We had the same problem only she would "not" calm down and would cry as long as we were moving. She has cried for up to 8 hours in a stretch.
Once we arrived at our destination she would hide and stay upset for 2 or 3 days them calm down.
We had to give her to a friend since we like to travel and it was distressing to have her so upset. Never thought about trying the spray but toys and treats were no help.
We do miss her but get regular up dates on how she is doing.
Garry1p
1990 Holiday Rambler Aluma Lite XL
454 on P-30 Chassis
1999 Jeep Cherokee sport
garry1p wrote: We had the same problem only she would "not" calm down and would cry as long as we were moving. She has cried for up to 8 hours in a stretch.
Once we arrived at our destination she would hide and stay upset for 2 or 3 days them calm down.
We had to give her to a friend since we like to travel and it was distressing to have her so upset. Never thought about trying the spray but toys and treats were no help.
We do miss her but get regular up dates on how she is doing.
As hard as that had to be for you, it sounds like you did what was best for her. It's good that you know the folks who have her and you know how she is.
Whatever hits the fan will not be evenly distributed.
garry1p wrote: We had the same problem only she would "not" calm down and would cry as long as we were moving. She has cried for up to 8 hours in a stretch.
Once we arrived at our destination she would hide and stay upset for 2 or 3 days them calm down.
We had to give her to a friend since we like to travel and it was distressing to have her so upset. Never thought about trying the spray but toys and treats were no help.
We do miss her but get regular up dates on how she is doing.
As hard as that had to be for you, it sounds like you did what was best for her. It's good that you know the folks who have her and you know how she is.
X2...
" Not every mind that wanders is lost. " With apologies toJ.R.R. Tolkien
Lisaren wrote: If he gets bored staying in the trailer, you may want to try leash training him so he can go outside and go on walks when in the trailer. It may make him more interested in going.
Yeah, we bought him (and the girls) a harness and leash at PetsMart and and it takes 5 strong men and a vet with a shot of tranquilizers to get him in it. This is a wonderful cat as long as he doesn't have to do something he really doesn't want to do. With a harness on, all he does is lay on his back. He's never been outside except in the screen room at the campgrounds and the outdoor kitty enclosure on our side deck. The few times I tried it all he did was lay there on his back looking terrified.
As for taking them out on a leash. This itself can make them want to go outside when ours are content indoor-only cats. A taste of outdoors is all some of them need to always want "out." It creates a monster. It was after taking her out on a leash that our Phaedra learned how to open the screen door on the RV and take herself outside alone. That was not only forbidden in the place we snowbird, but our fear of her wandering off made us paranoid. It was weeks before she "forgot" about going outside every morning. Now we have to latch closed the screen doors with hook and eyes when we go in and out of the RV, a real PIA.
Getting back to Zebulon,... the problem to solve is how to get him to stop hiding the morning of the days we leave. Oh, and the little stinker also hides in the RV when we knows we're leaving the CG. One time my husband had to take the wood panel out under the stove as he was hiding at the far end of the slide-out, under the oven. We wouldn't dare move the slide with him in it. We've got that blocked off now. It's amazing the places a cat can hide in, under, behind, on top of.......
garry1p wrote: We had the same problem only she would "not" calm down and would cry as long as we were moving. She has cried for up to 8 hours in a stretch.
Our Phedra is fine in the carrier as long as the van isn't turned on. As soon as the engine starts she starts crying and rolling on her back in the carrier. She keeps saying, "I oown, I ooown, I own" for hours. She never makes that sound in the house. Sometimes she'll sound like a cat in heat (she's spayed). Zephyr doesn't mind the engine and just curls up in her blanket in the carrier and looks bored. Zebulon pretty much does the same thing. Neither of them make any noise or roll around like Phaedra does. When the trip is long the girls ride in the larger kitty-playpen that also includes a small litterpan. Because of the cats we don't stay on the road longer than around 5 hours a day.
Quote: Once we arrived at our destination she would hide and stay upset for 2 or 3 days them calm down.
This happened with Zebulon the first time only. His first trip was a long one unfortunately. From Nashville TN to Ocala FL. We spent two nights at WallyWorlds on the way. After that one time, he just acts angry and fed up when released into the RV but gets over it quickly, then heads for the food, water and litterpans. Soon after that he'll come over and DEMAND to be petted and have his chin scratched and rubbed. He's then off to the outdoor cat-cage if we're in a CG, or he'll take his long post trip snooze on the cat tree or my bed.
Quote: We had to give her to a friend since we like to travel and it was distressing to have her so upset. Never thought about trying the spray but toys and treats were no help.
That may have been the best choice if she couldn't quickly settle down once you got "there"... wherever "there" was. However, you can adopt a young kitten and take her with you without problems. A baby cat wont know any better. Traveling will be her or his life right from the start.
Quote: We do miss her but get regular up dates on how she is doing.
That would help.. but think of adopting a young kitten from a kill-shelter. You will have a new companion and save a little life in the bargain.
Neither of our cats liked to travel, but Buddy was the better traveler. He would come out quicker. And on the second day he would even watch the sights go by from the window. He is no longer with us. Died trying to fight off lung cancer. BJ does the same thing that Zebulon does. He hides the whole trip. Tries to find a cabinet or something to get into. I turned the cabinet under the frig into a open cabinet for the cat box. Put up a curtain over the entry for privacy. He usually hides in there with the cat box. When we stop at night, he will come out and is okay. Loves to watch out the front window at everyone and everything going by, especially at night. But the minute I start up the diesel in the morning, its back into hiding. BJ has always been more of a Scaredy Cat, but he took to the grand kids right away. Buddy only tolerated them. BJ seems to have adapted to being the single cat of the house quite well, but I do think he misses his uncle Buddy. Every once in a while he will go looking all over the house...
