Road Trip with the Cats

My cats have never really been great travelers... especially old Cally and Bear.  They cry so much, even on the 5-minute drive to the veterinarian.  So when I decided that I would be taking Bear and Bourbon to my parents' house for the holidays (9 days is a long time for us to have someone watch them!) we knew we needed a different strategy.
Since Bear & Bourbon are buddies, we thought it might be best to put them in a big, comfy carrier together.  The cat carrier we mainly use is quite big for one cat (the Sleepypod) but our second carrier from their kitten days is too small.  We ended up purchasing a Nature's Miracle dog crate (I believe the 26" one) and a super comfy dog bed to place in the bottom.  The crate can collapse flat when we are done with it.

I liked how they could see out of the screens and have plenty of room to move around.  We left the crate out in the living room, and Bourbon took quite a lot of naps in it.  I also spritzed it with a cat-calming spray before the trip.  We loaded both kitties into the carrier and strapped it in with seatbelts.  We were able to carry both cats (under 10 lbs. each) and the crate up and down stairs no issue.

Bear cried for a few miles, but then both of them because SUPER well-behaved.  They lay side-by-side in the crate, moving from time to time, and watched me through the screens.  Lots of kitty naps!  It was the smoothest road trip with cats I've ever taken; the 4.5 hours went fine for them!  When we arrived at my parents', both cats used the litter box within 15 minutes of being let out of the crate, and everything has been smooth since.

The kitties at their grandparents' house

Mom and Dad secretly love their grandcats, I'd say!  LOL.  They're better behaved than their kitten days.  I'm really glad I took the chance and had them ride together for this trip, because I believe separately they would have been more anxious.  They enjoyed exploring a new (and much bigger!) space.
P.S.  One lesson learned, when your normally quiet kitty starts mewing consistently, he has to go potty.  Just saying.  Listen up, fur parents!

Meow! Hi from Bear & Bourbon

I haven't blogged about the cats since APRIL, but if you follow me on Instagram you know they're an everyday part of our lives!  Here are a few snaps of what they've been up to.
Bourbon can officially get on the kitchen counters now...

A photo posted by aubreyland325 (@aubreyland325) on Aug 8, 2014 at 5:22am PDT

They also knocked all my pajamas out of the dresser while I was on a business trip and Dan snapped this adorable photo...

A photo posted by aubreyland325 (@aubreyland325) on Sep 9, 2014 at 5:43pm PDT

They still seem to get along (though we have had some marking incidents where they are fighting over Dan) and we catch them bathing each other.  Brothers!

A video posted by aubreyland325 (@aubreyland325) on Sep 9, 2014 at 5:11pm PDT

Bourbon continues to pose for adorable photos...

A photo posted by aubreyland325 (@aubreyland325) on Sep 9, 2014 at 6:16pm PDT

But Bear's eyes still get me every time!

A photo posted by aubreyland325 (@aubreyland325) on Sep 9, 2014 at 6:47pm PDT

The boys recently went to the vet, and despite Bear *looking* bigger than Bourbon, Bourbon actually outweighs him now!  Fluffy fur really does make you look bigger, eh?
Disqus allows you to comment with photos, so feel free to share some pics of your fluffy babies!

Catching up with Bear & Bourbon

If you're wondering how the kitties Bear and Bourbon are doing, the answer is they're loving life!  In case you aren't following on Instagram, here are some of the latest snapshots of our babies.  They wrestle everyday and love that they can explore the porch as the weather gets warmer.

Bear & Bourbon

You guys, Bear and Bourbon really love each other!  Not a day goes by that they aren't wrestling and playing.  Until recently, I never caught them snuggling, but just the other night I found Bear cleaning Bourbon.  MY HEART MELTED.  I can't believe we didn't get him a buddy earlier.  We're a happy family of four now!

Meet Bourbon!

We have a new kitten!  I know, it must seem like I have a zillion cats.  But I swear, people, I now officially have TWO.  We lost dear Barley and Cally last year, leaving Bear all by his lonesome.  While we thought initially that he might be an "only child" type of cat, his boundless energy and friskiness made us reconsider a new addition.

Bourbon's kitten photo, he was rescued around Christmas and called "Jolly"

We went back to Friends of Cheatham County, the same foster rescue where we got Bear. I highly recommend them to anyone in the Nashville area.  You see, over the weekend when we adopted Bourbon, we initially started out with a different kitten, one that just wasn't a good match for Bear.  The little one was the most loving people-cat I'd ever met, but she didn't like Bear at all, and I had a bit of an ordeal.  (I also personally found it very heartbreaking that I couldn't adopt ALL the kittens!)  Kathy, Bear's foster mother who lives very close by, brought over another kitten that we'd met at the adoption day, and he was PERFECT.  She knew how important it was to find the best fit for cats and people.  We had all three cats for an entire day, trying to see how Bear did with them.  Despite people saying it takes a week for cats to get acquainted, Bear and Bourbon were friends from the first sniff.

I feel like we really lucked out.  Bear loved meeting both new cats and immediately wanted to play with them.  Bourbon, 15 weeks old (about 8 months younger than Bear) was immediately up for the challenge.  Within the first hour, they were sharing the cat tree.  Within 24 hours, they were wrestling and playing happily.  Within 48 hours, they were cuddling on top of me while I slept.

We couldn't have asked for a better match!  I love that Bear and Bourbon can grow up together, and that Bear is no longer alone all day.  I've already noticed that he is less restless and destructive now that he has an outlet for his energy.  I get plenty of love from them both.

One thing about Bourbon... he's such a little baby that he likes to suckle your clothes!  He leaves little wet spots on my PJs.  I don't really mind it, though we think he may grow out of it.  He likes to curl up in your lap, and he sleeps by our heads!

We're a two-cat household once again.  It was surprisingly emotional for me to go through this process.  We adopted Bear when I still had my old girl Cally...  Bourbon is the first new cat since that tough loss for me.  I was a nervous, anxious wreck over the adoption process, but I'm already feeling so much better about it.  We love little Bourbon!