| T.R | Title | User | Personal
Name | Date | Lines |
|---|
| 2254.1 | Jack will probably kill me, but... | IAMOK::GERRY | Home is where the Cat is | Mon Feb 27 1989 13:14 | 12 |
| Hi Nancy,
Almost every Holiday Inn will take cats....if you were to drive
to Florida, I bet you could manage a stop at a Holiday Inn part
way down...
If you really want to fly, then it might cost you more, but you
can always send the cats cargo.
purrs
cin
|
| 2254.2 | Cats are sometimes better at home! | SALEM::DEFRANCO_J | | Mon Feb 27 1989 13:28 | 17 |
| Nancy, I don't really have any good ideas but I know what you are
going through. John and I haven't taken a real vacation in 10 years
party due to our not wanting to leave the animals behind. In two
weeks, we are finally going somewhere, Arizona, and I am already
getting nervous about leaving the dog and cats behind. After much
thought, we decided it would be much easier on the cats if they
were left in there own house, as they all hate to travel. We decided
to have someone come in once a day, feed, water, clean and give
a little love. We have heard that travel can cause a cat great stress,
if they are not used to it, so for us this was the best alternative.
As for the dog, well, she isn't going to make out as good, she's
going to be boarded at our vets, where she will get all her boosters,
and heart worm testing done. I sure hope she forgives me for this!!
Jeanne
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| 2254.3 | | LADDIE::S_FRASER | Local Area Cat Cluster | Mon Feb 27 1989 13:41 | 11 |
|
Jeanne - my sister has an *extremely* spoiled dog, and whenever she and
her husband go away, they put Zelda in a kennel. Sue feels that this
is probably a vacation from them for the dog :^}
Re. .0 - depending on how adaptible the cats are, it could be fun to
rent a Winnebago and take them along!
Sandy
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| 2254.4 | | CIRCUS::KOLLING | Karen, Sweetie, & Holly; in Calif. | Mon Feb 27 1989 14:48 | 3 |
| Be careful about shipping cats cargo in an airplane. There is at
least one note in here full of horror stories (suffocation, freezing, etc.)
|
| 2254.5 | Wassamatter?? No spirit of "adventure"??? | CPDW::MCDONOUGH | | Mon Feb 27 1989 15:31 | 33 |
| When I was in the Air Force, we took our two cats from Otis AFB on
Cape Cod to Minnesota via the northern route. The "northern route" is
from Cape Cod to the Mass Turnpike...to Buffalo N.Y......ans head north
from there....to Toronto, north to Parry SOund, along the Trans-Canada
highway to Seault Ste. Marie...and on to northern Minnesota.
Our two at the time consisted of a Siamese male and an 18 lb. tabby
female. They made a lot of noise, howling and carrying on for at LEAST
the first 25 miles....then they realized that they weren't having much
success, so they found a warm nest in a pile of clothing that we'd
purposely left for them...and proceeded to sleep for most of the
balance of the trip....
And the vehicle????? A 1965 Volkswagen beetle!!
We also went to Minnesota via the same route in a 28 foot mobile
home (Winnebago type.) with three dogs. Dogs are much more trouble than
cas are from a hygeine point of view. Cats don't need to be walked
twice or more each day....dogs definitely do....
We decided that we would NEVER leave our dogs in kennels again. We
have checked around and found the best we possibley could, yet without
fail we used to get our dogs bsck with:
(a)Fleas
(b)Smelling like a rapid-transit station.(urine)
(c)With a cough(kennel cough)
(d)No longer house-trained..(temporarily)
(e)All of the above.
Not to mention the fact that it would be prohibitively expensive now
anyway...9 pups would make it more practical to BUY a kennel than to
board our herd there....
JM
|
| 2254.6 | Adventure or Nightmare?? | DRFIX::IVES | I'm my own Persian | Mon Feb 27 1989 15:56 | 28 |
| We have friends who work for DEC and they are on temporary assignment
in Italy for 9 months to a year. Our closest friends were looking for
an apartment and the two couples worked out a deal where couple #2
will house and dog sit for the length of time couple #1 is gone.
