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Old 11-06-2021, 03:43 PM   #21
JRTJH
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I'm not fond of sedating drugs for animals. Not only is it easy to overdose them, it can, in some dogs and cats, put undue stress on the liver and kidneys or even induce a stroke in older dogs.

George, have you looked into the "thunder shirts" for dogs? They have "worked wonders" in keeping many dogs "drug free and feeling secure" without sedation..... https://www.amazon.com/ThunderShirt-...pt=PET_APPAREL
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Old 11-06-2021, 03:59 PM   #22
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We have never had any luck with Thundershirts. Bought our first in Pagosa Springs after a long trip and pup just wasn't happy. She seemed to love that tight fit but didn't do a lot for her. Tried another at another time but they just didn't work. Talked to our vet and another in another city. Both agreed (as we did) that she is just very nervous due to lots of abuse as a puppy.

Every animal has a history and their view of the world is 100% affected by it. All of them don't respond to the same things. IMO we all just have to work thru it with our pets. It's a trial and error thing and the owners just have to be 100% engaged with the pet all the time for the owner, as well as the pet, to learn.
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Old 11-07-2021, 09:50 AM   #23
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Hey! Thanks for all the good advice and info.

We are going to be doing a better job at having the cats in the carrier more frequently with rewards at the end and will continue to do shorter treks until we see improvement.

The wife and I have discussed if this lifestyle (nomads) is right for us and if we should get a home base somewhere. For now we are going to continue as is (we both made a commitment to give it 6 months before making another major change).

As far as the Motorhome decision - the responses I've received on here have helped greatly and we are going to "parking lot" that decision for now.

Again thanks! A great community on this forum
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Old 11-11-2021, 11:14 AM   #24
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IMHO
With what you describe my opinion is 40, or even larger with a tag axle, diesel pusher. In my experience with two cats (I tried the trailer option) and full timing with your mechanical skills/abilities I would, in a heartbeat go with a pre-def pusher. The Monaco / Beaver mid 2000 units are quality built. They have beautiful finished cabinets and are my taste. There are several brands of that era that are great if you can handle repairs. Just because age… I think almost every one would have major issues like engine replacement or such done by a professional but it sounds like you can do just about anything else… GOLDMINE quality in rv ownership!

I have done 40 DP, 34 bumper pull, 42 tag DP, 33 class C, now 25 Sprinter C.

No contest, I wish I had my Beaver 42 back. But with my family obligations right now the sprinter is what I need.


Oh
Make sure you have a flat wide dash area and your cats will think they are in heaven riding down the road lounging up there. Actually anytime.

A wrangler would be perfect if your active or a Mini Cooper if you don’t need off-road

EDIT
Regarding cat stress
My first trip my boy howled snd paced all night. I, at wits end after months of this, tried water in spray bottle (against every fiber of my being) he stopped after one time! My girl was 5 lbs of fearlessness, loved every minute and would go with him under sofa on travel days to comfort him. Having hidey holes is a huge difference. A cabinet, under furniture, in a drawer left partially open, or closet anywhere your clothes snd scent are.

My latest boy howls for an hour then goes into a hidey hole snd not a peep rest of trip. But he flew cross country several times and realized s good thing in rv travel. Lol I tried the thunder vest on him and he did the gator death roll and some how like Houdini it was off! He just gets better when he realizes this is what’s going to be.

I always have an rv for my babies… and I buy with them in mind
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Old 11-11-2021, 11:38 AM   #25
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Traveling with cats

We have been traveling with cats for over twenty years. First thing that we found out was don't sedat the cats it makes the feel uneasy and apprehensive. I know the vets tell you to sedat them. But believe me we found out they faired much better without sedation. It's the motion of things passing the windows that causes the motion sickness. We bought them a large soft sided enclosure with hammocks. In the top. Provide a place they can get low below the windows where they can't see out .it is strange how one cat will stay in the bottom of the enclosure where he can't see out and the other will be it the hammock watching every thing go by. Another thing they like is air circulation. We bought a 12 volt fan and put it on the center console pointing into the enclosure they actually love that. I suggest going to a cat show and talk to the cat owners there they travel with cats all the time. Our cats a seasoned traveler they have been across the country multiple times. We are not full timers but we full time 6 to 7 months of the year.
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Old 11-11-2021, 12:05 PM   #26
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LegionX View Post
Hey! Thanks for all the good advice and info.

