Travels with Murray
This is Part 6 in The Cat’s Meow’s Road Trip series on Traveling with Your Cat. Don’t forget to leave your comments on this post for a chance to win a great prize package from Iams.
Today’s guest contributor is Murray the First, a veteran of the open road from the Lone Star state. Murray has since gone to the Rainbow Bridge, but while he was here, he loved nothing more than a good road trip. His mom admits that Murray was not “a normal cat,” and loved riding in cars. Here’s his story, as told by Murray the First himself:
When alive, I loved riding in cars. For that matter I suppose I still could as a ghost cat, but it doesn’t seem practical.
Often we would drive from Texas to Missouri to visit grandma. I would take a travel sized litter box along since it’s a 12-hour trip, and I’d get really excited when we got in the car. I would yowl for the first 20 miles or so and then use the litter box because I got too excited. I won’t repeat here exactly what Dad said, but it usually included the sentiment that I should have done that before we left. Didn’t have to go before we left. And I DID warn him it was coming.
He would pull over to a parking lot, and empty the litter box for me. Then we all settled down for a long drive. I often offered to do some of the driving, but Mom and Dad never accepted the offer. Their loss – I was free to sit on the center console in the sun and nap leaning against Mom.
Fur a short time we had a van and that was very cool. Mom and my other grandma would sit in the middle seats and I was free to ride shotgun.
Every time we got fairly close to our destination, we passed through a small town (which I won’t name here) that had the BEST smell. It smelled like catnip, except not exactly. I’d stand on somebody’s lap so I could press my nose to the vent and get all the smell.
Mom said they couldn’t smell it, but it must be somebody growing pot. She told my I should be a drug enforcement cat (DEC)! I didn’t have time to do that, but I would have loved having a badge…
As I mentioned in a prior entry, I enjoyed the drive through restaurants where people would hand us food. Sometimes even fish! Not only did I get to share, but usually the purrson in the window would make a fuss about how well-behaved and/or handsome I was.
One time when we had the van Miles went with us. He slept through the drive and missed a lot of the fun, but he was delighted with the destination. He sat in the window all day watching the farm cats that live outside at grandma’s house. He wanted to stay longer, and ran away from Mom to hide when it was time to go home. MOL It didn’t work – she caught him anyway.
But grandma was very happy that he liked her house so much that he wanted to stay. So I’m glad he made her feel good and loved.
A few years ago we went to visit grandma and Mom and Dad decided not to drive all the way home in one day, but I don’t remember why.
So, they found a hotel that let me stay with them. It was my first time in a hotel and I loved it. First we got in this little room that moved up and down. Mom said it was an elevator. I’d heard of these but never had seen one in real life. Mom said my eyes got wide when it started to move – it was so much fun!
Then we went into a room that had 2 beds and a TV and a bathroom. Since I had my travel litter box and food, I was all set. But there were lots of places to explore. My only complaint was that I wasn’t allowed to explore the hallway and I really wanted to go out and see who else was staying there.
The next morning we got up, Dad got us some breakfast, and we hit the road again. WELL, we just got to Oklahoma City when the car died! Mom got it to the side of the road ok, but it wouldn’t go any further. None of my suggestions worked either.
Mom started calling on her cell phone and soon a taxi arrived and he waited with us until a tow truck arrived. Well through the stupidity of humans, Dad had to go with the tow truck and Mom and I took the taxi to try to find a rental car. The tow truck driver wanted Dad to go with him all the way to Dallas for some reason.
Mom wanted me to ride in the back of the taxi with her, but I insisted on sitting up front with the driver in case he needed help. (I’m not trusting my mom to just anyone.) The driver laughed and said it was ok for me to ride shotgun and we went in search of a rental car. I rearranged his paperwork a little on the front seat so I could see out the window. When he really seemed baffled, I put my front paws on the dashboard to direct him – he seemed appreciative.
We drove around and around, and the driver wanted to drop us off at the airport. Mom said NO – she was not going to cart me through the airport to find a rental counter (they didn’t have one outside). Darn – I wanted to see inside the airport.
But we found a Hertz local place, and Mom and I went inside. They couldn’t believe how polite and calm I was just walking around their offices. (They had a serious mouse problem, but I didn’t have time to deal with it for them.) They were very impressed, and gave me a bowl of water while I waited. I recommend Hertz!
Meanwhile, it was a good thing I was there to help, because the whole time we were in the taxi Mom was on her phone yelling at the roadside assistance place because they lost Dad. Finally she said that if they didn’t bring him to us right THERE at the Hertz place, she would call the police. Pretty soon the tow truck pulled in and Dad got out of it. Heh-heh! Go MOM!
We rented a car and drove the rest of the way home. The tow truck driver got his brother-in-law to ride with him to Dallas to take the car back to the dealer, and Mom calmed down a lot. After all of that, the dealer said there was one loose screw that cut the connection between the computer and the engine and that’s why the car quit. Technology is sometimes frightening.
But they paid for the tow, tightening the screw, the taxi and the rental car, so it turned out ok. And I had the best time riding in a taxi, staying in a hotel, and renting a car. Not to mention laughing at Mom!
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I hate to travel!! I especially hate the confinement… from the day mama got bloodied bringing me home in a box she’s known I do NOT like being in something so small. I cry just a little less when let loose in the car, but it makes mama nervous because she worries something might happen to me.
