?

anyhoo, its your decision, but it seems to lots of angles to it that could be tricky.

The only available family here is asthmatic and triggered by cats. My friends here are great people, but not the most responsible folk. Now, she will wear a harness and leash....she's able to be controlled, and likes to hang out with us.

As to dogs, she's not the least bit afraid of them and can hold her own in that respect. She still has her full set of Cuisinarts in her paws, too. She's not timid, and is very, very social. She likes riding in her carrier on the trike for short trips, too, already, so there isn't a huge adjustment, and our car is a rough riding 4wd, anyway. She's not bothered by bumps, etc.

Dogs are pack animals, and can actually enjoy traveling with their owner - after all, deep in their genetic memory they were once wolves, who roam as groups. Cats, on the other hand, are generally much more bound to places and territory than they are to people. They really define their existence around their familiar habits and territory. I honestly don't think it's a good idea, in general, to take a cat on a bicycle tour - she may tolerate the experience, but it's unlikely she'll enjoy it much. I'm certainly no cat expert, but we have two and I know they always hate it when taken away from their familiar surroundings.

There have been unusual cats who have traveled with people and seemed to be ok with it, so I guess the only way you can tell is to try a small trip (maybe overnight?) with your cat on the bike crate as you illustrated. Have you tried this? Like a shakedown ride, it'll tell you how she deals with the concept.

If you can't afford formal boarding, have you considered putting out an ad for someone local to look after your cat for you? There are plenty of cat lovers out there, you never know.

Good luck!

Neil

As a lifelong owner of cats ( or is it actually the other way around ? ), this is one touring blog I'm looking forward to.

Chapter 1: 1st evening at camp, Annie Le Chat meets Rory Racoon

Chapter 2: Wife learning to sprint with the best as Annie picks fight with local dog pack

Chapter 3: Ms. Le Chat decides to do a little exploring, hence 3 days in the middle of nowhere

I have seen a couple of guys touring with a cat before...

I don't see why it could not be done, if you and the cat are comfortable with it. Do some day trips and see what happens, then perhaps an overnight. From my experience with our cats over the years, they are homebodies for the most part and don't do well in strange surroundings. YMMV. I did have one cat the did enjoy riding in my truck with me, but he did it from the time he was small kitten so it was part of his lifestyle.

I do see one local guy riding his cruiser around with a cat on his shoulder. The cat happens to be a Japanese Mi-ke. I don't recall if the cat wears a harness or not.

Aaron :)

...rather than spending $600.00 to board her with the vet...

I don't know how long you'll be gone but you should be able to find a pet-sitter who can come to your house once a day and check on the cat, feed it, and scoop the litter for less than $600 if you'll only be gone a week or two. Many pet sitters are licensed (where applicable) and all should be insured so you are dealing with a real business and not just giving some stranger a key to your house and the knowledge you'll be gone for a while.

There are trailers for children, people sell them all the time , you can also put kitty in one.
I can recall at least one fellow passing thru town , old kid hauling bike trailer
, harness on the Cat and a leash , to keep cat from taking a runner,
but also keeping kitty from becoming dinner, in the food chain world..

Of course a Pet carrier could always be fitted with wheels and towed.

Wandertec or Carry Freedom Y trailers are a platform, and easily adapted to mount a pet box.

I don't know how long you'll be gone but you should be able to find a pet-sitter who can come to your house once a day and check on the cat, feed it, and scoop the litter for less than $600 if you'll only be gone a week or two. Many pet sitters are licensed (where applicable) and all should be insured so you are dealing with a real business and not just giving some stranger a key to your house and the knowledge you'll be gone for a while.

Actually, this is what we have been doing when we need to go out of town for anywhere up to a week or two. One of the techs at our vet also does pet sitting and charges us $20 per day to come over twice (morning and evening) to feed, empty litter trays, and sit with our cats for a while. While it's obviously not ideal, I think this is probably the least disruptive solution for them, really. And the fact that this is someone who works at a vet gives us a little bit of additional comfort, since we know that they can probably spot problems and take the cat to the vet if necessary.

Neil

I don't know how long you'll be gone but you should be able to find a pet-sitter who can come to your house once a day and check on the cat, feed it, and scoop the litter for less than $600 if you'll only be gone a week or two. Many pet sitters are licensed (where applicable) and all should be insured so you are dealing with a real business and not just giving some stranger a key to your house and the knowledge you'll be gone for a while.

About a month, perhaps a bit more. It's going to be a slow, easy tour. 1200 miles, figure 30 or so miles a day, at least at the start.

