“There is, incidentally, no way of talking about cats that enables one to come off as a sane person.”
― Dan Greenberg
It’s taken a little trial and error to get little sir Domino accustomed to travelling by car without someone to cradle him in a blanket fur-ito but now, at 12 weeks old, he’s a pro.
Initially – like most pet owners – I zipped my kitty into a purpose bought carrier and strapped it into the back seat of the car. Unfortunately this resulted in low angry moans or high-pitched appeals for sympathy on the short trips we took. Domino’s distaste for travelling in his carrier was probably compounded by his first trip to the vet where he was told he had an undescended testicle (which has since dropped). Even now he will complain for the first 10 minutes of a car journey until he is sure that we definitely aren’t visiting the vet.
My younger sister, Ami, has a gorgeous Akita/Staffie cross (cousin Loki) who happened to leave his doggy seatbelt in the back of my car, so on our next trip I decided to give it a go. I lined the back seat with his favourite blanket and some of his favourite toys, strapped him into his harness and clipped the belt to the D-ring. We ventured out to Muir of Ord to visit Auntie Ami at work to show Domino that not all car journeys lead to the vet! The journey there went well: Dom enjoyed his newfound freedom and I could hear the maraca shake of his ball being batted around – I thought I’d cracked it. However, on the way home Domino made a desperate lunge for the front of the car! Mercifully, his belt stopped him short of my hand break but he strained, yowled and cried all the way home as he tried to reach me. It was gut wrenching.
On our next trip I turned off the airbag and attempted to belt Domino into the front seat but unfortunately the doggy belt isn’t compatible with my front belt clips. Instead, I looped his short lead round the headrest and secured it to his harness. Again, the outward journey went smoothly and Domino seemed much more relaxed in the front seat where he could see I was close by. On the return journey Domino tested the limits of his tether by climbing up the side of the chair and leaping onto my shoulder. I dread to think what passing motorists thought as I did my best to drive on, ignoring my new parrot, eyes peeled for the next layby.
By far the most mischievous thing Domino has done in the car is, having had his tether significantly shortened, wriggling out of his harness and settling himself on my lap as I drove. As sweet as it is to have a purring kitten clamber onto your knee I was not about to encourage such reckless behaviour. With one hand I blindly scooped him up and dumped him unceremoniously back onto the passenger seat – why is there never a layby when you need one? Domino promptly took his revenge by leaping into the back and climbing up onto the boot cover to shout loudly about his mistreatment at the car behind. I still have nightmares about the SSPCA turning up at my door!
Ultimately my little sir has decided he prefers a pet seat belt just long enough to allow him access to the footwells in the back. Although if I am travelling with a human companion he enjoys a warm lap to lounge on. Most recently, on very short journeys, I’ve tried tying the seatbelt to the stalk of the belt clip in the front and wrapping him in his blanket on the passenger seat beside me. This is a great option when he is tired so my next purchase will be a carabiner clip pet belt which will ensure Domino is as safe as can be if we are ever unlucky enough to be in a crash.
The adventures of Little Sir Domino 