Hello Furiends,
I hope the new year is treating you well in your neck of the woods. I know some of you are having a purrticularly brutal winter and hope you are all staying warm and cozy. It’s snowy in our neck of the woods but not too bad and that’s how The Human likes it.

Since I had the opportunity to opine last week Oliver has insisted on a turn so, before we go into our news items, Oliver will provide his two cents. Also, this week we have a theme which is felines who live life as long haul truckers. We found some great stories and hope you enjoy them too. And now, heeeeeereeees Oliver!

Hello there furiends. I felt compelled to say a few words about traveling cats due to the theme of this week’s feature. Now I’ve never traveled in a semi-truck but I have made a number of trips in the car. As a matter of fact, I am the only member of our tribe who travels in the car mostly without the dreaded cat carrier (because I’m a very well behaved kitty). Why I even took a trip to Starbucks to make my film “Bring Me My Catpuccino!”

I quite enjoy the occasional car trip and even did an hour trip to the kitty spa with The Human in October. Still, I wonder what it would be like to live in a big truck. I wouldn’t mind watching the scenery go by but I’m not so sure the level of service I experience here would be available to me. For instance, do trucks have big enough beds for a human and a 21 1/2 pound feline to sleep comfortably? And what about the breakfast schedule and daily snack schedule? Is there room for me to play with my favorite toys at midnight and enough space for me to run full speed down a hallway at 2:00am?

I’m not so sure this life on the road would be for me and, as much as I hate to admit it, I would miss my brofur Alberto and Lily (aka Princess Stabby Toes). Sigh, I guess the traveling life isn’t for me after all but I do think you will enjoy these stories about felines who love the vagabond life.

Trucker’s lost cat returned home after journey through Nevada, Utah, Wyoming

Taking a feline on the road with you alleviates lonliness for truckers and this is why Chad McIntyre traveled with his feline buddy, Tyler.  

Then, two months ago in November, while changing Tyler’s litter box and getting ready for the next trip, Tyler escaped from the truck at the Flying J Truck Stop in Fernley, Nevada.

Chad had a deliver to make and had to leave. He returned after two and a half hours to search for Tyler. He had to leave for  California the next day and Chad returned the next night to search again.

Chad’s wife, Brandy, posted all over social media and found Facebook groups and Trucker groups to share the information about Tyler. And, miracle of miracle, five days later she found out that Tyler was at an animal shelter 670 miles from where he went missing. Tyler was in a shelter in Rock Springs, Wyoming. Rock Springs Animal Control supervisor Lydia Gomez said Tyler was found by a concerned citizen at a Flying J in Rock Springs. They scanned Tyler for a microchip and found his humans.

“We were able to check him in and he was microchipped, so we were able to locate an owner,” Gomez said. Then Gomez worked with independent transport coordinator Joan Nickum to help get Tyler back to his home in Decatur, Illinois.

Nickum coordinates transports by finding people to drive shorter legs of long road trips to transport animals from shelters to rescues, rescues to owners, and shelters to adopters. She drove four hours to help reunite Tyler with his family.

Tyler was reunited with his family on New Year’s Eve. The theory is that Tyler hitched a ride with another trucker to the Wyoming truck stop.

Tyler has been temporarily suspended from traveling but we’re sure he’ll be on the road again soon. And people, please, please microchip your felines and make sure your registration information is up to date!

Instagram Truck Traveling Felines

Maverick and Peanut travel America in a semi-truck, and when not traveling they’re visiting family or just relaxing at home with their furry siblings. They have an Instagram account and this video on YouTube.

Lonely Truck Driver Adopts Abandoned Cat And Now He’s His Official Co Pilot

Paul Robertson works as a truck driver. For many years he was accompanied on his trips by his cat Howie. When Howie crossed The Rainbow Bridge, Paul missed his friend on long trips. Paul went to a shelter and adopted another cat to be his road trip buddy. It looks like Paul’s new co-pilot is taking to life on the road.