As to the cat and boarding issues.....we boarded her when we went to Glacier in March and she refused to eat for a while. It's not a money issue. Now we take her with us when we travel. The cat has really bonded with me, anyway. She's definitely my cat, that's for sure, in her mind. She gets in her carrier by herself if she sees suitcases, actually. She likes to travel.

We met a rider the other day who had his cat crouched on his aero bars. The cat's eyes seemed rather wide, but perhaps that was my imagination. They both looked comfortable.

As a lifelong owner of cats ( or is it actually the other way around ? ), this is one touring blog I'm looking forward to.

Chapter 1: 1st evening at camp, Annie Le Chat meets Rory Racoon

Chapter 2: Wife learning to sprint with the best as Annie picks fight with local dog pack

Chapter 3: Ms. Le Chat decides to do a little exploring, hence 3 days in the middle of nowhere

Chapter 4: The Historian faints as he discovers what Annie Le Chat left him as a present at his tent door.

How hot does it get there? What I see in the photos have not enough air for a hot day. My suggestion after five years of taking the dog in the trike, measuring the temperature in the basket, on the handlebars, and trying all kinds of different things, is forget it, the cat will get heat stroke. No direct air through the basket is like being in a convertible car on a hot day, with wind blocked, none of the cooling effect that a normal bike rider gets.

Do what I did, put a thermometer in the basket on a hot day, go for a ride and look at the thermometer, before doing it with the cat.

I learned a lot about heat stroke with the dog, from the vet and the internet. I probably got Bailey too hot, before I knew better. I never researched cats in the heat, maybe you can find out more with some research. Now that I know what to look for, I have noticed a couple of dogs experiencing heat stroke
,not just heat exhaustion. The owners had no clue.

We have cats. They are cool. No way would I take them on a bike trip. You gonna keep the cat on a leash for a month or more? Would you like to be on a leash for a month or more? I didn't think so. I would run away too, first chance I got. If it's gonna be summertime some kid would love to cat-sit your cat in his/her house for a nominal fee. I've seen ads for such around here. I'm sure there's a kid around there that would do it.

Chapter 5 Driving Miss Annie:

Annie can no longer hold it in until the next rest stop when Tom now realizes it probably wasn't a great idea to pack his sleeping bag in that particular location

damn, that's awesome! i always think about bringing my cat for company, but he's not much company. Now toy chihuahuas...that's where it's at!

I have a friend who toured back from S. America with a wire-haired terrier in a rear crate. He rigged a sun and rain shade over her from an old, short Thermarest. Worked great. The dog would jump off and run alongside on hard climbs. Cat probably wouldn't do that. Dog also rode with rear feet on top tube, front on bars. Cats can go 24 hours without urinating or defecating. Cats are very territorial and cowardly. Very likely to stick very close, once she gets the idea. Depends on the cat. Wife has hiked with a cat, cat walked unleashed. I've frequently taken walks with an unleashed cat, different cat. Cats have a sense of feng shui about where they eat, sleep, and defecate. Very important to have differentiated areas for these activities. All our cats have always been free to go outside/inside, and have been reliable members of our family.

Chapter 5 Driving Miss Annie:

Annie can no longer hold it in until the next rest stop when Tom now realizes it probably wasn't a great idea to pack his sleeping bag in that particular location

Chapter 6

Annie goes missing until Tom discovers that The Historian carries tuna fish in his trailer.

Dogs are a problem without toting around one of thier favorite chew toys on the back of your bike.

Wayne


Fortunately, she's not a dog. ;)

You missed Wayne's point ;)

Chapter 4: The Historian faints as he discovers what Annie Le Chat left him as a present at his tent door.

That would be a great honor! I had a neighborhood cat that would hang out on my front stoop. She would leave me "presents" all of the time. Once I heard all this commotion outside, I went out to investigate and she had brought all of her buddies for a visit.

Tom,

This is great news that you are already planing a trip! The better half must be getting restless! :)

I say if the cat is not going to eat during boarding you might as well take you with her. You just need to be prepared to but up with some hassle and realize there is some risk to your cat (sickness, lose etc) .

You missed Wayne's point ;)

No, not really. This Summer, she tore the bejesus out of a Bull Mastiff. The dog is flat terrified of her. As I said, she has all her defenses. DOgs have more to worry about from her than she does from them.

No, not really. This Summer, she tore the bejesus out of a Bull Mastiff. The dog is flat terrified of her. As I said, she has all her defenses. DOgs have more to worry about from her than she does from them.

