A Cat in the Truck

chetjester · Feb 22, 2005

I have a Himalayan cat just begging me to take her on the road.

Who has a cat riding with them? Where do you put the litter box? How large is it? Dry food can be kept on the floor without makeing a mess, but, what do you do about water? Just water the cat when you are stopped?

I really want to have my bud on the road with me. I need any and all suggestions and advice.

Tanks.

davekc · Feb 22, 2005

Hi
We had two pomeranians with us when we were on the road and never had any problems except when they went out in Canada and it was 10 below zero. They were ok but I was less than thrilled. Most of the time the wife took on that duty. I would get that litter that you can clean daily and put it on the passenger side floor. If you have any litter out of the pan, just sweep or vacuum it out. Much easier to open the passenger door and do a quick clean, rather that sweeping or trying to clean out your sleeper.
For water we used tupperware bowls with lids. No fuss no muss.

Don't have to worry about sticky your feet into it right when you wake up either if in the sleeper:7
Davekc
owner
20 years

chetjester · Feb 22, 2005

Thanks, Dave. Your dogs are about the same size as my cat.

I'm not 100% convinced I should take her. I'm hoping a lot of people will talk me out of it.

If I need company, I have my XM Radio. lol

davekc · Feb 22, 2005

You should take Tom,
He needs to get out more

Davekc

chetjester · Feb 22, 2005

I can't believe you said that!!!

I delivered to GM-Fairfax in Kansas City, KS this afternoon. Tomorrow morning Tom is flying into KCI (MCI). I'm picking him up and driving him to his new Sprinter in Raymore, MO.

I hope I'm not too nervous driving with him in the his truck with me. This will be a first.

davekc · Feb 22, 2005

Lucky quess! He must have been listening to me
Have fun!!
Davekc

Draco · Feb 23, 2005

ChetJester,
I take my boxer w/ me and I ordered one of those buddy water bowls. They are spill proof and work great. For your kitty the smaller bowl would be perfect it's about a 1 quart size.

Falconlady13 · Feb 23, 2005

We took our Maine Coon cat with us a few years back.TC is a big cat so we got him used to a harness and a leash,and yes,you can teach them to walk with you.

Since we were a team operation,we slid his litter box under the sink cabinet and used a covered bowl for his water.

Make sure you have a carrier because we ran into a few places that didn't allow pets and we left him at the guard shack in his carrier.

Make sure all his shots are up to date with a recent vet exam.

TC is pretty laid back and would find the best viewing spot even if you were already in it.

He is older now,and we won't be taking him out with us but I enjoyed the time he was with us and have no regrets.He provided lots of company and great deal of amusement.I found that feathers hung from a string in the sleeper provided hours of entertainment for him.

Sorry not to be the one to talk you out of it,I had lots of fun with him and sorry to be leaving him behind.

barney · Feb 23, 2005

I knew a lady that took her cat in the dump truck. The cat was really laid back but the lady wouldn't empty the litter box( yuck!!!). Always empty the litter box. Trucks are small and the box will remind MOST folks.

davekc · Feb 23, 2005

Good point.....that all shot records must be up to date. Especially if you are going into Canada.
Davekc

ATeam · Feb 23, 2005

Since you are looking for reasons to talk you out of taking the cat, consider the following:

1. If the cat gets out by mistake, it could cause you big problems and heartache, especially if you are under load with a schedule to keep. I've seen cats at rest areas that apparently got left behind by mistake. The cat may have hopped out a partly-open car or truck window, or scurried out without the driver knowing when the door was open. The poor critters were meowing in distress in an unfamiliar and noisy area.

2. If you had a layover say near Disney World and time to take in the attractions, what would you do with the cat? Could he/she bear the heat in the truck, or would you leave the generator run if you have one?

3. FedEx Custom Critical White Glove Services(R) division prohibits pets in trucks. I believe pets are ok in non-White Glove trucks. If you think you might go White Glove someday, you'll have to leave your pet(s) behind.

Otherwise, lots of drivers keep pets in their trucks and do just fine. If you miss your pet on the road and there are ways to take the pet along, I'd say go for it.

chetjester · Feb 23, 2005

Thanks everyone. I know I would enjoy her company. She is up to date with here shots (I spent $190 over Christmas getting her groomed and up to date).

I won't be going to FedEx Custom Critical ever again. White Glove or regular. I'm very happy with Tom. I never play the tourist. I am OCD and just want to drive and drive and drive.

DocRushing · Feb 25, 2005

Chet:
For three years (1998-2001) Special K and I took a cat with us in our Volvo 770 tractor.
We kept the litter box in the space below the center of the lower bunk.
We kept the box clean (and therefore relatively low-odor) by scooping the solid waste into small paper bags, which we then dropped into trash cans, and by changing the litter often.
Because of the soft ride on the Volvo, we used a standard two-bowl pet dish -- with no problem.
The cat was a neutered girl, half Siamese and half tabby.
She was very sweet and very pretty.
She was also very placid and laid-back.
She obviously thoroughly enjoyed riding around with us -- although she started with us when she was already an adult.
She often rode on top of the dash.
Scalehouse inspectors learned to watch for her -- and to ask about her if she was not in sight.
We thoroughly enjoyed her company.
Taking a cat is not for everyone, but we really enjoyed doing so.
Best wishes,
Doc.

terryandrene · Feb 26, 2005

Several years ago there was a woman in a van who traveled with several cats. We encountered her many times and she always had a strong odor of cat urine. We assumed the entire van was the litter box. On one occasion we met her in a rest area on I-40 east of Knoxville. She was on a run and stopped at the area; one of the cats got loose and she never did recover it.

Another pet point not to be overlooked. Any pet crossing the US/Can border, either way, should have it's shot record papers. The Canadian policy is to refuse admittance if rabies shot card is not in truck. A rabies collar tag is not enough.

Terry

RichM · Feb 26, 2005

I remember that Cat Woman. She didn't have to worry about anyone breaking into her van. The odor would stop any would be thief in their tracks.

dukesadog · Mar 9, 2005

When I was leased to North Americans Electronic Fleet there was a team there that had 2 dogs, a cat, a ferret and two parrots in the truck which was an fld 120 condo. This is back when we all spent 340+ days on the road.

I didn't notice a smell though.....maybe it was because I was too tired to notice.

dukesadog

gt_mustang_gal · Mar 10, 2005

>3. FedEx Custom Critical White Glove Services(R) division
>prohibits pets in trucks. I believe pets are ok in non-White
>Glove trucks. If you think you might go White Glove someday,
>you'll have to leave your pet(s) behind.

Oh no......I'm glad you mentioned this. We are definitely planning to take our dog with us. I guess the White Glove division is out of the question for us! :-(

BigBusBob · Mar 15, 2005

haven't you ever heard the old saying...
"what the boss man don't know won't hurt him"?

Smile!

gt_mustang_gal · Mar 16, 2005

>haven't you ever heard the old saying...
>"what the boss man don't know won't hurt him"?
>
>Smile!

Well, I hadn't thought of it that way....
How WOULD they find out?

terryandrene · Mar 16, 2005

>Well, I hadn't thought of it that way....
>How WOULD they find out?

There are always going to be some folks that can overlook portions of their lease agreement to satisfy their personal whims and wishes. Should you choose to carry a pet on a White Glove truck, you may be denied entry to many facilities like nuclear power plants or military installations. The consequences might be loss of a several thousand dollar load, revocation of your lease agreement, or at the very least, a requirement to leave your pet outside the facility. It is not uncommon to enter a military base for a pickup or delivery and not depart for several hours.