Favorite Pet Products

A lot of the folks who read this blog are fellow travelers or animal lovers or potential traveling animal lovers. After living with three cats, two dogs, a rabbit, and a goat in less than 200 sq. ft. for four years I can tell you there are some tried and true solutions that making being mobile with your pet easier.

This post isn’t in any particular order but these are products I use daily. I will insert a link to a page where this product is sold. I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

 

Water Hole -  The Water Hole is a water dish for a dog or cat that won’t spill when kicked, tipped, or flipped, or while driving. We own two; one on the floor for the dogs and one on a table for the cats. This method helps prevent potential scuffles from a cat hogging the water bowl. I like to keep mine about halfway filled (just to the level of the inner lip) because then it won’t spill even if it goes completely upside down.  That being said, I have to refill it once or twice a day because it doesn’t hold a ton of water. The lid removes for easy cleaning, and you never have to stow it away while driving. We have broken a couple of them by accidentally stepping into the middle of the top while in the dark, but other than that they have held up well. 

Lupine Pet Leash - This company creates beautifully patterned, high-quality leashes. The handle is padded, and the clip is easily attached by just pushing it onto to collar’s D-ring. They come in four-foot and six-foot lengths and a variety of widths, colors, and patterns. This company also makes collars and harnesses. The best quality of a Lupine Pet product is the guarantee! They are guaranteed “Even When Chewed,” with no receipt! Just take the chewed up leash or collar to any store that sells them, hand it over to the clerk and pick out a new one. Or mail your chewed leash to the company and they will ship you a new one. I’ve owned Lupine Pet leashes for eight years now and have had to replace at least three due to chewing. The warranty is for real and makes the cost of the leash totally worth it.

Holt Headcollar - You’ve probably heard of the Gentle Leader brand headcollar. If you’ve never heard of a headcollar and you own a dog that pulls, you’re in luck. It serves the same purpose as a bridle on a horse; it controls the dog’s head. When the dog walks too far ahead, it gently pulls their face around back to you, and they can’t pull. My dogs would yank my arms out of socket before I bought these, and now I can walk them together using only one finger. I prefer this Holt brand over Gentle Leader because not only is it cheaper, it doesn’t have to be as tight as the Gentle Leader due to extra straps that rearrange the pressure points to the sides of the dog’s jaw instead of right over the windpipe. Your dog can still pant, drink, and eat with this collar, although it does make strangers assume that your dog is wearing a muzzle. I kind of like that because then they don’t bring their dog near my dog.

PetSafe Wireless Pet Containment Fence -  This is a box that transmits a signal to a rainproof electric collar. If the pet gets too far away from the box it will set off the electric collar, similar to an underground fence. Most houses place this unit on the porch or in the garage, then adjust the range my turning the dial on the box. It can cover up to ¾ of an acre and can be used on dogs or cats. You can add extra collars to the system and you can add extra boxes to increase the range. I plug an extension cord into my generator or router and then place the box in the middle of my campsite. Then I can adjust the range to fit the campsite. Every time I set up at a new campsite, I set the boundaries by walking around with the collar to hear where it starts to beep and base the range on that. Then I put it on the dog and walk around the boundary circle. She learns quickly exactly how far she can go. Even with a high prey drive dog this system keeps her contained when a squirrel or rabbit runs right past the boundary line.  I find that the batteries (disposable special twist on batteries) last longer if removed from the collar when the box is not turned on.  A consideration for RVs with metal sides; my school bus is made of metal so the dog cannot come inside with the collar on or it will interrupt the signal and shock her. I remove the collar before letting her in the bus. With a regular wood and fiberglass RV it shouldn’t be an issue. 

Vittles Vault Gamma Seal Lid Storage Bins or Gamma Seal Lid for 5-gallon bucket - I first discovered these bins when I worked as a kennel attendant at a dog training facility. They are sturdy plastic bins with a spin-on lid that has a gasket. They are advertised as air-tight and rodent- and ant-proof, but some reviews say otherwise. I’ve always used mine inside, although the ones at the dog kennel were never invaded by ants or mice that may have lived in the shed. A 40-lb bag of dog food or 50-lb bag of goat food fits easily in the medium version, and they have sizes from 5-80 lbs and in various configurations so you can stack them. They also sell the Gamma Seal lids individually for much cheaper and they fit on any standard 5-gallon bucket. I use the 5-gallon bucket version for the cat and rabbit food, and it holds up to 25 lb bags of food. 

