Well, we did it today, managed to get someone 2 sites over totally ticked off at us. How? Well, after Tazzy Kat enjoyed her walk through part of the Tahoe National Forest and thoroughly enjoyed rolling in the pine needles, I decided to brush her before bringing her and all that natural fiber back inside. There was a fairly good breeze blowing so some of the loose hair started blowing around. Next thing we know we have a lady screaming out the door of her RV about how terrible cats are, how it's our fault she's having to close up their door to the Toy Hauler and how stupid we are for bringing a cat camping to mess up her allergies.
Sheesh, it's not as if we tried to mess up her allergies on purpose and yes, we do take our cat camping everywhere we go After she slammed the door to her RV, Dale went over to apologize and she went off on him again with the same tirade.
So, Tazzy Kat is back inside and we're just trying to forget the entire unpleasant incident. We've never really considered that we might be offending people with our indoor / outdoor cat and with a long haired cat who loves to explore and roll in the gravel, pine needles, sand, etc. brushing is required before she can come back inside. Usually we try to gather up most of the loose hair, but that's not always possible with the wind and we always figured the local bird population would love that soft fur for a nest. I've seen plenty of people brushing their dogs outside, I know a cat might be a little more unusual, but is this usually considered bad campground etiquette?
Alie and Jims Carrilite said
06:49 PM Aug 31, 2014
Na, its not bad etiquette. You just found someone who only gets to go camping 3 times a year if their lucky. Their probably going to be gone tomorrow anyway.
bjoyce said
06:55 PM Aug 31, 2014
I too have seen plenty of people brushing their dogs outside. I have also seen others brushing a cat outside. You just hit a very isolated incident. Now you have a campfire story.
Hdrider said
07:25 PM Aug 31, 2014
Maybe they will realize how silly all that was and feel embarrassed enough to hide inside the rest of the weekend and then be gone Monday. You can then give them a polite wave (be nice) and carry on with life.
GENECOP said
07:56 PM Aug 31, 2014
You happened to find the one nut in the campground.....ignore her....
NWescapee said
07:57 PM Aug 31, 2014
Well, we're leaving Monday as well, and our kitty is always on her leash when outside. Too bad they just couldn't ask us nicely to not brush the cat where the wind might blow some hair in their direction. I understand allergies, just don't understand rude behavior.
flyone said
08:22 PM Aug 31, 2014
Obviously most of you are not allergic to cat dander, some people are, some more sensitive than others. But I'm sure most of you would not be happy to have a headache, itchy rash, runny nose for the next two or three days especially if it were your only two or three days to go camping. On the other hand there is no excuse to be rude. Dog dander doesn't seem to be as bad to most people. I know as for myself I could have been feeling bad for the next day or two and would not have been very happy about it. After all I paid as much for my site as you did however I chose not to bring an animal and disrupt others camping experience. I'm sorry I didn't choose to be allergic to cats God made me this way. If it is windy and your cat needs brushing you may want consider doing it inside your trailer, just please consider others.
Flyone
manycats said
09:51 PM Aug 31, 2014
Ruth, there's no excuse for that kind of rudeness. We have traveled with cats and dogs, both inside and outside, and have also met the nicest people who travel with their pets. We only had one incident when my DH's favorite cat walked across the hood of a car on the next site. The man threatened to kill the cat even after we offered to wash his car. Well, to make a story short, after my DH told him what consequences to expect, he left the next day. You do not threaten to harm animals, women or children in front of my DH.
I understand allergies (I'm allergic to insect bites) but there are many nice ways to get your point across. After all, most of us have had to suffer obnoxious, noisy and downright nasty children whose parents let them run loose and damage other people's property, without acting that way. You did not breach any campground etiquette by brushing your cat. Don't forget, squirrels, raccoons, mice, deer, and all kinds of furry critters live in the woods and even in cities. Hair, dust mites, etc., etc., are blowing in the air all around us. Enjoy your Tazzy and let her enjoy her outings too. She's probably much nicer and more polite than that so-called lady.
Technomadia said
11:54 PM Aug 31, 2014
Oh goodness... please just try to forget this ugly incident.
