Furry friends, feathered friends, and perhaps even scaly friends make life on the road more interesting. Here’s a sampling of stories from FMCA readers who answered this month’s question:
Have you traveled with an unusual pet?
We traveled from Great Falls, Montana, to Minneapolis, Minnesota, with a pigeon and a cat in our motorhome. We rescued the pigeon from the middle of a highway, where she had fallen from her nest beneath a railroad overpass. Being unable to find a nearby shelter that would accept her, we decided to take her with us and find a shelter in Minneapolis. We kept “Little Bird” in the bedroom with the door closed when the cat was out of her traveling drawer and in a cage in the shower stall at night. When we were driving, Little Bird would fly from the bedroom to the bathroom, perch on an arrangement of fake flowers and greenery on the countertop, and “visit” with the bird in the mirror. At times she would fly to the front of the motorhome to check on us. She and the cat never met.
Montez Beard, F228740
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
We had an umbrella cockatoo that was a great performer. Our children named him “Fruitcake.” He would ride a remote-control pickup truck and travel up and down the streets of every campground we went to. If no one was out to watch him, he would squawk until a crowd gathered. We had so much positive feedback that we sent a clip to the “America’s Funniest Home Videos” show, and many people claim to have seen him on TV. We now have Cheyenne, a woolly English Mastiff, who weighs 189 pounds and is a registered therapy dog. She has made more than 250 visits to hospitals and nursing homes and has brought so much happiness to so many people.
Dan & Ruth Valeri, F260938
East Wareham, Massachusetts
We traveled with our pet cougar, Kita, in our Newell motorhome in 1989. We had a Winston Cup Racing team at that time, and Kita was 7 months old when we started racing the circuit that year. Many fans lined up every morning in front of the coach with cameras, ready to take pictures as soon as the front drapes opened. Kita was always stretched out across the dash, looking out as if to say, “Here I am; shoot away.” We took him outdoors so some of the fans could have their pictures taken with him. Several of the NASCAR greats even stopped by to see Kita. We sure made lots of new friends every day with our unusual pet in the NASCAR motorhome parking area.
Bob & Dianne Clark, F348819
Crossville, Tennessee
Future questions:
1. What’s the best restaurant for ribs?
2. Have you celebrated a special Thanksgiving in your motorhome? Tell us about it.