Furminator - This is the most effective brush. I’ve had it for eight years and it is still going strong. The Furminator is like a blade with teeth, but it’s not sharp enough to cut you. It gets down into the undercoat. When I brush Piper (medium length black hair with a grey undercoat) I usually remove a grocery bag size amount of hair! Juno has speckled blue merle hair (some hairs soft and black and some hairs white and course) and the Furminator only removes the black hairs for some reason, so it may not be the best for every dog hair type. It works really well on the goat and cats, too, and it actually helps me harvest the goat’s cashmere undercoat every spring! It makes her feel better, too.

Zoom Groom - This is a rubber brush that has knobby fingers. It’s great for loosening up shedding hair before using the Furminator, or for rubbing shampoo into your dog’s coat during a bath. It saves my fingers from getting raw during multiple bath times, and really gets down to the skin to remove dirt. The dogs and goat love for me to use it anytime because it gives them a relaxing massage.

Storage Tote Cat Litter Box - One major problem that traveling cat owners face is the litter box. It smells, you’re in a super small space, and that cat litter gets EVERYWHERE. Also the dog gets her head in there and has tasty kitty poo snacks. Here’s a simple solution I’ve been using for four years. Get a large plastic storage bin that is tall enough for your kitty to comfortable stand up inside. Cut a cat-door sized hole in the lid. Pour litter directly into the tote. No matter how much your cat kicks litter or sprays in the wrong direction, it won’t spill. When the cat climbs up out of the litter box, the stray litter ends up on top of the box. Open the lid for cleaning and the stray litter goes right back in the box. It holds the smell in, and prevents a dog from reaching the litter. If you have a cat that is sensitive or allergic to litter dust, this may not be a good solution for you. Maybe then you could use another type of litter. We use this system and have the one tote for three cats to share.

Cardboard Cat Scratcher or Rope Cat Scratcher - Scratching is an important part of cat care. They naturally scratch to shed old claw outsides and sharpen newly formed material underneath. Even if you trim you cat’s nails (and especially if you don’t) you should have a scratching pad or post so that your cat doesn’t use your couch or curtains to curb their instincts. A cardboard scratcher is cheap and lasts a long time, and usually comes with catnip to attract your cat. A rope scratcher lasts nearly forever, but is hard to clean. If you have room, install a cat tower or perch with a scratching post for your cat to hang out and have its own private area.

Antler Chews - Dental health is important for dogs, and if you don’t brush your dog’s teeth regularly they probably need something hard to chew to remove tartar buildup. Rawhide bones are dangerous and don’t last very long. Dog treat bones are soaked in weird stuff that always made my dogs puke, and they also never lasted more than a day of chewing. Antlers last a long time and are easily digestible. Generally harvested from naturally shed deer, elk, or moose antlers, they are also sustainable. They’re a bit pricey, but each antler generally lasts anywhere from 3-6 months with daily chewing for my dogs. It also cleaned my dogs’ teeth better than the $200 dental cleaning Juno had last year. 

Little City Dogs Parasite Control - This is a home based company that makes and sells products for parasite control. They take the same main ingredients used in products of popular companies and form their own product for about half the price. Check out their website, which explains what each of the main ingredients does. I’ve used this company for about six or seven years and have always been satisfied. They provide instant flea killing products, monthly flea control products, monthly heartworm control, tapeworm control, regular dewormer, and diatomaceous earth. One caution, though; use the heartworm dosage calculator to dose Ivermectin, and not the dosage printed on the bottle. My 50 lb. dog gets .28mL and the dosage on the bottle recommends  1.0mL which is twice the recommended MAX dosage. I did all the math by hand too and asked my vet and he confirmed that their dosage calculator is accurate, not the bottle. 

Diatomaceous Earth - This is a flour-like powder made of ancient seashells that kills any bug with an exoskeleton. It works by slicing up the exoskeleton which makes the bugs die of dehydration. You can get it cheap at a farm supply store when it’s mixed with bentonite, but it works even better if it’s the pure white food grade stuff. Food grade means you can literally add it to your own or your pet’s food. Some folks claim it helps with parasites when taken internally, but there’s no real proof of that. What it’s best at is killing bugs outside the body. You can dust it on your dog (just don’t let them breathe the dust or it might hurt their lungs) or on your floor or countertops or all the way around your RV or home to prevent ants, roaches, fleas or any other bugs. Once the bugs realize it’s there, they’ll literally walk around it to avoid the stuff. A ten pound bag lasts me for a year of frequent use. It continues working forever as long as it isn’t washed or blown away. 