I’m a very reserved feline normally, but when I have to travel, I become super affectionate! I rub and purr and love on mama like crazy!!! But she knows it’s just because I want to go home!!
I hope it’s ok for me to just put this same post as the comment on each of the Cat’s Meow posts that are eligible for entry. ^~~^
Grumbly purrs,
Zilla
We loved Murray’s story!! When I went with Mommie’s to her sister’s house, it was abouts a three and a half hour drive. Her brought my little carrier to gets me from the car to the house and backs, but her hads a big kennel secured in the backs seat of the car for mes during the ride. I was a furry goods little kitten during the ride.
It was fun to read of Murray’s travel adventures. I do love to go in the car so I think I would be a good traveler. I always wanted to ride in an elevator too so maybe one day I will get the chance like Murray did.
Hello Skeezy, That was a very nice article about Murray and his adventures. Usually, Bosco doesn’t like to travel in a car or in a carrier. Perhaps it’s because he has only gone for trips to the vet in the car. Bosco got his stroller and is getting used to traveling up and down our rural road, meeting the neighbors, who all fuss over him. Bosco is well behaved in his stroller . I guess that will be his road trips for the time being. Your good pal always, Bosco.
road trip!!! i really hate the metal machine
Good story. Wonder if they had a carrier for him at all. I haven’t gone too far, no idea how that car litterbox must work.
Great story Murray he first. You look a lot like me – I’m a great big handsome tabby boy too! Hey, as you are at the bridge will you go look up my fur mommy Callie Girl and tell her her big boy still misses her, but the little black feral boy kitty she sent to us last fall is now domesticated and he lives with us!! Thanks Callie, I was so lonely without you and now I’m happy again and so is mom, but she still misses you a lot. She told me that you, Angel Callie, had sent Shadow to us because he needed us and we needed him, we did so thanks my Callie. Your son, Boo
Do NOT travel without a carrier. Murray was not a normal cat. In any way, shape or form. He didn’t fit in our carrier so Mama would carried him in a gym bag, but he was extremely well-behaved out of it. As he said, he really was polite.
He wasn’t afraid of anything, and didn’t leave Mama’s side. She never let him walk around except in an enclosed space where she could pick him up again easily like the Hertz office. And since he wasn’t afraid, he didn’t hide.
We enjoyed reading about Murray’s adventures. We agree about the carrier – do NOT leave home without it! There have been some sad tales about kitties escaping from cars during road trips when they are not confined to a carrier. Mom would never forgive herself if anything like that happened to us…
Murray, you are a classy cat. Two paws up for making the most of your travels!
Hey Murray thanks for sharing your adventure!
Tabby HATES the elevator! She always crouches down low, like that’ll help. I love riding on the center console, but always in my harness and leash with Mommy holding onto the leash.
MOL Murray, you musta been some kinda kitty! I truly enjoyed hearing of your trip to and from Grandma’s. That was some adventure! Thank you so very much for sharing with us and please, if you run into my “My Kitty”, give him a big head butt and my love.
Hey Murray,
me and my meowma really enjoyed reading about yur travel advenfur. I personally do not like the carrier or the car, becuz I only go to the vet in my carrier I am 28 pounds don’t know how meowma will get me into that carrier when I have to get my checkup this summer mol.
I am terrified of travel by car or plane/car. Good job!
http://garpoon.blogspot.com/
Hellooooo up on da Bridge and Catzowey Murray! Youza fabucatulous in conveying yurza travel story to me and myself . I go in da Taxi every week to my job at da adult day care center and da Taxi driver isn’t always PURRfect! Thanks Murray fur sharing yur insPURRashunal story.I shure wish I’d shared a Taxi with youza!
[...] Travels with Murray [...]
What a great story, and I am so very glad you shared it here.
Dang, Murray, I didn’t know you were such a world traveller! Great story on a pawsome friend!
Murray the First is one cool dude!
Sounds like you won over all the hoomans you and the folks encountered, especially Mr Taxi Driver!
We want more of your travel stories!
Hazel Lucy
What a great story! Things don’t always go as planned, but fortunately they tend to work out.
Wow Murray! What an adventure. You sound like a very brave cat!
PAWESOME Story! It made us smile and made Mom remember when her car broken down off the highway with my Bridge Sibling Nikki. She and Daddy walked her on a harness – she was a furry cool kitty and got to ride in a tow truck too!
I hope Murry will be a role model for my kids and their upcoming trip.
Oh Murray you are sooooo cuuuuteeee!! Thanks for sharing your story! I made a road trip all the way from Chicago to Mexico City, by car!! It was a very long trip, five days! And I stayed in 4 different hotels, everybody treated me like a princess! It was very nice! I’m so nice and patient and thanks of that the trip went NO PROBLEMO!
LOL. That’s an awesome cat.
This is such a great story. Thanks for sharing!
Very much like Ansel…the first little while [maybe 5-10 minutes] he is really vocal…but then he settles in and loves it…
Neat story told from the cat’s point of view.
lol nice story!
My mom’s friend had a cat who loved riding in the car.
Great story. You were one special kitty for sure.
Wonderful story. My cat hates the cat carrier when I drive and I’m afraid to let him loose in the car because I’m worried he will end up behind the pedals of me driving and I would get in a accident.
Murray was one cool cat. No carrier or harness: impressive!