Bob is not a happy camper.
We lost Kismet this summer, suddenly. He's been heart broken since his sister passed this past spring and it finally gave out on him. Bob has been sad with no one to play with all day long though he puts on a brave face strutting around like he Finally owns the place.... perhaps he's not wrong there...
When we came back from our first camping trip of the season the poor thing was beside himself with panic and separation anxiety. While it's not like he has not experienced us going away before, this is the first time he was left home alone with only the neighbor to drop by once a day and feed him. It was over a week before he would let us out of his sight or not cry every time we went outside. So as the next camping trip approached we made a decision, Bob was going camping. We set him up in the camper with a box and a little space of his own. We got a felted cat cave for him to curl up in and hide when he wanted to. We took him out to the camper a few times and hung out with him to get him use to the space and feel like it was his own. Then on Friday, we packed him in the hated carrier, hitched up, and set off on Bob's Big Adventure.
As expected, he cried half way there until he wore himself out but as soon as the trailer was unhitched he did a decent job of making himself at home. While he's not exactly what I'd call a happy camper he did tolerate it well and settled in for the extended weekend as if he knew what to expect. When it was time to go he not quite jumped in the carrier. More resignation that he'd have to endure the indignity of it if he expected to get home than disappointment over the end of his first camping trip. Thought with Bob, it's hard to tell.
When we came back from our first camping trip of the season the poor thing was beside himself with panic and separation anxiety. While it's not like he has not experienced us going away before, this is the first time he was left home alone with only the neighbor to drop by once a day and feed him. It was over a week before he would let us out of his sight or not cry every time we went outside. So as the next camping trip approached we made a decision, Bob was going camping. We set him up in the camper with a box and a little space of his own. We got a felted cat cave for him to curl up in and hide when he wanted to. We took him out to the camper a few times and hung out with him to get him use to the space and feel like it was his own. Then on Friday, we packed him in the hated carrier, hitched up, and set off on Bob's Big Adventure.
As expected, he cried half way there until he wore himself out but as soon as the trailer was unhitched he did a decent job of making himself at home. While he's not exactly what I'd call a happy camper he did tolerate it well and settled in for the extended weekend as if he knew what to expect. When it was time to go he not quite jumped in the carrier. More resignation that he'd have to endure the indignity of it if he expected to get home than disappointment over the end of his first camping trip. Thought with Bob, it's hard to tell.