Seresto Flea and Tick Collar for Dogs and Cats - Another effective pest control method that I like is the Seresto collar. It comes in a few sizes for dogs and cats, and kills and prevents fleas and ticks. It's waterproof, bathproof, and lasts eight months. It also comes with safety reflectors that you can choose to attach to the collar. Occasionally Seresto's manufacturer offers a $20 rebate, so make sure to do a quick search to see if that's available. 

Millers Forge Dog Nail Clippers - These nail clippers are very sharp and heavy duty. They easily cut through thick, large dog toenails. They also make it easier to cut small slivers of nail at a time so you don’t cut the quick. The red handled version is more highly recommended than the orange handled version.

Dog Toenail Scratch Board - Glue a sheet of 80 grit sandpaper to the back of a clipboard and train your dog to scratch it. You can hold it at different angles to reach the inner or outer toenails, or glue the sandpaper inside half of a 3" PVC pipe (cut longways) for a more convenient shape to reach all the toenails on one paw at once. This easy DIY tool has really helped improve my dogs' toenails as I'm training them to be more comfortable with having their nails trimmed. 

Do you have any traveling pet products that you can’t live without? Let me know! I’m always on the lookout for more helpful products.

Roving Goat Q&A

We get asked lots of questions about Rosie, so I figured I'd make a post about the most frequent ones.

Q: Is that a goat?

A: No, Dan says she's a rare horned labradoodle. The hooves are a genetic mutation. Don't stare at them, it's makes her self-conscious.

Q: I know that's a goat, but what breed is it?

A: Nigerian Dwarf. They are a miniature dairy breed, slightly taller than a Pygmy.

Q: That thing has horns. Is it a billy goat?

A: Most breeds of goats have horns, including the females. Some owners choose to remove the horns for the safety of the goat or other humans. I find that they make convenient handles when needed.

Q: How old is Rosie? How long do goats live?

A: She was born mid February 2013, so she just turned 5 last month. A goat's life expectancy is similar to a dog. 12-15 years.

Q: Do you milk her?

A: Yes! EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. Sometimes I drink it, but most of the time I'm too lazy to sanitize the equipment so I just feed it to the dogs. Whole cow milk is around 5% milkfat, but Nigerian Dwarf milk is over 10% milkfat. It nourishes the dogs so much that it cuts my dog food bill in half. Dan adamantly refuses to even taste the milk, saying that it would be like drinking Piper's milk.

Q: How much milk does she make? What does it taste like?

A: About 3 cups per day. It's the perfect amount to have a nice cold glass with a ham sandwich or for making gravy in the morning. It tastes like super whole whole milk, but with a very slightly sweet almond-y flavor.

Q: How do you transport her between states? Aren't there regulations?

A: Yes, there is a lot of red tape for traveling with a goat. If we are actively moving we have to get her a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection every thirty days that meets the health and testing requirements for our destination. Luckily we only have to do this four times a year as we are stationary for a few months twice a year. Each certificate costs anywhere from $20-$200, and she has to have permanent ID in the form of ear tattoos and ear tags.

Q: What do you feed her?

A: We carry a bale of compressed hay along with a bin full of pellet goat food. She also has a mineral supplement and probiotic that she eats daily. Generally she eats about 2 cups of pellets and four to five buckets full of hay every day. For treats she gets to be our garbage disposal unit, devouring banana peels, orange skins, mango peels, corn husks, and other veggie scraps. Rosie also grazes outside on whatever vegetation is available when the weather is nice and there are no dangerous predators nearby. Over the course of a year I probably spend about $200 in goat food.

Q: Will goats really eat anything?

A: Actually they're pretty picky but in a weird way. For example, Rosie loves crunchy leaves, cigarette butts, plastic bottle caps, wine, and bark from trees. Cigarette butts are the bane of my existence. Don't you smokers know that I have a nicotine-addicted goat because of your littering?! She loves banana peels, but only when they're in your hand and haven't touched the ground. And if you haven't touched dog food recently with that hand. And only when she feels like she likes it. But sometimes only if it's on the ground and not in your hand. See what I mean?

Q: What is her personality like?

A: I generally tell people that she's basically a dog with a cat's personality. She knows her name but won't respond to it. She knows what "no" means, but doesn't care what it is that you don't want her to eat. She walks on a leash, but if she wants to stop she will plant her feet and act like you're trying to strangle her or just simply lay down and refuse to budge. But even though she's stubborn she is a wonderful trip companion. On hikes she follows behind and nibbles on plants, then kicks up her heels and dances around just to hear her hooves making clattering noises on the pavement. She doesn't chase or bark at wildlife. and she's always up for quiet contemplation of the scenery paired with a good scratch between the horns.