Truckers and their co-driving cats Facebook group

This might be one of the groups that Tucker’s human posted information when he disappeared from the truck stop. This is a public Facebook group that offers great photos of truck traveling felines.

Trucking with a Cat – What You Should Know

If these stories have made you wonder if your feline would make a good companion on road trips, here is an article from ezfreight factoring with some tips. Happy traveling!

Life on the road gets lonely, that’s a proven fact. If you’re a trucker looking to potentially bring a furry friend along on your drives, consider getting a cat! Trucking with cats can be simple and rewarding if it’s done right, but if you are planning on bringing your kitty along, it would be a very wise choice to invest in some cat insurance in case anything unsuspected happens to your travelling companion while out on the road.

Benefits of Trucking with a Cat

• Cats are low maintenance. They eat once or twice a day, are comfortable in contained spaces and don’t require being let out every few hours like a dog.
• They offer companionship. Once a cat warms up to you, they’re extremely loving. They crave human attention and enjoy nesting themselves close to you, wherever you are. Bringing a feline friend on the road is a great way to prevent being homesick.
• They’re obedient. Cats can be trained to walk on a leash, sit on your shoulder or perform tricks if you have treats and patience.
• They’re protective. If something sounds weird or looks off, your cat will let you know. They might not be as intimidating as a dog, but they will still alert you to dangers.

How to take your cat trucking

Before you just stick your cat in your truck and take off, you need to do some preparation.

Cat-Proof Your Truck

You’re going to need to make some slight additions to your truck if you’re planning to bring your cat along.

First things first, make sure you have bowls for food and water. Some drivers like to attach Velcro to the bottoms of the bowls so they’ll stay in a certain place then the truck is moving. Try and purchase bowls that are deep so water doesn’t splash out while you’re on the road.

If you want to take your cat trucking, you’re going to need to get a litter box. Contrary to popular belief, litter boxes don’t always smell. If they’re tended to correctly, your truck nor your clothes will smell like cat excrement. Use scoopable litter, clean it once a day and deep clean it once a month. For added smell protection, sprinkle in a box of baking soda.

Trucking with cats is no different than living with cats. That being said, make sure there are a few comfy spots in the truck where your feline friend can hang out while you’re driving. Put a blanket in the sunshine, have a few toys lying about and bring some treats along. Making your truck feel like home is a big step toward getting your cat to consider it one.

If your cat has claws, consider purchasing a scratch pad. They’re relatively inexpensive and will go a long way in keeping your trucker cat happy and your semi rip-free.

Train Your Cat

Most felines aren’t going to hop into a semi and happily drive off with you on the first try. It takes a little bit of work to get your cat assimilated to the movement of the truck and life on the road.

Start putting your pet cat in your truck while it’s off. Place their favorite toys and blankets inside the cab and let them play and explore. Reward them with treats if they’re being good.

Once you’ve done that a few times and your cat appears more comfortable, turn your truck on. The noise itself might be startling at first but reward them with treats and affection until they become used to the noise. This is a good time to also place a litter box in the truck. Place your cat inside and give them treats, so they know it’s an OK place for them to go.

The next step is taking your truck out for a short and slow drive. This is your feline’s first attempt at being a trucking cat! It takes some animals longer than others to adjust to the movement and feel of the semi, so be patient. Your cat should eventually warm up to being in the space and associate being in the cab with hanging out with you and getting treats.

Hit The Road!

If your truck and cat are both ready, it’s time to hit the road! Make sure to have your trucker cat’s papers with you, you never know when you might have to stop at the vet. Also bring extra cleaning supplies! Your cat sheds, the litter box granules escape, etc. You’ll thank yourself later.

If you need money to fuel up while traveling with your feline from point A to point B, consider truck factoring. Truck factoring lets you sell your active invoices for a cash advance, allowing you to transport your goods where they need to go without pulling money out of your own pocket. Have questions? Give us a call. Our factoring experts are ready to answer any question you might have.