Practiced Tent Camping with Cats

I pitched my new 8-man tent in the backyard and thought I’d get the cats used to sleeping in it. I put in two clean litter boxes, a bowl of water, a couple cat beds, a scratching pad, a big blanket for the cats and my sleeping bag and pillow. I thought it best to try out just the younger cats: Sophie, Agnes, Chester, Puddy, Arthur and Pinegar.

Each cat was brought in a carrier to simulate how they would arrive in the tent. I only have a few carriers now, so I took two at a time, let them out, and then went for two more. Boy was the only youngster who didn’t sleep with us, because he was out roaming. He’s a wild thing, and I dread closing him in the tent. He doesn’t even like being kept in the house at night.

After the cats were in the tent I went to gather reading material, flashlight, gun and water bottle. When I opened the tent door to put these in, Agnes made a bolt for freedom. I grabbed her and pushed her back in. When she tried again I sprayed her, with no effect. She tried to push through the spray of water. I grabbed again and pushed her in. Bolt, spray, grab and hold this time. She was determined to get out despite the spray of water, so I had to hold her until I and my belongings were in the tent. Then she hunkered down into a compact mass until morning. Her dear friend Chester tried to groom her, but Agnes lashed out at her.

Agnes’s sister Sophie was even more miserable over the accommodations. She prowled along the edge of the tent, reaching up the walls looking for a way out. Growling, hissing, spitting, completely agitated by her new surroundings. This went on for a long time and nobody went near Sophie. She eventually settled down inside a carrier.

Puddy wasn’t too put out. But he did think the best sleeping spot was on top of the sleeping bag in between my legs. Chester also was amenable and chose to lie down and make the best of it. The two who were the least inconvenienced were the kittens, Arthur and Pinegar. They used the litterbox, played with miscellany hanging from tent walls (which got them sprayed), used the scratch pad and eventually settled down under the covers with me.

The tent floor is not made of nylon like the walls but of the same material those cheap, blue tarps are made of. It crinkles. Loudly. Imagine how impossible it was going to sleep until they settled down. I was also lying on what seemed like a miniature hillock. On one hand it was very uncomfortable. On the other, I relished the opportunity to type the word “hillock,” something I’ve yet to do in my lifetime. Well, there it is. Hillock. I finally found a spot that was neither hillock nor valley and where my pillow was at the same level as my bag. I dozed off only to wake shortly in a full sweat, my shirt half drenched.

My home is a little over half a mile from a busy sawmill, which runs until early morning. As I was trying to enjoy the crickets I kept hearing the jarring sound of planks of wood landing on other planks of wood, along with machinery and forklifts. Not exactly a relaxing, peaceful camping experience. It was stressful for all involved, and I probably got three or four hours of sleep total.

In the morning Agnes was still very agitated and growled and lashed out at everyone. I put Agnes in a carrier and closed up Sophie in her carrier and brought them into the house where they leaped out. Agnes ran for the bathtub and peed. Sophie just ran. Then, horrors! I saw Chester at the back door. I hadn’t completely closed the flap and Chester made her way out of the tent. Which means now Puddy knows how to get out, and when I got back to the tent Pinegar was outside and Arthur was just squeezing through.

One thing about cats is you don’t want to let them do once what you don’t want them doing forever. Now that they knew the exit, would I be able to keep them inside? The tent door zipper is laid out like an inverted T, and the zipper pulls all join at the bottom. One forceful, determined nose can probably push its way through that tiny hole and open up the zippers. Am I going to have to use a little suitcase lock to hold the zippers together? Oh my. How will I ever drive across country with 11 cats???

Most have suspected it. It’s confirmed. I am insane.

Tagged as: camping, cats, tent, travel