Q: Isn't she lonely? Goats belong in a herd. 

A: We are the herd. It's true that goats are herd animals, but if you get one young enough you can emotionally bond with it to become its herd. Generally this is done by bottle feeding a baby that did not get to nurse. I acquired Rosie at a very young age along with her sister and another goat at a farm I was living on at the time. She bonded with me and my dogs, and when I left the farm she came with me. She has never seemed to miss other goats, and in a couple of situations where she met other goats she didn't seem to understand that she was a goat too. She likes to play with the dogs, although now that her horns are a bit bigger the dogs are wary of them and steer clear.

Q: Why did you bring a goat with you on the road?

She was my pet, and when I acquire a pet it is for life. She enjoys traveling, and if she didn't I'd happily let her live on a farm. I won't abandon my animals just because my lifestyle changed.

Q: Is she truly happy?

A: I think so! Most days she just lays around, indoors or outdoors, contentedly chewing her cud and absorbing the scenery and sunshine. On rainy days I can tell that she understands that she's in a nice dry comfy warm bus and she quite smugly watches the rain soak everything outside. Her pen is at eye level with all of the windows in the back of the bus so she has the best view. When we go on walks she kicks up her heels and bounces all over the place. If she ever seems sad I give her a good brushing and a massage. If that's not a spoiled rotten goat I don't know what is!

Q: Can I pet her/feed her/take pictures of her?

A: Yes! In fact, her backpack says, "PET ME! FEED ME! LOVE ME!" She is very photogenic, and enjoys being petted, especially between her horns. Sometimes small excited children startle her and she may gently headbutt them, so I always tell children to be calm and quiet and pet her on the back or side. You can attempt to feed her any plant, veggie, or fruit, but check with me first in case it's toxic to goats. She also may just reject it based on her own arbitrary snack approval system. Watch out, because you might try to feed her a carrot while instead she swipes your cigarettes, wine, and your camp chair's mesh cupholder.

Q: Does she get along with the other animals? 

A: Rosie loves dogs. So much, in fact, that every time she escaped the temporary pen at my parents' house I would find her across the street playing with the neighbor's husky dog. When her horns were small and less pointy and accurate weapons, Piper and Juno would play chase with her and she would chase them back. Now they're scared of her because she's a bit of a bully sometimes. She's just playing how goats play, though, and that includes headbutting. To relieve her headbutting needs she usually finds a small tree and has a nice fight with it. She also has a headbutting wall in her pen. Think of it like a bell that she rings when she needs room service. AKA more hay.  Rosie and the cats have come to an understanding and sometimes the cats hang out with her in the pen. They like to sit in her hay bucket. George's rabbit hutch used to be inside Rosie's pen, but he requested a room change because she would headbutt his cage to try and steal his lunch. He's much happier now in another room with no naughty neighbors.

Q: How do you keep the bus from smelling?

A: Here's my conclusion in regard to this subject. If I didn't have a goat, my house wouldn't smell like a goat anymore. But then I wouldn't have my goat and what fun would that be?

Rosie makes about 5 gallons worth of nanny berries (goat poop) a week. It all goes into the bottom of her pen and down a drain into a bucket under the bus. Every single day I remove a whole plastic shopping bag full of goat, cat, and rabbit excrement from my bus. Add that to picking up dog poop and dumping our black tank, and I have a poop covered life. Daily I sweep the floor, and weekly I wipe down the whole bus with sanitizer. Dan also cooks in here with lots of oil and garlic, and we have all of these critters shedding everywhere and tracking in dirt. Most people who come into the bus say it has a "petting zoo" type of smell. It's ok if you couldn't stand to live in it; the good news is you don't have to! My goal is to be able to sniff my clothing while I'm in town and decide that I don't smell goaty today. Then go home and snuggle my lovable goat.

Q: Why does she make that funny face?

A: That is called flehming. Goats, horses, cats, and other animals have a vomeronasal or Jacobson's organ located on the roof of their mouths. In response to certain smells they will open their mouths in a funny grimace to pass the scent over this organ. Most of the time when Rosie pees she smells it and makes this face for a few seconds. I've heard that you can train a goat to make this face when you point at it so that it can laugh at your jokes.

Got any more questions? Ask away!