Lisaren wrote: If he gets bored staying in the trailer, you may want to try leash training him so he can go outside and go on walks when in the trailer. It may make him more interested in going.
There are several problems with that. Once they get a taste of being outside it's hard to keep them indoor-only cats. Outside gets like an addiction to them. I learned that on a cat forum some time ago. They also tend to pick up internal and external parasites (fleas) when walked outside where other pets have been. I notice in most of the CGs we've been in that the dog owners don't always pick up their dog's feces. Excellent way to spread parasites. And again, this past week, there were loose dogs in the campground. A woman was attacked by a pit bull at Tim's Ford SP Sunday before last. It appears someone removed that post. After the attack those people left. We got there the next day, Monday, and there were 2 large dogs, not pit bulls, running loose. We don't plan to go back there. If we every lose our senses and go there again, we'll bring Pepper Spray with us. There are other campgrounds where the rules are enforced.
wny_pat wrote: BJ does the same thing that Zebulon does. He hides the whole trip. Tries to find a cabinet or something to get into. I turned the cabinet under the frig into a open cabinet for the cat box. Put up a curtain over the entry for privacy.
Your cat must love that. When we're on the road, the three cats are in secured carriers in the tow-van with us. He just lays there looking like he's dozing. One of the females is fine until the engine starts. Then she cries and twists around and claws the bars of her carrier, pants and even her little feet get hot. She builds herself into some kind of frenzy. The other female just kind of looks around but can't relax. They're just not great travelers. With our three it's something about the engine that upsets them because as soon as the engine is turned off, they're fine. They sit there waiting to be removed from the van. They'll sit quietly and calmly until we take them into the TT.
Quote: He usually hides in there with the cat box. When we stop at night, he will come out and is okay. Loves to watch out the front window at everyone and everything going by, especially at night. But the minute I start up the diesel in the morning, its back into hiding.
From speaking to others with cats, they seem to do better in motor homes than how I'm doing it. It's hard on the cats but I'm afraid to leave them in the TT in case of an accident and then there's the darn slide. I feel they're safer in their carriers in the TV with us.
Quote: BJ has always been more of a Scaredy Cat, but he took to the grand kids right away. Buddy only tolerated them. BJ seems to have adapted to being the single cat of the house quite well, but I do think he misses his uncle Buddy. Every once in a while he will go looking all over the house...
That's sad. Have you considered getting another cat? This is kitten season and the shelters are full of them.
We travel with 5, soon to be 8. Among the 5 who have taken half-dozen trips or so, we have completely run the gamut. A couple hide really well when we are ready to load, others don't seem to care. Once in the RV, most hide during the motion portion, coming out periodically for moments at a time. One loves to just lounge on the couch no matter what. Once we stop and start to get settled, then everything is almost immediately "a-ok" with everybody, as if we never left the house.
Same goes in reverse. They retreat to their safe places for the ride home, but are usually pretty good when its time to go back into the house. One, though, does like to hide where I just can't reach him, and I've occasionally had to leave him in the RV for an extra hour or so while everyone else was back in the house.
Lisa & Eddie
South Florida RVers since 2009
RV - 1987 Fleetwood Southwind
No dinghy, yet
Family - 5 Cats - Sonny, Salt, Pepper, Luke, Leia
2 cats at the Rainbow Bridge: Jasmine, George
lisakmusco wrote: We travel with 5, soon to be 8. Among the 5 who have taken half-dozen trips or so, we have completely run the gamut. A couple hide really well when we are ready to load, others don't seem to care.
Righto. The two girls are under our feet as we try to get out stuff out the door as if they don't want to be forgotten. But Zebulon will do almost anything to disappear.
Quote: Once in the RV, most hide during the motion portion, coming out periodically for moments at a time. One loves to just lounge on the couch no matter what. Once we stop and start to get settled, then everything is almost immediately "a-ok" with everybody, as if we never left the house.
This is probably how they'll be in the Class-C. Right now they ride with us in their carriers (short trip) or a large cage w/litterpan in the TV (long trip). They hate it once the engine starts. One girl copes pretty well but the smaller kitty pants, rolls around and cries until the engine is shut off. Once in the TT at the stopping place, they act like nothing happened.... except for Zebulon who slinks around miserably for as long as an hour sometimes. He knows the TT well and has been camping since we got him at the age of 4 1/2 months. You would think he would have adapted by now as he's over 2 years old.
Quote: Same goes in reverse. They retreat to their safe places for the ride home, but are usually pretty good when its time to go back into the house. One, though, does like to hide where I just can't reach him, and I've occasionally had to leave him in the RV for an extra hour or so while everyone else was back in the house.
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This is a wonderful cat as long as he doesn't have to do something he really doesn't want to do. With a harness on, all he does is lay on his back. He's never been outside except in the screen room at the campgrounds and the outdoor kitty enclosure on our side deck. The few times I tried it all he did was lay there on his back looking terrified. 
It's amazing the places a cat can hide in, under, behind, on top of.......