I understand someone having sensitive allergies, etc... we have ours too. But that does mean we go yelling at people who are smoking upwind of us? It's all part of choosing to come to a public location, you are both respectful of others and grant a little tolerance and personal responsibility for your own reactions.
This woman could have just as easily had a stray cat approach her spot and trigger her allergies. If someone is that sensitive, then they probably know what medications avert a reaction, and carry them all the time and are used to using them. Yes, I sympathize, but it's not the responsibility of every person in a public place to protect everyone else from every possible allergy out there.
So sorry you encountered this triggery person who was hopefully just having a bad day, and hope that Tazzy cat has many amazing adventures and admirers! Thankfully, the most common reaction we get to our leashed cat Kiki is surprise at how sociable, friendly and large she is :)
SnowGypsy said
06:52 AM Sep 1, 2014
flyone wrote:
Obviously most of you are not allergic to cat dander, some people are, some more sensitive than others. But I'm sure most of you would not be happy to have a headache, itchy rash, runny nose for the next two or three days especially if it were your only two or three days to go camping. On the other hand there is no excuse to be rude. Dog dander doesn't seem to be as bad to most people. I know as for myself I could have been feeling bad for the next day or two and would not have been very happy about it. After all I paid as much for my site as you did however I chose not to bring an animal and disrupt others camping experience. I'm sorry I didn't choose to be allergic to cats God made me this way. If it is windy and your cat needs brushing you may want consider doing it inside your trailer, just please consider others.
Flyone
My older son is allergic to cats and he loves them which is really sad. I had a supervisor that was so allergic to cats that he had to go into the emergency room if he encountered one and he really liked them. I am not allergic to cats but I would not care to have their loose hair blowing around my campsite as I do have 2 large dogs and would not brush them when the hair would fly to another campsite. I usually shop Jeffers Pet online and they have a variety of brushes and hair doesn't fly when I use the right tools. Yes, the woman sounded over-the-top but too often anymore if you do ask nicely, people are just rude back so maybe she just suspected that it would be that way again and that was wrong of her. I would place blame 50/50 in this case. Be forewarned that a lot of people do not like cats. I was glad to hear that you do keep your cat on a lease when it is outside as the majority do not. Coyotes are a problem in many areas and they come quietly and are very quick.
PIEERE said
07:57 AM Sep 1, 2014
You did the best you could to rectify the situation and if that is not good enough; let them live with their miserable ol' selves!
-- Edited by PIEERE on Monday 1st of September 2014 08:33:30 AM
WestWardHo said
08:16 AM Sep 1, 2014
Wow, I'm kind of stunned by that woman's response and to some other replies on here. Cherie said it best; I had to delete some of my responses. 😄
I have asthma and COPD, people smoking, charcoal fires and campfires cause me problems but it's MY issue! I can close my windows quietly and turn on the AC. I wouldn't dream of telling someone to change their normal, rightful behavior because of MY ISSUE.
You and Dale are thoughtful, considerate RVers. That woman was 100% wrong.
Just my opinion.
Sherry
MarkS said
10:22 AM Sep 1, 2014
Sherry, you said it best. Regardless of how bad the allergies are, throwing a tantrum is not the solution. I think it's kind of selfish to think that everyone should change their behavior to suit ones needs. At home, one is free to set environmental standards and expect those standards to be met. When in public, one is solely responsible for ones own comfort.
Paraphrased - suck it up cupcake, the whole world isn't going to bend to your desires.
Barbaraok said
11:05 AM Sep 1, 2014
We walked our cat every evening and there are some times that she also rolls in needles, etc. We get a damp paper towel and wipe her down before letting her inside and that removes so much with no blowing around.
The woman was having a bad day. She probably has a lot of bad days and hasn't figured out how to handle her issues. Just go about your business.
Barb
SnowGypsy said
12:39 PM Sep 1, 2014
Pet hair clings to everything once it gets airborne. You can end up with it on your screens and tracking it into your RV. Living in close quarters isn't for everyone and taking a little extra care to avoid complaints to management will help keep parks "pet friendly". I would not care to be assigned an RV site covered with pet hairs.
Jack Mayer said
12:57 PM Sep 1, 2014
Technomadia wrote:
Oh goodness... please just try to forget this ugly incident.
I understand someone having sensitive allergies, etc... we have ours too. But that does mean we go yelling at people who are smoking upwind of us?