And a raccoon?

Sorry, but I just flat out feel like taking a cat on a bicycle tour would be cruel to most cats. Going for a car ride is very different from being on the road on a bicycle for a month. As someone else mentioned, it can get hot in that crate and you might not even know it. The cat might get spooked and run away - that, or be tied down for a month, which is anathema to any cat. Your cat may very well be bonded to you, and that does make it very painful to leave them on trips like you're planning. But I just see a cat being very unhappy on a bicycle tour.

Have you ever taken this cat on even an overnight on the bicycle before? That would be the way to find out how she'll deal with it.

Neil

I tried the milk crate with a towel thing with Miss Stinkums.
It lasted all of 30 seconds.
And she gave me an evil look, like - -
"Don't you EVER try something stupid like that again!!"

End of attempts to get my pootie to go bicycle touring.

And a raccoon?

Sorry, but I just flat out feel like taking a cat on a bicycle tour would be cruel to most cats. Going for a car ride is very different from being on the road on a bicycle for a month. As someone else mentioned, it can get hot in that crate and you might not even know it. The cat might get spooked and run away - that, or be tied down for a month, which is anathema to any cat. Your cat may very well be bonded to you, and that does make it very painful to leave them on trips like you're planning. But I just see a cat being very unhappy on a bicycle tour.

Have you ever taken this cat on even an overnight on the bicycle before? That would be the way to find out how she'll deal with it.

Neil

That's the game plan, once the weather warms up, Neil. We'll see how she likes it before we go for broke. I was mainly trying to find out here if anyone on the forums had donme this and if so, draw from their experience.

That's the game plan, once the weather warms up, Neil. We'll see how she likes it before we go for broke. I was mainly trying to find out here if anyone on the forums had donme this and if so, draw from their experience.

That sounds like a good plan. One more thought: I would not want either of my cats anywhere near my tent, at least not with their claws as sharp as they usually are (and I wouldn't want to clip them before a trip like you're planning, otherwise they would have no means of defense should some critter decide to have a go at them). You know when cats do that affectionate kneeding thing with their front paws? I don't know about yours, but our cats do that while flexing their claws. Imagine a thousand tiny pinholes... and no-see-um netting might look awfully tempting, especially if there was an insect bouncing against it... oh, and do you use a Thermarest? Sleep well! ;-)

Let us know how it goes. I would guess that most cats wouldn't be very happy on a bike tour. Hopefully yours will.

I like cats. We have three. Don't take the cat.

Nothing good could come out of that experience, there are too many things to go wrong and too few rewards. On a good note, cats are easy to care for. Find someone you trust to leave her with, or have a pet sitter come in every day or two and deal with the food and litter. Then just go enjoy the trip. Take a picture of the cat with you.

I have always had a cat or two and now we also have 2 labradors. No way I would want the cat with me on any trip, especially when touring/camping. Just too many ways for things to go wrong. And, even though the cat can stand up to a dog, the animals in a campsite aren't always going to be someone's well-fed pet. If she got scared and ran off in a heavily wooded area, you might never find her again. Just seems waaaayyy too risky to me. I'd love to take my younger lab on a mountain bike tour, but the mileage would do him in pretty quick.

Also, regarding the cat sitter thing - great idea. We had some local kid home from college last summer come in every day to play with our dogs while our house sitter was at work. She charged something like $5/day. We also used to leave our other cat home for weekends quite a bit. Seems like she must have just slept the whole time because we never noticed any signs that had been agitated or bored. I think animals are much better at dealing with downtime than humans.

There are cats and there are cats. I don't think any of the cats I've ever owned would have stood for being put in a box and ridden away from their happy home. But I'm sure some would. I suggest trying a short trip around the neighborhood - maybe a few circuits. That way if she escapes she'll know where she is and come home (unless she's too offended), rather than having to chase down a scared kitty in a foreign location.

My wife and I find out who the pet owners are and offer to take care of their animals (for free) when they go on vacation. Then, when it's our turn, they're willing.

Chapter 6

Annie goes missing until Tom discovers that The Historian carries tuna fish in his trailer.

Chapter 7

The Historian rides off the tour in anger, wearing Crocs, because Annie decided his cycling shoes made a good litter box.

Chapter 8

Everyone discovers that skunks like cat food, and warm sleeping bags.

Not sure my cats would be up for it. A friend sent me an email with some pictures of a couple hiking around the world. They have a cat that sits on their back much of the time. http://www.turnoftheworld.com/VIDEOS_FR.html

OK I'll put it another way. Do you want your wife in the middle of, or even on the edge of a cat and dog(s) fight?

