Poor Zebulon. When he sees we're about ready to go camping he vanishes. We've learned to close all the doors to the bedrooms, office, bathrooms and closets the morning of the day we leave. We're all loaded and ready to go.... and the hunt begins. He can find the smallest out of the way places to hide. He hates to go camping to the point re-homing almost crossed my mind at one time. But we love the little guy. It wouldn't be the same without him. The girls don't mind camping. They sit around watching all the activity, and when ready, let us pick them up and put them in their carriers. Each has her/his own roomy carrier. Zebulon has to be dragged from his hiding spot, growling and hissing, then calms down and lets us put him in his carrier. When we get there and set up, wherever "there" is, he takes awhile to leave his carrier, slinks around the RV for a few minutes, then gets over his snit. Anyone else having this problem with a cat How did you handle it?
WandaLust2 wrote: Zebulon has to be dragged from his hiding spot, growling and hissing, then calms down and lets us put him in his carrier. When we get there and set up, wherever "there" is, he takes awhile to leave his carrier, slinks around the RV for a few minutes, then gets over his snit. Anyone else having this problem with a cat How did you handle it?
I think you're doing the right- maybe the ONLY- thing you can do, if you don't want to leave him home.
I don't have a cat, but the behavior you mention accurately describes our son's when he was a teenager.
We used your solution (well, maybe except for the "carrier" part), and got the same results- he always got over it and had a good time in spite of himself!
" Not every mind that wanders is lost. " With apologies toJ.R.R. Tolkien
WandaLust2 wrote: Zebulon has to be dragged from his hiding spot, growling and hissing, then calms down and lets us put him in his carrier. When we get there and set up, wherever "there" is, he takes awhile to leave his carrier, slinks around the RV for a few minutes, then gets over his snit. Anyone else having this problem with a cat How did you handle it?
I think you're doing the right- maybe the ONLY- thing you can do, if you don't want to leave him home.
I don't have a cat, but the behavior you mention accurately describes our son's when he was a teenager.
We used your solution (well, maybe except for the "carrier" part), and got the same results- he always got over it and had a good time in spite of himself!
I found your reply concerning your son very funny! I too raised a human son and know how they can be.
* This post was
edited 05/26/12 03:58pm by WandaLust2 *
Do you use the same crate/carrier for camping as you do for the vet trips?
We have two different crates. I don't know if the cats can really tell the difference, but the two cats that go camping with us all the time do not react to the bigger crate with the same trepidation as the smaller one.
The younger cat hides as well but he doesn't react badly to the "Camping Crate". So once he gets put inside he settles down before we have even left the house.
He will also use it as his sleeping spot while we are camping.
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Cats are VERY much affected by association, so I would consider a new and different crate, hosed down inside with pheremones and maybe pre-loaded with some catnip and really high value treats, along with a nice thick towel or blanket. A few pieces of chicken or other favorite meat can do a lot for a guy's mood, especially when the guy is a cat. I find mine do best if the crate is covered for travel, others have had the opposite result. If you've left him uncovered in the past, try covering and see if it improves his response. You might also consider fixing his camping crate up as a bed/hideout when he's home, that sometimes helps.
I do shut my cats in somewhere when I feed them if we're traveling later in the day, so as to limit the drama when it comes time to crate them. I find that the sooner in the day that I do that, the better it goes.
susan
Fuzzy Wuzzy was a wabbit, Fuzzy Wuzzy had a dandelion habit! RIP little Wuz... don't go far.
I'm not a cat person, per say - but you might want to try spraying the inside of the crate with the Comfort Zone for Cats. I've used the dog version, and I have seen a difference in the dogs I used it on.
They also make a diffuser that you plug into an electric outlet, similar to some of the room freshener/fragrance things on the market.
The stuff in these things does help.
KV Vet Supply carries it. I've bought a ton of stuff from them over the years, and their prices are normally better than a lot of the other on-line vendors. And they give free shipping on a lot of their items - you only pay freight on heavy items like gallons or crates, etc.
Whatever hits the fan will not be evenly distributed.
This refers to cats marking -- there's also a product specifically for behavior modification.
I've used the canine version - had a rescue dog one time, and every time I had to take him to the vet, he would get so psyched out, he'd have diarrhea all over the crate, and then fingerpaint with it. A little bit of that goes a long way. About the 3rd time I had to transport him to the vet, I went to the car, adn sprayed the inside of the crate with the dog version of the product.
Miraculously, I didn't have a mess that day - so I made sure I used that every time he had to go somewhere, up until I found him a home. After that, I always kept a bottle in my car travel kit.
Based on my experience, I'd give this stuff a try with the cat gettign stressed out. You can also try Bach Rescue REmedy for stress.
Could you try positive reinforcement methods? If you store RV at home, maybe try feeding him in it. If you are not really leaving, he may not suspect anything. Once you get him in it, give him a treat/toy, let him stay for a few minutes and back to the house.Repeat, he may start to associate the RV with a good experience. Hope this helps.
LastOfTheBohicans wrote: Do you use the same crate/carrier for camping as you do for the vet trips?
It's not the carrier. He hates leaving the house. He's only seen the vet twice and that was over a year ago. I have several carriers and he often sleeps in one on his own volition. I don't remember which one I took him to the vet in.
Quote: We have two different crates. I don't know if the cats can really tell the difference, but the two cats that go camping with us all the time do not react to the bigger crate with the same trepidation as the smaller one.
The younger cat hides as well but he doesn't react badly to the "Camping Crate". So once he gets put inside he settles down before we have even left the house.
Zebulon also. Once he's in it and the door is closed, he settles down for the duration. He has a nice soft clean blanket in his carrier. He usually naps or looks like he's napping when we're on the road. I just wish it wasn't such a big deal for him where he feels he has to hide and dread it all so much. It makes me feel guilty.
Quote: He will also use it as his sleeping spot while we are camping.
When we camp for more than a week we set up the large floored Gander Mt. screenroom for them. It breaks the monotony for them and he will often be found in his carrier taking a nap or watching whatever is going on around him. It's not the carrier. I think the TT is just too small for a large active cat like he is. He often paces and "talks" and we can see he's bored and restless. It's quite a difference between a 2,000 sq ft house and a 8 by 28' TT. At home here he also enjoys the large outdoor enclosure and the FL room of all windows facing 3 directions. In the RV there is one cat tree all must share. At home there are cat trees and condos scattered all around the house.
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We're all loaded and ready to go.... and the hunt begins. He can find the smallest out of the way places to hide. He hates to go camping to the point re-homing almost crossed my mind at one time. But we love the little guy. It wouldn't be the same without him. The girls don't mind camping. They sit around watching all the activity, and when ready, let us pick them up and put them in their carriers. Each has her/his own roomy carrier. Zebulon has to be dragged from his hiding spot, growling and hissing, then calms down and lets us put him in his carrier. When we get there and set up, wherever "there" is, he takes awhile to leave his carrier, slinks around the RV for a few minutes, then gets over his snit. Anyone else having this problem with a cat How did you handle it? 
