Date:         Thu, 19 Jun 2003 21:56:45 -0600
Reply-To:     Eric and Marica <eric.clarke@SHAW.CA>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Eric and Marica <eric.clarke@SHAW.CA>
Subject:      Re: cats and campers
In-Reply-To:  <3EF266A9.37A37BC2@bcn.net>
Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

I have 2 cat experiences - both relate to starting cats off at an early
age.

1) I'm (at the time) 25, Single, drive a motorcycle and live in
Vancouver BC. I find a kitten in the garbage bin of my apartment block
and become an official cat owner - and cat person. Calvin (the cat) and
I discovered one day while coming home from the vet, he absolutely loved
to ride my motorcycle - in a khaki shoulder bag hanging off my shoulder
with his head sticking out.  I discover at a pit stop at the bank that
having a kitten or a cat, in a shoulder bag, is a chick magnet equal
only to carrying a live baby. Easier to get a date than carrying a
bassinette though! Calvin took to sleeping in the shoulder bag and even
after I ended up married some 4 years later, went everywhere I did on
the bike, in the bag.

2) Perhaps more to the point, my aunt and uncle took their Abyssinian
Cat all over North America in a (ahem) Toyota Camper and she had the run
of the place when it was in motion - except the front seat area. She was
kept in the van on her own as a kitten and knew it inside and out and I
think most importantly, she spent most of her time in it without it ever
moving. She was exposed to the running of the engine and short trips so
the experiences were not that exciting. But wherever they when, she was
on a harness and 'have the leash on the cat before opening the doors'.
Lived to be 14, passed away last fall.


And if you're wondering about my little buddy Calvin? Well, it turned
out that my wife and my cat had in fact pretty much come to despise one
another. He went to a good home with a little girl that loved him and he
lived a long happy life. My wife never really was much a cat person at
all as fate would have it... And dogs travel well and may also still
have some chick magnetism effect!  But please don't tell my wife that or
I'll loose the dogs too!!

Have a good night,

Eric

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf
Of Jim Digennaro
Sent: Thursday, June 19, 2003 7:43 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: cats and campers


Hi gang,
    A topic a little different that your usual stuff.  I'm looking for
advice from those who have traveled or does travel with a cat.  We got
ourselves a kitten last week and want it to be with us when we travel.
Just wondering what to or not to do with it to train it to go camping.
Thanks for your help.  Email me off list please.  Thanks.
--
                  -Jim DiGennaro, LiMBO/SOI Web keeper
               '93 Green Eurovan MV 'The EuroTurtle Van'
                  '92 Scamp Trailer 'The Turtle's Egg'
                  '63 Beetle 'The Turtle's hatchling'
                         '90 Jetta (Brides car)
                  '84 Jetta 'Rattle-Rattle Dump truck'
                              ICQ# 5534528
                           AOL IM ID: MrVWDJ
                       LiMBO LINE: (413) 743-1814
                     LiMBO Site:  www.LiMBOBUS.org
               Scamp Site: http://www.bcn.net/~limbo/SOI 'Transporters
By The Tunnel' - A fun camping event ' held July 18th-20st