The dogs that got left at home were two Pugs. They have acted like
NOTHING was different from the first day their folks went away. They
are eating fine, no bathroom problems, no shedding. We gave up looking
for any signs of stress. Their family consisted of Pa & Ma and one set
of twins (boy and girl) 4 years old, an and 8 month old baby. Needless
say the whole house hold routine is different but no problems. Needless
to say the folks in Italy are glad things are working out but made them
think that they are not needed very much. So much for loyalty.
I don't feel the same as John McD. Dogs are easy to walk at road side
rest areas but what a pain getting the cat cages into the ladies rooms
at gas stations, (need some place we could lock the door) and get them
to use the litter box. Not fun for us, but like John said it certainly
was an adventure. We went from North Conway to Cleveland, Ohio, and
then a few years later, Ohio to Florida, and then back to Ohio a year
later and then three years later we traveled from Ohio to NH. This was
all done with at least two Saint Bernards, three cats, and the last
move we added 3 rabbits. THEY WERE THE EASIEST OF ALL.
One thing I will say before I sign off, They will either MAKE OR BREAK
your vacation.!!!!!!!!!!
Barbara
|
| 2254.7 | My recommendation ....I think... | ISLNDS::SOBEK | | Mon Feb 27 1989 16:22 | 21 |
| Weeeell..... I once went cross-country with three preschoolers,
a Keeshonden dog and my (at the time) two Siamese. By day the cats
were in the back of the station wagon in an extra-large sized dog
cage complete with shelves and litter box. By night they (and everyone
else) were in the small Starcraft tent trailer with add-a-room.
The cats got lots of hugs and attention at rest stops and walked
on leashes while we were in the campgrounds. We were gone about
two months and inspite of the kids (human) injuries and illnesses
it worked out great...
....as long as you don't count the time TiJai opened the trailer
and add-a-room and went roaming around the campground and nearby
woods ...(to return safely) ....and the time in Colorado Springs
that he climbed out the small hole in the unseen window (inside
the shower) and we were in our pj's chasing him up the main road
to Denver at 4 a.m. (while the passing truck drivers "beeped" their
appreciation for the "entertainment" we were unwittingly providing.
...(he returned safely that time, too.)
Linda
|
| 2254.8 | don't | UTROP2::RUSIUS_L | | Tue Feb 28 1989 04:35 | 27 |
| Nancy,
I have the same problem when I go on a Holliday. I hate to leave
them behind without somebody in the house.
So what I always try is, to ask a friend, who really loves cats aswell,
to stay in my appartment durring my vacation.
And if you know that cats get more used to there homes then to there
hummans, then you would proberbly leave them at home. Why else do
you get these stories from cats walking hundreds of mls to there
previous homes after the hummans moved to an other city and took the
cats with them.
If you want to take my advise and can find somebody who is very
fond (?) of cats, and is able to stay at your house during your
vacation, I would leave them at home then. You can always call that
person as many times as you want then to ask how your cats are doing.
Think about this before you make the desicion to take them with
you. If you do that than it is just for yourself, not for the cats.
(what if they escape and you can't find them ?)
Loes, Candy and Spooky
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| 2254.9 | *I VOTE FOR LEAVING THEM HOME* | AIMHI::OFFEN | | Wed Mar 01 1989 12:56 | 13 |
| I definitely second .8. I would never forgive myself if I took
my four babies (1 dog, 3 cats) and lost one or all of them just
to please myself. I went away a few years back and my babies
survived nicely. In fact, they were definitely in better condition
than I was.
The only mishap was when my 100 LB Sammy fell in the pool. I would
have loved to have seen that. Do you realize HOW MUCH A 100 LB
DOG WEIGHS WHEN WET?????