Wayne

Having lived through the nightmare that was two cats in a U-haul truck for a week long cross country move, I would have to say absolutely DO NOT take your cat on a bike trip. Best would be to leave the cat in her own environment and see if you can either get someone to housesit, or pay someone to come by daily, or a favour of a neighbour (who may also have a cat and you can reciprocate in the future)

Cats like their environment where dogs like being around their people. That said, if you cat is really a dog trapped in a cat's body, its possible - but work up to it - first try going on a short local ride, then try on overnight trip of not too far a distance.

The biggest challenge is probably how the cat is going to do its business. I don't think you want you + wife + cat + litter box in your tent. If your cat is leash trained and already goes for a walk on a leash, maybe... but I'm still shuddering at this one. If you are staying indoors its harder to find places that will accept a cat without sneaking her in.

I think it depends on the cat. Some cats wouldn't respond well, other cats do traveling and new environments just fine. When I was in the SCA, it wasn't uncommon to see this one man with his manx. It rode on his shoulders or tucked up in his cloak hood and I never saw it leashed.

We can watch and see how it turns out for Yehuda!

http://www.yehudamoon.com/index.php?date=2010-12-23

My opinion. The cat will be a lot happier left at home or somewhere else. Confining a cat to a small space while being bumped around is a bad idea. Then there is the dog factor. Then there is the weather factor (rain etc). You will be chased by dogs while touring... lots of them... and your cat on your bike is going to attract more of them and probably provoke the dogs chasing you into attacking your bike or cat.

Do the kitty a favor, keep him/her in safe warm place and fork over the money to take care of it.

There are trailers for children, people sell them all the time , you can also put kitty in one.
I can recall at least one fellow passing thru town , old kid hauling bike trailer
, harness on the Cat and a leash , to keep cat from taking a runner,
but also keeping kitty from becoming dinner, in the food chain world..

Of course a Pet carrier could always be fitted with wheels and towed.

Wandertec or Carry Freedom Y trailers are a platform, and easily adapted to mount a pet box.

In my attempts to travel with my cat (none very successful), with three different ones, one comfort for my friend has been to be able to smell and hear me. I think your idea to put the cat in a trailer far away from you would not have worked for me.

"Quote Originally Posted by rogerstg View Post
You missed Wayne's point
No, not really. This Summer, she tore the bejesus out of a Bull Mastiff. The dog is flat terrified of her. As I said, she has all her defenses. DOgs have more to worry about from her than she does from them. "


I think you are still missing the point which is that the bicycle will be attacked more often if there is a cat aboard. That may not be true, because most trouble dogs I have seen have been reacting to visual cues from a long way off. But that's the point. Hpw bad dog trouble can be is only to believed when you cross some invisible barrier and enter an area where every dog in the county comes at you with malicious intent. Also it is a lot worse from low down on a recumbent, though that one looks easy enough to slide out of.

I think your idea is crazy and completely impractical, unless you already know better due to the unique character of the cat. In which case, why are we talking.

I think there are two sides to this. One is whether you will be happy. Basically you save 600 and you are not unduly inconvenienced. I think that on a random basis there is about a 99.9% chance you will not be happy or find it convenient. Then there is the question of whether the cat will be happy. As we all know, cats have their own lives. What is in it for the cat. Are you going to let it slip the leash and enjoy safari opportunities unknown at home. Obviously not. I see no reason why the cat would get something from this experience other than being locked in a tiger cage for a month.

If you do take the cat with you I feel you should get the biggest carrier/cage that you can. If the cat is going to be spending all day caged you want something big enough that the cat can at least stand up and turn around. Nest, I would try to make sure the cage is positioned in such a way that the cat can always keep an eye on one or both of you. Being able to stretch and seeing familiar people will help a little bit to reduce the cat's anxiety

Having said that, I don't thin it is a god idea. Most cats do not travel well.

Tom I think you should go ahead on some overnighters and see. You know the YMMV thing is true. She may like having her staff take her on an extended trip. Good luck either way you decide. If we were in the same area I would volunteer to watch her at her abode a couple times a day. I think somewhere around Chapter 9. ; you will have to explain to the nice Conservation Officer the dead bear found covered in a scant two dozen leaves behind where you camped. Blues Frog

That's the game plan, once the weather warms up, Neil. We'll see how she likes it before we go for broke. I was mainly trying to find out here if anyone on the forums had donme this and if so, draw from their experience.

So? Whatever did happen?