Well, Cherie, I might be tempted to yell at someone smoking where it affects me in my site - especially if they are inconsiderate. :( I'm pretty tired of inconsiderate smokers that blow their smoke everywhere and throw their butts all over the ground. I'm REALLY tired of picking up all their butts at the campsite....some think the ground is an ashtray.
Considerate smokers are no issue to me, but there seem to be fewer and fewer of those.....
Now, the cat lady was just plain obnoxious....she could have asked nicely.
Bill and Jodee said
04:13 PM Sep 1, 2014
I hope I won't have to travel with a warning sign indicating that we use lighter fluid (I hate the smell), wear scented lotion and hair conditioner, have a minimally shedding dog, burn sage against bugs, occasionally sing in the shower, cook onions and fish, cheer for our football teams - we're like a nightmare to park next to!
Jodee
Dog Folks said
05:49 PM Sep 1, 2014
The lady was rude, no doubt.
But now that you have learned that there always might be someone allergic to cat dander, brush the cat so that the dander stays in your site or brush her inside.
Maybe your DH could catch the dander with a vacuum before it blows away?
JackKim said
06:22 PM Sep 1, 2014
I agree she was rude and it was a reaction that was not called for. Then on the other side when people act like that I tend to just let it go because I do not have any idea of what is going on in their lives. I am not excusing bad behavior, but I do know sometimes that people carry some incredible burdens and things that no one sees out front, but it comes out in behavior.
Again I am not saying it is okay to behave that way, but giving people the benefit of doubt helps me not carry any resentment. And that is all about me, and my piece of mind so I can continue to like and love people.
Just my 2 cents. And I am sorry it happened to you Ruth cause you seem to be a genuinely nice person and did not deserve that.
and I was going to suggest that you make cookies or something, until I read your post again and saw that Dale tried to go apologize and she would not accept it.
But food is usually a really good "I am sorry"!
-- Edited by JackKim on Monday 1st of September 2014 06:29:53 PM
Lucky Mike said
06:55 AM Sep 2, 2014
Have you thought about carrying a bottle of " Claratin".....you could give them one and tell them its a happy pill!!!
NWescapee said
09:27 AM Sep 2, 2014
Thanks all for your responses, you provided a few good laughs!! We'll be more careful when brushing Tazzy in the future, but I'm not going to let someone else's bad reaction ruin our kitty's time outside.
Well, we did it today, managed to get someone 2 sites over totally ticked off at us. How? Well, after Tazzy Kat enjoyed her walk through part of the Tahoe National Forest and thoroughly enjoyed rolling in the pine needles, I decided to brush her before bringing her and all that natural fiber back inside. There was a fairly good breeze blowing so some of the loose hair started blowing around. Next thing we know we have a lady screaming out the door of her RV about how terrible cats are, how it's our fault she's having to close up their door to the Toy Hauler and how stupid we are for bringing a cat camping to mess up her allergies.
Sheesh, it's not as if we tried to mess up her allergies on purpose and yes, we do take our cat camping everywhere we go
After she slammed the door to her RV, Dale went over to apologize and she went off on him again with the same tirade.
So, Tazzy Kat is back inside and we're just trying to forget the entire unpleasant incident. We've never really considered that we might be offending people with our indoor / outdoor cat and with a long haired cat who loves to explore and roll in the gravel, pine needles, sand, etc. brushing is required before she can come back inside. Usually we try to gather up most of the loose hair, but that's not always possible with the wind and we always figured the local bird population would love that soft fur for a nest. I've seen plenty of people brushing their dogs outside, I know a cat might be a little more unusual, but is this usually considered bad campground etiquette?
Obviously most of you are not allergic to cat dander, some people are, some more sensitive than others. But I'm sure most of you would not be happy to have a headache, itchy rash, runny nose for the next two or three days especially if it were your only two or three days to go camping. On the other hand there is no excuse to be rude. Dog dander doesn't seem to be as bad to most people. I know as for myself I could have been feeling bad for the next day or two and would not have been very happy about it. After all I paid as much for my site as you did however I chose not to bring an animal and disrupt others camping experience. I'm sorry I didn't choose to be allergic to cats God made me this way. If it is windy and your cat needs brushing you may want consider doing it inside your trailer, just please consider others.