Sandi (Lightning, DejaVu & Thunder's mom)*(and Keisha's too)
|
| 2254.10 | "Look mommy, I'm practicing to be a pigeon!" | CRUISE::NDC | | Wed Mar 01 1989 13:38 | 18 |
| I *know* cats are supposed to be happier when left home. I
did take my first cat camping with no problems - except that she
got out of the tent at night and climbed on top of it. She had
figured out how to undo zippers! Scared the living daylights
out of me - or maybe it was living nightlights since it was in
the middle of the night that I awoke to the sounds of scrabbling
on top of our 8x10 cabin tent!
In all seriousness tho, I will keep your notes in mind when we
consider alternatives. I had thought a cottage would be a good
idea since they would get a chance to settle in someplace for
a week or two. Don't forget - my cats are indoor cats who only
go out on a leash. This is not to say that they could never get
away (they also all have id tags on), but I think its less of a
problem with indoor cats.
Thanks for the all input!
Nancy DC
|
| 2254.11 | It works for some... | STAR::BARTH | | Wed Mar 01 1989 15:13 | 8 |
| I know most people leave their cats at home, but we have friends
who always bring theirs with them to their cottage in Maine. I'm
not sure what arrrangements they make in the car, but they say the
cats LOVE going with them. They started going when they were
little, so they're used to it. And apparently the cats consider
it as much a vacation as the owners do.
Karen, Tristan, Tenzing and Max.
|
| 2254.12 | | CRUISE::NDC | | Wed Mar 01 1989 17:47 | 8 |
|
This probably sounds silly, but I find that I miss the cats
so much that it really decreases my enjoyment of my vacation.
Its not so much that I'm worried about them as I miss their
company. I really look forward to coming home to them in the
evening.
Nancy who's_more_than_just_a_little_cat_crazy DC
|
| 2254.13 | have fun | UTROP2::RUSIUS_L | | Thu Mar 02 1989 10:25 | 25 |
| Nancy,
If your cats are indoor cats, and you can keep them inside,
it could be a lot of fun for them in a cottage. There are proberbly
a lot of new things to discover and play with for them.
But make sure you keep them inside.
My father always takes his whole household to the camping (always
the same). Three cats two dogs, some birds and a rabbit (he even
takes his wife and daughters). He took them since they where young,
so they are used to it, and you can see they enjoy it. But one cat
'Truusje' walked away someday, they searched everywhere for her, but
couldn't find her. So every weekend they went back to the camping,
left notes there and searched for her. They never found her back.
I don't tell you this to scare you, but just to warn you, to keep
them inside, especially because they're indoor cats.
Have a nice holliday (with your cats)
Loes
|
| 2254.14 | | CRUISE::NDC | | Fri Mar 03 1989 07:23 | 13 |
| Thanks for the warning Loes - believe me, if we take the cats with us
they will be STRICTLY supervized. They are not outdoor cats, except
on leashes. I do have id tags on them, but if they got away
far from home the tags wouldn't do much good.
My husband likes the winebago idea. Of course, we have absolutely
no idea of cost so I don't know if its even affordable. But it
sounds like a fun idea to me. He's even talking about going away
for two weeks which will be the longest vacation we've ever taken
together........
I'm starting to get excited about the idea!
Thanks for all the suggestions.
Nancy DC
|
| 2254.15 | go to one of those "rent a cat" hotels | YOSMTE::CORDESBRO_JO | | Mon Mar 06 1989 16:20 | 22 |
| Hi Nancy,
I know what you mean about just plain missing them while your gone.
When I go out of town to a show and take a couple of the cats with
me, they seem to enjoy it. But, part of their enjoyment might be
in the fact that they don't have to share me with 17 other cats!
They have me all to themselves when we are out of town. I don't
find traveling with the cats to be a problem. I have only taken
a long car trip with four or more cats one time.
