One of the main reasons Chad and I decided to travel via an RV was because of our undeniable obsession with our pets! If you follow any of our social media accounts or our YouTube channel, you’ve heard this once or twice before, but we treat them like they’re our children. We wanted to be able to travel and see new places without always having to leave our pet children behind. So, the obvious solution was living with pets in an RV!
At first I thought the worst. Millie our dog wouldn’t have enough room and wouldn’t get enough exercise. Ace our cat wouldn’t be able to hide and play like he loves or he would get confused on the meaning of “home.” Call me crazy or paranoid or ridiculous, but all of these possible thoughts were swirling through my head. Would we put too much stress on them by having them on the move all the time. Would we make them hate each other since they would be confined in a smaller space together all the time. Would they be in danger of getting lost or running away. Like I said, they are basically our children, so my fear of the possibilities was relatively high.
We took all the precautions and luxuries necessary to make our tiny little home the perfect little home for them as well. A special spot for Ace’s litter. A big enough bed for all of us to fit on. A dog bed plenty big enough for Mill. Plenty of food and toys for both of them. And safe doors and windows for my own peace of mind. The key was making the new space as familiar to them as possible. It was so important to us to bring in their usual blankets and a few of their toys they already loved, to make the Airstream something they already recognized.
While all that attention and consideration may seem over the top to some, it has paid off for us a million times over. Our pets have been thriving in their new tiny home! Millie gets more exercise than she did before because she goes for daily walks and weekly hikes! Ace has his own spot in the front window that he has claimed as his and his only. They both run and play between the bed and the living room. They have seen states from California to Florida, and live a life full of adventure and PLENTY of love!
To be honest, I think the real reason they love it is because of the quality time we all get to spend together! In our life before, we were at work all day and they were stuck inside with no interaction. Now our daily activities range from hiking to campfires to lots of snuggles on the couch. We play all day instead of just in the evening. They come with us wherever we go, and that’s what having a pet is all about! Being each others companions! We are a happy little RV family, and wouldn’t change it for the world!
So, if you’re considering taking your pets on the road, DO IT. Bring their bed and their blanket. Pack some treats. And hit the road because they will love it! They are the most loyal creatures and will just love the time they get to spend with you, and all your original worries will fade away pretty quickly when they bust out in a smile or wag their tails!
That’s what having a pet is all about, right?
Do you travel with your pets?
Yaaas, this is very reassuring of our decision to hit the road with our pups. Before we decided on RVing full time, we were set on traveling around the world for a year. But that meant we’d be away from our two pups and would have to find a family member or friend to take on a huge responsibilty. After thinking about it, we decided it would be best to include them in our travels and an RV would be the best of both worlds, for us and them. We were slightly apprehensive about bringing them with us fulltime because they are both quite rambunctious (despite their ages, 12+ & 7) and jealous of each other already in a home with a backyard and their own spaces. At first, thoughts of living in an RV with limited space for them to roam and play and always being in the way sounded like a nightmare. But as we have taken more shake-down trips in the RV, I think you’re right about the dogs actually being happier on the road, as long as they are with us. They will definitely get more walks, hikes, attention, and quality time than being locked inside alone at home all day while we are at work. We can’t wait to hit the road with them in January!
FYI, we’re headed to Alabama in March for the RVE Summit and would love to meet up, if y’all are still in the area (as in anywhere on the East Coast early 2019 or more towards the west coast after June)!
Cheers,
Dylan @ adventure.eat.repeat
I’m so glad it’s reassuring! I can’t wait to see how much your pups love your new full time living lifestyle! I bet they’re going to be so happy to go on all the hikes and all the walks and all the attention! You guys are so close to hitting the road!
We will be in Nashville or around the east coast all Spring so we should absolutely find a time to meet up! We will find a location that will make it easy for us to meet!