We're on a 3-week RV trip, to do some work on our retirement land, meet with the architect, and participate in the TX state Harley Owners Group rally. Set up RV keeping at a pleasant older campground, the Bunkhaus Lodge and RV Campground. It's been hectic, but we've finally begun to do a proper evening under the awning. Four years of RVing, and we've only now been situated where we can take advantage of the awning, all the patio chairs, and the rechargeable margarita blender....
Today, we're just laying around the RV, being mellow, doing a little laundry, and letting our friend work some more on adopting a stray kitty...
Seems someone dumped a medium hair brindled tabby here some time ago. The former campground hosts, who were in the space we now occupy, took her in, got her spayed, and in general looked like adoptive parents to a cat who can't be two years old yet. Unfortunately, the lady developed a vicious allergy. Since they were from Canada, when they had to return to update work visas, they decided to just leave her here. A guy across the way has fed and cared for her since 18 Apr, but couldn't add her to his menagerie, because his trailer is just too small.
On 21 Apr, L'Andante pulls into that RV space. Kitty's curious, but cautious. Refuses to have anything to do with females (must have been a bad memory from allergic previous female), but is as loving as a cat can be to males. WLToo is adament that kitty will not come home with us. I agree, since I know DOTL Specialist Alexander the Grrreat will not approve of another female in the household, but start thinking about a way to get her on the other side of the lake, to the no-kill animal shelter. We can't take her via motorcycle or RV, so it's a puzzle.
One week later, my friend Hawk rolls up on his Goldwing. Ten minutes after plopping himself into a lounge chair under the awning, she jumps into his lap, puts her nose to his, and makes it clear that he has been selected. She spends the next few days making sure every other animal in the campground understands that this RV, his motorcycle, and the environs around it are now her territory. She even crawls under his motorcycle cover to sleep on his padded saddle seat.
Hawk and I spend three days helping WLToo understand that kitty is not going to bond with me, the cat magnet, because she has already made her choice. So WLToo finally agrees that we can transport kitty back to Virginia via our RV, while Hawk rides his Goldwing. We'll meet at a designated campground each night, and kitty will sleep with him on the sofabed. Success!!! Subversion is my middle name.....
Saturday, we ride all over the area, finding cat food, dishes, litter box, litter, poop scoop, a catnip toy, a sleeping pad, claw nippers, a comb, and a cat carrier, and strapping all this to three motorcycles. We did look a sight. At one point, Hawk removed his stuffed bear who rides on his luggage carrier, to bungee the cat carrier there. We suggested he put Mr. Bear in the kitty carrier, looking out through the bars, but decided it would freak out the city folks...
Since Hawk has never had a cat before, on Saturday evening, I showed him how to apply Frontline Plus (luckily, she had almost no flea schmutz on her, so the Canadians had been applying something). That night, we invited her into the RV for the first time. She slept on Hawk's chest all night. Be interesting to see what name she finally selects. She hasn't responded to any suggested names yet.
Last night, it rained a lot, so we had to close windows and turn on the air conditioners. At 0315, she jumped on our bed and snuggled between us for a while -- I guess she was a little chilled. She returned to Hawk when the a/c went off. A little while later, she came into our bedroom crying piteously. WLToo thought she was injured. Nope, she came to us because Hawk's snoring was very odd to her and she was plainly worried. When we didn't seem concerned, she went back and curled up against him again. She's now coming and going, checking on Hawk, making sure we'll still allow her in and out of the RV.
On Wednesday, when we start loading our Fat Boys into the trailer, we're going to close her into the RV. She's seen enough RVs coming and going to know the "moving out" signs, and don't want her to fear being left behind yet again. When we wake up Thursday morning, before we do anything that looks like moving out, she'll go into a kitty carrier secured under the dinette. I'm sure she'll have a worrisome first couple of hours, never having been in a moving vehicle other than the one that dumped her here, but should calm down quickly, once she realizes that she's staying with Hawk.
She does like to be outside, so having to be locked inside the RV for three days will be a bit of an ordeal for her. We'll go straight to Hawk's village and wait at the large grocery store, while he rides home, gets his car, and comes back for her and all her stuff (gated lakeside community, no visiting RVs allowed). They'll go home, we'll go home, and the pair will live happily ever after.
Another rescue accomplished, although the rescued was the one who initiated the action...
* This post was
edited 05/10/08 09:28pm by Wanderlost *
"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." -- Mahatma Gandhi
Alexander the Grrreat--tuxedo cat
Madeline Kaht -- gray lady
That's a great story with a happy ending! I'm a cat lover, so I can identify with this event.
I once had a pet cat. His name was Pumpernickle. I lived in North Carolina for a while, my parents lived in Indiana. I had a Honda 750. It was a 12 hour ride from where I lived to where my parents lived. I made the trip on the motorcycle at least 3 times during warm weather.
Now the cat ALWAYS rode with me! This was before the day when they had nice Pet Taxies and such. So I took a McDonald's pickle bucket with the lid. I cut a bunch of holes in the side and ends and strapped that bucket to the passenger seat of the motorcycle with the cat in it. I put some towels in the bottom for a bed. He loved it!
Funny, when I wasn't riding the motorcycle, the cat would sit on the seat waiting for me!
So, why not try letting the cat ride the motorcycle in the Pet Taxie and YOU take the stuffed bear home?
Good luck. It's still a great story!
DutchmenSport
2005 Chevy Silverado 3500 Dually Duramax 6.6L V8 Turbo
Century Truck Cap Commercial /Toolboxes
Northeast Outfitters Canoe
What a great story. Could you possibly sneak in a photo of Ms Kitty??
Julie
_____________________________________________________________________
A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving. ~ Lao Tzu
Wonderful! Nice to know he cared enough to take her in. I hope they have many happy years together. Oh and just for the record the vast majority of the cats in my life chose us....
That's what cats do best!
Congratulations Hawk on being chosen!
* This post was
edited 05/05/08 04:53pm by CatandJim *
Cat
(Jim just reads the forum once in a while)
Our '04 Sunline T2499 & Silverado picture is on the profile page
Live simply, love wholly, give generously, care deeply, speak kindly.
This was one of those stories that made my day. Thanks
I turned my husband into a cat person 38 years ago. He like animals, but his family only ever had dogs. I loved both dogs and cats but mostly had cats. I brought our first kitten home 38 years ago, after paying 25 cents to a little girl, who was selling kittens outside the supermarket.
We've had cats, which he now swears are the best pets, for all our nearly 39 years of marriage.
Barb
2001 Chev. 3500 CC Duallie, D/A, 20.5 Pullrite Super 5th, Roll n Lock, StarBoards, Firestone Air Bags, TTT Mirrors, BrakeSmart.
2004 HitchHiker Discover America 33 1/2 CKQG, Disc Brakes, Mor/Ryde IS
Garmin Nuvi 350
Offline
