Hi Everyone. Well, after 15 years the RV-Dreams Community Forum is coming to an end. Since it began in August 2005, we've had 58 Million page views, 124,000 posts, and we've spent about $15,000 to keep this valuable resource for RVers free and open. But since we are now off the road and have settled down for the next chapter of our lives, we are taking the Forum down effective June 30, 2021. It has been a tough decision, but it is now time.
We want to thank all of our members for their participation and input over the years, and we want to especially thank those that have acted as Moderators for us during our amazing journey living and traveling in our RV and growing the RV-Dreams Family. We will be forever proud to have been founders of this Forum and to have been supported by such a wonderful community. Thank you all!!
We will be starting to full time in the next couple of months. We will be travelling with a dog and three cats. They do not get along. Currently, cats (who are indoor/outdoor, with cat door in bedroom window) stay in the bedroom. Dog has the rest of the house. There were several good suggestions for cat box location. We now use a large storage tub with a hole cut off-center in the lid. Reduces litter tracking. I also use Swheat scoop. It's the best litter I have found in 40 years of cat-boxing.
I plan to cage the cats with frequent potty stops while travelling. Dog will travel on back seat of truck.
My greatest concern is the cats darting out the door. Plan to have screen door which should cut down on escapes. Harnesses and leashes also sound good. Years ago, I walked a cat, it was very slow going, they stop at every blade of grass.
Next concern is keeping dog from terrorizing cats, any suggestions?
Weeellll, I might suggest that you do what you've been doing, with cats in bedroom area and dog running rest of rv. Not an ideal suggestion at all., but!
We have one big happy furry family of 3 dogs and 2 cats and no issues so cannot say I even understand the situation. We've been lucky that ours have always gotten along well.
As I am not an advocate of getting rid of animals just because one makes a lifestyle change (I hate to see that happen and it does too frequently), I won't even try to suggest finding a new home for the dog or the cats.
I guess the best you can do is see what happens. If the dog is the issue, perhaps some professional training might work? Desentisizing his angst towards the cats may be something that can be learned in trailing. I would check it out.
BTW, a screen door DOES help in keeping the cats from simply darting out. We also have a screen room that goes over the awning and in the past, with our other TT and screen room, it worked in providing another safe place if they did dart out, to catch them before they could run outside. We have yet to put up our new screen room, but I know it will be great in providing extra room for all (dogs and hubby while the cats and I can enjoy the trailer, lol). Perhaps that may be an idea for you, to provide a bit more room during the day for the dog and to allow the cats some room to roam without the dog pestering them.
It is fun (ha!) traveling with animals, but who can leave them behind? Not me.
__________________
Two senior dogs, one cool senior lady and the Dream Lives On!
All good suggestions, thanks. No, finding other homes is not an option. They are family. Good news, lol, is that they are 14, 10, and 9 years old! As the dog ages, she chases them less. We plan to keep cats in bedroom, that's why we're looking for a TT with hard doors to a seperate bedroom.
I would look into the professional trainer. Sage doesn't like ANY other animals. When she first came to live with me I had 3 cats. The trainer was very helpful in creating an environment of "uneasy truce." Although as soon as the cats figured out that the dog knew she couldn't attack them they started torturing the poor thing! The truce continued until the cats died of old age. Now Sage has the run of the place again.
A toyhauler might also work out well. You could set up one living area for each animal -- at least when you weren't there to monitor behaviour.
I don't know how long you've been living with the current situation, but I think I would at least take a shot at getting them to live peacefully together.
__________________
Carol
Carol Kerr Welch
Wife to Jeff, "Mom" to Chuy; Retama Village Resident
Look into a Toy Hauler, use the garage to create a cat room and , the dog can stay in the main living area. G
-- Edited by GENECOP on Monday 4th of October 2010 08:22:54 AM
Or vice versa, depdending on who are your most favored 'children' at the time.
The screen room seems like a good idea to keep anybody from escaping. Of course, you would have to keep a close eye on everybody until your setup was complete at each campground. A screen room would be nice anyway so you could sit outside without worrying about bugs and mosquitoes.
Another caution that has been brought up elsewhere on this forum and others - make SURE you know where everybody is before you bring slides in and out.
She, Jennie, does have an uneasy truce with them. They avoid the problem by staying in the bedroom. Only one, Jeff, ventures out, cautiously. He will staying home, with my son, who is renting the house. It is the only home he has ever known in his 15 years and he has terrible authority issuses when made to stay indoors.
I do like the idea of the screen house. A few years ago I purchased a fancy fence system that was suppose to make it impossible for them to climb or jump over a fence. Looked good in theory, but Jeff WAS NOT going to stay in it. Several times he found, or made, a way out and then everyone else followed. After repairing the fence, and doing everything I could think of the stop him from escaping, I gave up. I told Jeff he would just have to take responsibility for his own life, installed a cat door in the bedroom window, and we have had peace ever since.
Toy hauler would take a lot of living space from us. This is going to be an ADVENTURE!!!
P.S. How do you get pictures added in here? And what is an "Avatar". I saw the movie, but???
-- Edited by Claudia on Monday 4th of October 2010 10:13:20 AM
Indoor/outdoor cats can be turned into indoor-only cats. It takes time and patience, and litter boxes have to be kept clean, but I've been there/done that.
But it's always possible that some personality disorders can occur when you attempt this (like inappropriate bathroom practices, if you know what I mean).
Most of the cats that I have are rescued feral kittens or young adults, and they have all made the transition to being indoors all the time and seem perfectly happy. I just keep them well-fed and well-supplied with toys.
A toy hauler does not have to take away living space, a toy hauler essentially is just any rv with a clearly defined separation of space, often the GarAge area is a little less finished, but sometimes not. A single door leads to another area that you are free to finish and use as you wish. G
