Trucking Cats

I’ve heard that even cats can enjoy the trucking life!

Since I’ll be gone 2-3 weeks at a time, I’m thinking about taking my 2 year old cat in the truck with me. I know he’ll love the part about being with me (he’s a mama’s boy, lol), just worried how he’ll do when the truck is moving. Since I adopted him over a year ago, he’s never been outside of the house. Not sure if I can even get him in the car either. It’s only been once when I brought him home.

Any thoughts?

I would definitely recommend getting him in the car and riding around some first to see how he reacts.

As PackRat says, put him in the vehicle and drive around with him. Keep doing it every day for a couple weeks to see if he settles down. He's young enough that he may adjust.

My two boys that are almost 12 and almost 13 years old would not adjust at their age and never did like traveling in the vehicle when they had to travel to the vets office. Fortunately I know how to doctor them and have a vet tech friend that can give them worm medicine for me, so they don't have to travel.

Also, when you take him in the car the first few times, put him in a crate and cover any open areas with a towel or a sheet or something to make it darker for him. Then as he settles down start removing the covering to where he can see out.

I see some cats out here on the road and they seem to settle down and like to ride on the dash as the truck is going down the road. I wouldn't have mine on the dash until it was parked and stopped for the night. Things tend to fly when braking is done.

Laura

Ok thank you! 😺

I would definitely recommend getting him in the car and riding around some first to see how he reacts.

I didn’t even think of this! If he eventually does ok in the car, and not so good in the truck, definitely not going to force the situation. He seems to ignore firework noises that are off in the distance. Thank you!! 😺

Also, when you take him in the car the first few times, put him in a crate and cover any open areas with a towel or a sheet or something to make it darker for him. Then as he settles down start removing the covering to where he can see out.

Laura

Dashboards are cat-a-pults.

I didn’t even think of this! If he eventually does ok in the car, and not so good in the truck, definitely not going to force the situation. He seems to ignore firework noises that are off in the distance. Thank you!! 😺

Also, when you take him in the car the first few times, put him in a crate and cover any open areas with a towel or a sheet or something to make it darker for him. Then as he settles down start removing the covering to where he can see out.

Laura

FINALLY getting into this, Shar? Laura kept a goat in cab, haha! Share PHOTOS, IDMtnGal ~ ! Anything can work.

Look at Kearsey, with HER El Gago .. Goofball !! She had a great setup: Truckin' Along w/Kearsey!

Then again, you could always get a 'PEBBLE!' Pebble, the 'Too !! Dog, Sailor, and Gato, all in one, haha!! (Kinda rated X..) ;)

I so WANT one!

~ Anne ~

Here he is....the expensive buckling on his way from south-central ID to Wytheville VA.

Laura

Actually don't go by the car thing... They feel very different to a cat.

I brought Goofball on the truck at 10 years old and people said he was too old. He hated crates and cars and screamed the whole time

I had the truck 2 weeks by the time I got him so it smelled like me. When I got home I put all of his stuff in it including his 6 foot cat tree ... Yes in the middle of the floor and I strapped it to a cabinet for stability. During my home time I left him in the truck alone for a couple days. Occasionally I showed up and started the truck, ran the apu.... He got used to the sounds. The day before we left I drove around a bit.

He soon learned when I pull the brakes he gets food or treats so every time we went into a fuel lane he started meowing. He loved the truck and sometimes when we went to hotels he was not so happy. I think it depends on the hotel... Hampton inns and la quinta clean better than econolodge. So maybe he didn't like the smell.of the other animals

Goofball was on the truck for 18 months before I teamed. I have a new cat Named Princess.... I took her on the truck and for 12 hours she hid behind the fridge and the wall. After a few days she came out and climbed all over the truck and played

She hates the crate and car too.

Personally I think the cat will be fine. Rub it with socks to get the scent and out them in the truck.

OWI:

Operating While Intoxicated

APU:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.

Princess in my duffle bag on truck

My favorite Goofball truck pic