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Many of you are already familiar with Noble Fur and her intrepid adventures with her forester companion. Noble Fur abruptly entered my life a year ago when I arrived home at the end of my 2015 western travels, as detailed in A Christmas Cat Story.
As summer approached this year, I found myself less eager to travel than before. Noble Fur and I had bonded, and here I was planning to leave her behind for several months. My trips usually involve moving from place to place, sometimes camping for days on end. Having a cat along for the ride was not a good idea.
Things changed for the better when I learned that I could work on a large job in Idaho that would keep me in the same place for 3 months or longer. Next thing I knew, I was finding a house to rent, and making arrangements to bring Noble Fur with me! I wrote this in my travel journal at the beginning of the trip:
It’s a good thing that I am willing to try new things and embrace change. This year’s trip will cover familiar ground, leading me to McCall, Idaho. My 2012, 2013, and 2015 travels included work in the area.
Never before, however, did I bring a cat along. And never have I leased a house to serve as my work headquarters. First time for everything...
Packing for the trip required extra work. Noble Fur would require access to food, water, and a litter box. This meant far less room in the cab of the truck for other items. They would go in the camper instead. The cat herself had to be prepared. I bought a leash and harness, and had her wear it a couple times before the trip.
As I assembled gear in the house, and then transferred it to the truck, of course the kitty knew that something was about to happen. It’s hard for me to know what she might have been thinking, but she might have been alternately worried about being left behind, and also about being dragged into the truck.
Occupying suitcases seems to be a universal cat behavior. Noble Fur has mastered it:
The first travel day only took us about 100 miles to my brother’s place in the Atlanta area. Having that short hop allows me to do all of the last minute packing and adjustments that are necessary for such a long trip. When at along last we were ready to hit the road, I carried my squirming kitty to the truck and secured the harness to the passenger seat belt. She paced around, mewed, and looked out the windows. At first it was scary when big trucks went past us on the highway. As the miles went by, she settled in for the ride. Sometimes she wanted attention, but I was driving on busy I-75 at night and had to pay attention to the road. We were both relieved to arrive at my brother’s house. Noble Fur immediately set about exploring this big new house.
The next morning, my brother announced that he’d captured one of the squirrels that was raiding the bird feeder. Cat and squirrel were introduced.
Then it was time to put on the sunglasses, and hit the highway. Before long, Noble Fur accepted that the truck was moving away from the place she knew to be home. She would pout a bit, but mostly she alternated between napping and looking out the windows.
The first rest stop did not go well. I tried to take her for a walk, but she was terrified when an 18-wheeler roared past us. From then on, I made sure to take her to quieter locations. I always wrapped the loop of the leash around my wrist to keep her from bolting away.
Before nightfall we were in Saint Louis, at the home of longtime friends. They lived in a quiet neighborhood near a small park. We took Noble Fur on a long outing there. I hardly can call it a “walk” because she spent more time sniffing this strange new world, occasionally trying to hide. The playground, however, was worth exploring.
On the way across Missouri, Noble Fur was comfortable enough with her situation that she volunteered to navigate.
That night we stayed with friends near Kansas City. They had a territorial cat and a large dog, but Noble Fur made the best of the space that was made available to her.
The next day was a blur of highways and flat landscapes. The good news was that fellow Kossack ColoTim offered us a place to stay. The bad news? Getting there took more than 600 miles of driving, including having to endure Kansas City and Denver traffic. Noble Fur and I were both glad for the day to end, and for the hospitality that awaited us.
We were still a long distance from Idaho. Another day of driving took us to Rock Springs, Wyoming. We found a pet-friendly motel and settled in to rest our road-weary bones. The next morning, it was time for the last full travel day. Across western Wyoming, northern Utah, and finally into Idaho. Another DKos pet lover, hulibow, had offered us a place to stay in Boise.
The hulibow homestead included Daisy, a dog who liked cats. Noble Fur, however, wasn’t convinced that friendship was the best idea. By this point in the trip, I had concluded that Noble Fur thinks that she is just another human. She kept her distance from all the pets we met, but she was happy to meet new people.
After nearly a week on the road, the journey was near an end. Another 100 miles of driving on scenic highways took us to McCall. Noble Fur was introduced to her “summer home” and I proceeded to unload the truck. When the suitcase was empty, Noble Fur knew that we wouldn’t be leaving any time soon.