We are going to be doing a better job at having the cats in the carrier more frequently with rewards at the end and will continue to do shorter treks until we see improvement.

The wife and I have discussed if this lifestyle (nomads) is right for us and if we should get a home base somewhere. For now we are going to continue as is (we both made a commitment to give it 6 months before making another major change).

As far as the Motorhome decision - the responses I've received on here have helped greatly and we are going to "parking lot" that decision for now.

Again thanks! A great community on this forum
Yep motorhomes are nice..I may get one one day but one of the downsides is if you have engine or transmission problems then you are really stuck and unless your mechanically inclined your at the mercy of the closest specialized repair center and your home it’s stuck at the repair center also.

With a trailer you can get towed to a campground and repair the truck or just shop for a new one without having all your eggs in one basket
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Old 11-11-2021, 03:54 PM   #27
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Yep motorhomes are nice..I may get one one day but one of the downsides is if you have engine or transmission problems then you are really stuck and unless your mechanically inclined your at the mercy of the closest specialized repair center and your home it’s stuck at the repair center also.

With a trailer you can get towed to a campground and repair the truck or just shop for a new one without having all your eggs in one basket


Just visited with new folks in the park yesterday coming from a Class A. They had a dog vs cat. His reasons for a new 40' Solitude and Ford 350 dually included what you mentioned above along with several other reasons including the living space. Theirs had full length slides and even though they had them said the 5th wheel was by far roomier and would never go back to the motorhome - except they can't make a sandwich on the road.....
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Old 11-14-2021, 01:03 PM   #28
Cascadia
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Cat travel...how about this?

https://www.ilovervlife.com/making-rv-travel-with-cats-easy/
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Old 11-14-2021, 02:42 PM   #29
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We've had good results using products containing tryptophan to promote calmness in pet anxiety situations. Tryptophan is a naturally occurring substance that is "the active ingredient in Thanksgiving turkey." We were first introduced to it as an aid to parading our skittish horse ("Calmex"), but there are formulations for cats and dogs, too.

Or, if you're a purist, you can just feed them a bowlful of turkey. It works for me. 😴
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Old 11-14-2021, 05:25 PM   #30
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We give one dog some kids Benadryl to calm her. She just pants sometimes, which is irritating.

To the main Q - We chose an RV/race trailer (also have a 220RD) and a truck over a Class A and shorter trailer based primarily on 1) flexibility and 2) ease of repair.

1) we can go into town and park about anywhere, even if the F-350 is 22' long. Motorhome, not so much. We are drag racers and know a LOT of people that travel with Class As. They make way more bucks that we have laying around, so they can swallow week down time for electrical repairs, $$$$ windshield replacements, diesel pusher service costs and tire costs. I just put fresh tires on the 34' and it was right at $1000 with warranties. Yes, the motorcoach is a nice ride. But that's about it unless you get one with a toy hauler tail and put some small EV in the tail end LOL.

2) Service - I can fix anything on the trailers and most of it is real easy to get to. The 220 would be more of a "house" type repair issue should one occur. The race trailer easy because it has no under floor insulation to contend with. Worst thing on the race trailer is most stuff - water pump, water heater, house electrics - is under a cabinet which is kinda tight work for a 220 lb guy.

That's my 1/50 of a dollar on the subject.
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Old 11-14-2021, 07:54 PM   #31
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We give one dog some kids Benadryl to calm her. She just pants sometimes, which is irritating.
Interesting fact about dogs and Benadryl: they need about three times the dosage (1mg/lb) that people do to be effective. May not matter much for a "calm-down" dose, but for stings or snakebites it's important.
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