On the Road Again

That is Brendan above in his car seat taking a drive in his usual calm style. It takes about one and a half hours to get to O's parents house in Portland, Maine where the cats run wild. They love it once they get here, there is a huge basement and two staircases and Uncle Sid to get to know. But getting there is quite a production.

First of course I have to clean the whole house because I don't want to come back to a mess and you never know if someone else will have to come in. So I run the dishwasher, vacuum the floors, pick up everything, fold up the cat tunnel and paperbags, water the plants, let the fire go out in the stove, take out the trash. Then I pack. Clothes for the humans, food for the cats, computers, camera, sport clothes if taking any gear (bicycles, skis). Assemble everything on the kitchen rug. Get out the cat boxes and Brendan's car seat. Get the Fergus traveling kit. Bathroom, paper towels, poop scoop, water, a towel for my lap and one in his travel case, his harness just in case we have to stop and let him out for a walk. Then everything goes in the car except the cat boxes.

Then we catch Silas (who of course knows exactly what is going on and is hoping it doesn't involve him). He goes fairly easily into his large box and into the back of the Durango where he can keep an eye on us up front (and vice versa). Then I pick up Fergus and attempt to slide him gently into his extra nice, snug traveling bag with towel covering the luxurious fleece bottom and screened side windows and shoulder strap. Fergus does not appreciate the purchase and all four legs go out as he protests, No! No! NO, I said NO!

I feel bad but I squish him in there anyway and he gives out some plaintive, hopeless mious. He has an especially pathetic and effective way of just looking at you and silently opening his mouth as if to say, I am too overcome with your heartlessness to even make a sound here.

Then O gets Brendan and puts him in his car seat. Brendan likes road trips. He looks out the window, knows where we are going, and if we take a detour he lets us know we have made a mistake.

About 45 minutes into the trip I let Fergus out and he sits on my lap. I check for lip licking and drool, signs that he is nauseated. We have had some unpleasant and unforgettable experiences in the car together.

I have tried everything to make car travel easier on Fergus. In a box, out of the box. Tried Bonnine (on my vet's advice), tried not feeding him and going in the afternoon (more drool, less puke). Nothing helped.

And then, on this latest trip, I discovered.....

Rescue Remedy to the Rescue!

I'm still in shock (and so is Fergus). This just may be it. I am crossing my fingers. (And Fergus is crossing his paws). I was sorting out the vitamins and found the unopened bottle of Rescue Remedy I had bought after reading about it. Just for the heck of it (I figured it couldn't hurt but I wasn't expecting anything) I put four drops on the Wild One's favorite snack ( liver jerky) and he gobbled it up after making a face at the odd smell. Then we hopped in the car. Of course, after the usual fuss and moan.

But this time nothing happened. Fergus moaned a little, "I'm gonna puke, I'm gonna puke." I took him out of the case at around 45 minutes. No drool. He sat on my lap and looked around. I think he was surprised that he seemed to feel ok in spite of himself. And we spent the rest of the trip in peace and awe.

I do hope this is the way it is going to be. We'll see tomorrow when we head back.

We've got our paws crossed.