That trip was last October. My husband, myself, and four of our
Birmans drove from Morgan Hill CA to Portland, OR for our Regional
Qualifying Show. The drive took us about 12 hours and we only
stopped a couple of times (once to drive through Wild Life Safari).
This was accomplished in a Honda Accord Hatchback with a portable
litterbox. No problems. We stayed at the Ramada Inn. The only
mishap was when the waiter delivered our room service dinner and
Lyscentia decided to take a stroll through the hotel. The waiter
helped me chase her down. We caught her waiting for the elevator
to the lobby! ;^)
Jo
|
| 2254.16 | | CRUISE::NDC | | Tue Mar 07 1989 19:34 | 3 |
| I didn't know that your could bring pets to a hotel!
N
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| 2254.17 | | YOSMTE::CORDESBRO_JO | | Tue Mar 07 1989 19:47 | 12 |
| Yes, you can bring pets to a hotel, but, not all hotels let you.
Sometimes you have to pay a deposit that is refundable when your
room checks out, sometimes you have to pay a pet fee.
If any of you have the 365 cats calendar, the picture and caption
are about a 133 year old Inn in Wabasha Minnesota that will give
you a cat to keep you company during your stay. This is what I
was thinking might be fun for you Nancy DC. It is called the Anderson
House, it has 51 rooms, the owner is John Hall. He says that the
cats love it as much as the guests.
Jo
|
| 2254.18 | | CRUISE::NDC | | Thu Mar 09 1989 08:01 | 6 |
| One of my co-workers gave me that page out of the calendar and
I'm holding on to it. I think its wonderful! Boy, I love animals
so much I ought to figure out a vacation that would put me in
contact with animals alot. Heck, I ought to have a job like that!
Too bad it don't pay as good as 'puters.
|
| 2254.19 | Experienced RV'er | GENRAL::BALDRIDGE | All in a day's work | Fri Mar 17 1989 12:01 | 27 |
| Last April the wife and I finally decided to buy a motor home, in
part, because we wanted to be able to take our three cats along
with us. Over the year we went from Colo Spgs to Seattle, to Phoenix
and Tucson twice and to Los Alamos, plus some local Colorado
travelling. In all, we put over 9000 miles on the RV. We have
a 27' Winnebago SuperChief and I can't think of a better way to
travel. The cats love it, even though the two girls, Ada and Doobie
usually get "car sick" about two hours out on the first day. After
that, everybody is fine. We got one of those covered cat litter
boxes and it goes under the dinette on a big plastic bag while we
are travelling and then moves up sorta under the passenger side
dash when we are stopped.
You'll find you *MUST* keep the litter box scrapped out frequently
as the smells in a fairly closed space can get pretty bad.
If you'd like to try the idea out, I suggest you contact U-Haul
as they rent Southwind brand RV's at fairly good rates. Rates vary
a lot all over the country, so I can't suggest an appropriate range.
If you check the yellow pages you might find other dealers that
specialize in RV rental. Try for a fixed rate per week with a fair
number of "free" miles (like 1000 or 1500). A low fixed rate plus
mileage will usually work out to be more expensive.
Let us know if you try it.
Chuck
|
| 2254.20 | | CRUISE::NDC | | Fri Mar 17 1989 13:54 | 5 |
| Thanks for the input! I'll be sure to let you know if we
give it a try. Right now its beginning to look like the
house is going to eat our vacation on us.
Nancy DC
|
| 2254.21 | not a good idea... | DOOBER::WILDE | Ask yourself..am I a happy cow? | Mon Mar 27 1989 17:02 | 11 |
| Consider:
if your cats get out somewhere far from home, how will you feel? It is
not wise to take pets to new and unfamiliar territory on vacation, etc.
because they don't travel well, have no resistence to the local "bugs",
and can become the focal point for fleas and ticks and the diseases they
carry. Besides, cats generally HATE to travel so they wouldn't have
any fun...it would be stressful and potentially bad for their general
health. Better to find a kitty sitter or quality kennel where you know
they are safe and you will not lose them.
|