Flyone
I understand allergies (I'm allergic to insect bites) but there are many nice ways to get your point across. After all, most of us have had to suffer obnoxious, noisy and downright nasty children whose parents let them run loose and damage other people's property, without acting that way. You did not breach any campground etiquette by brushing your cat. Don't forget, squirrels, raccoons, mice, deer, and all kinds of furry critters live in the woods and even in cities. Hair, dust mites, etc., etc., are blowing in the air all around us. Enjoy your Tazzy and let her enjoy her outings too. She's probably much nicer and more polite than that so-called lady.
I understand someone having sensitive allergies, etc... we have ours too. But that does mean we go yelling at people who are smoking upwind of us? It's all part of choosing to come to a public location, you are both respectful of others and grant a little tolerance and personal responsibility for your own reactions.
This woman could have just as easily had a stray cat approach her spot and trigger her allergies. If someone is that sensitive, then they probably know what medications avert a reaction, and carry them all the time and are used to using them. Yes, I sympathize, but it's not the responsibility of every person in a public place to protect everyone else from every possible allergy out there.
So sorry you encountered this triggery person who was hopefully just having a bad day, and hope that Tazzy cat has many amazing adventures and admirers! Thankfully, the most common reaction we get to our leashed cat Kiki is surprise at how sociable, friendly and large she is :)
My older son is allergic to cats and he loves them which is really sad. I had a supervisor that was so allergic to cats that he had to go into the emergency room if he encountered one and he really liked them. I am not allergic to cats but I would not care to have their loose hair blowing around my campsite as I do have 2 large dogs and would not brush them when the hair would fly to another campsite. I usually shop Jeffers Pet online and they have a variety of brushes and hair doesn't fly when I use the right tools. Yes, the woman sounded over-the-top but too often anymore if you do ask nicely, people are just rude back so maybe she just suspected that it would be that way again and that was wrong of her. I would place blame 50/50 in this case. Be forewarned that a lot of people do not like cats. I was glad to hear that you do keep your cat on a lease when it is outside as the majority do not. Coyotes are a problem in many areas and they come quietly and are very quick.
-- Edited by PIEERE on Monday 1st of September 2014 08:33:30 AM
I have asthma and COPD, people smoking, charcoal fires and campfires cause me problems but it's MY issue! I can close my windows quietly and turn on the AC. I wouldn't dream of telling someone to change their normal, rightful behavior because of MY ISSUE.
You and Dale are thoughtful, considerate RVers. That woman was 100% wrong.
Just my opinion.
Sherry
Paraphrased - suck it up cupcake, the whole world isn't going to bend to your desires.
The woman was having a bad day. She probably has a lot of bad days and hasn't figured out how to handle her issues. Just go about your business.
Barb
Well, Cherie, I might be tempted to yell at someone smoking where it affects me in my site - especially if they are inconsiderate. :( I'm pretty tired of inconsiderate smokers that blow their smoke everywhere and throw their butts all over the ground. I'm REALLY tired of picking up all their butts at the campsite....some think the ground is an ashtray.
Considerate smokers are no issue to me, but there seem to be fewer and fewer of those.....
Now, the cat lady was just plain obnoxious....she could have asked nicely.
Jodee
But now that you have learned that there always might be someone allergic to cat dander, brush the cat so that the dander stays in your site or brush her inside.
Maybe your DH could catch the dander with a vacuum before it blows away?
I agree she was rude and it was a reaction that was not called for. Then on the other side when people act like that I tend to just let it go because I do not have any idea of what is going on in their lives. I am not excusing bad behavior, but I do know sometimes that people carry some incredible burdens and things that no one sees out front, but it comes out in behavior.
Again I am not saying it is okay to behave that way, but giving people the benefit of doubt helps me not carry any resentment. And that is all about me, and my piece of mind so I can continue to like and love people.
Just my 2 cents. And I am sorry it happened to you Ruth cause you seem to be a genuinely nice person and did not deserve that.
and I was going to suggest that you make cookies or something, until I read your post again and saw that Dale tried to go apologize and she would not accept it.
But food is usually a really good "I am sorry"!
-- Edited by JackKim on Monday 1st of September 2014 06:29:53 PM