Pets in a van, how much do they demand of your time and limit your ablity to do stuff

[HarmonicaBruce]

Here's my little analysis.

1) Plants... Are they pets?  Why not!  How many people keep plants in their van?  What kinds?  I'd like to try it myself.  
Time... can be very little.  Should be able to abandon for 2 weeks once they get established.  Easy to find a plant-sitter.
No limits on where you can go or what you can do, but probably shouldn't be left in the van alone on hot days without an automatic exhaust fan so they don't roast.  I'd think the choice of plants should align with where you'll be traveling to, don't take Florida plants to Michigan for the winter.

2) Fish... not much more of a pet than a house plant, but they are in the animal kingdom.  I've never known anyone who kept fish in a van, but you could.  One of those big clear water jugs might work well, less chance of spilling.
Time... can be very little.  Should be able to abandon for 2 weeks.
No limits on where you can go or what you can do.  Would likely survive better being baked in the sun than other pets since they're in water.

3) Small birds... Like parakeets.  I've kept a parakeet much of my life.  I've usually let them fly free in my house or apartment, except of course when I also had a cat.
Time... can be very little.  I left my parakeet alone in my apartment for 3 weeks, he didn't miss me.  But they're susceptible to cold.  
Limits... You wouldn't want to go north with a parakeet, just opening the doors with a cold gust of air might kill them.  I always let my parakeets fly around.  In a van I'd have to cage him. Probably shouldn't be left in the van alone on hot days without an automatic exhaust fan.

4) Large birds... Parrot or chicken.  I met a woman who was a reenactor, and she had a chicken she'd have in her lap or walking around close to her while she's dressed like it's 1850.  A nice thing about chickens is they lay eggs.  But, they tend to be quite smelly, so probably not a good choice for a van.
Time... Parrots get ornery if you don't give them lots of attention.  Chickens could care less, but you need to change their cage paper twice a day.  I traveled with 2 baby chicks for a week.  
Limits... Probably shouldn't be left in the van alone on hot days without an automatic exhaust fan.

5) Small rodents... like rats, guinea pigs.  They don't take up much room, and with those plastic balls they run around in, they could possibly adapt to van life.  
Time... You can probably ignore them for a couple of days
Limits... Probably shouldn't be left in the van alone on hot days without an automatic exhaust fan.

6) Cats... a popular van pet, but being territorial they can wonder off.  
Time... You can ignore them for a few of days.
Limits... Probably shouldn't be left in the van alone on hot days without an automatic exhaust fan.

7) Dogs... another popular van pet.  Hunting dogs can be very useful, and dogs can be trained to perform a wide variety of functions.  They can alert and protect you from intruders and wild animals.  But they can be a danger and annoyance to others, as well as their owner.
Time... Require daily attention
Limits... Probably shouldn't be left in the van alone on hot days without an automatic exhaust fan.  Lots of events don't allow dogs.  Some places have laws against leaving a dog in a van.  Since you need to go places that don't allow dogs (the bank, doctor's office, restaurant, etc), you shouldn't spend time in places with laws against leaving a dog in a van.  We want to obey the law.  

8) Horses... I've never known a van dweller who traveled with a horse, but you could.  You'd need a horse trailer, some of which come with nice living quarters.  There are lots of places one could take a horse, such as civil war re-enactments, parades, rodeos, etc.  
Time... Require daily attention, unless you're boarding it.
Limits... It might be easier having a horse than a dog or cat.  You could leave it alone for a few hours since the trailer is open-air.  Of course having a horse would mean your life revolved around the horse.  They can be boarded long or short term and often are. They are an expensive "pet", not for the budget minded van dweller.  

9) Others... snakes, turtles, pigs, raccoons... The problem with pigs is they get big.  Raccoons can be troublesome if you don't stay on top of them.  A turtle would be good if it's indigenous to the worse climate you'll be in.  You wouldn't want to take a Florida turtle to Michigan for the winter, but you could take a Michigan turtle to Florida.

 

[Almost There]

Ummm, plants need watering at least once a week so no deserting them for a couple of weeks. More water needed in dry, hot climates.

Fish need feeding every day and the concept of a non-spillable container is intriguing but I suspect that in doing that you would need an air pump to keep the oxygen levels in the water up to par. That would mean having extra battery power.

Small birds still need their cage cleaned, water, food and treat containers filled on a regular basis. And yes, temperature variations such as we get in a van would not be healthy for them. Same goes for larger birds, they and their living quarters need regular attention.

Cats also need at least daily attention. Their litter box needs to be cleaned daily and their water/food dishes need daily cleaning and refilling. Also, they are sociable animals and like companionship whether it be other cats or humans. Same goes for all the rest of the animals on your list.

Even snakes require feeding although some only require food once every couple of weeks. But once again, climate control can be problematic in a van.

There's no such thing AFAIK thats' a totally maintenance free 'pet'. Even a Chia Pet requires watering on a regular basis...

Each and every one of the plants and animals on your list require consideration on the part of their human if they are to thrive.

Maybe you should try adopting a stuffed animal...they can be left without care of concern for weeks at a time!...you can snuggle with them, talk to them (and they don't talk back), extreme weather conditions won't bother them and they don't need food and water or cleaning up after.

 

[HarmonicaBruce]

Ummm, plants need watering at least once a week so no deserting them for a couple of weeks. More water needed in dry, hot climates.

True, but with mulch that can be mitigated, and there are cacti and small trees that could get by longer between waterings.

Fish need feeding every day and the concept of a non-spillable container is intriguing but I suspect that in doing that you would need an air pump to keep the oxygen levels in the water up to par. That would mean having extra battery power.

There are feeders that they say will feed your fish for 14 days.  My son once bought a huge fish tank.  He quit taking care of it, and it developed it's own little eco-system, snails, algae, and some kind of little fish that made it on their own.

Cats also need at least daily attention. Their litter box needs to be cleaned daily and their water/food dishes need daily cleaning and refilling.

We've had cats at my parents farm, all we ever did was feed and water them, and they lived outside.  But, in a van that wouldn't work, so yes, they require work.

Maybe you should try adopting a stuffed animal...they can be left without care of concern for weeks at a time!...you can snuggle with them, talk to them (and they don't talk back), extreme weather conditions won't bother them and they don't need food and water or cleaning up after.

I like those robot dogs, but since they're not alive, they aren't really pets..  I'm going to start with plants, then maybe move up to a turtle.  Chia pets are great.  My parakeets liked grazing on them.

 

[wagoneer]

Are fly's pets? Just swat em if they misbehave.

 

[cdiggy]

Are fly's pets? Just swat em if they misbehave.

Bwaa Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha!

 

[Bdog1]

Agricultural inspections may confiscate your pet plant. There on the hot list!

 

[gypsychic]

Oh Bruce. I opened this up thinking you were asking for advice on whether to keep your dad's cat or not. This was not what I expected but for some reason cracked me up. Even the idea of smuggling in a pet plant. Get a Venus fly trap, name him Seymour and see if the Ag inspector has a sense of humor ( or am I dating myself with the Little Shop of Horrors reference?)

 

[Matt71]

Plants also require sunlight which can be limited in a van, especially if you are in stealth mode. I suppose you could transport it in the van and then set it outside when you are stopped. It's not likely to wander off like an animal would.

Snakes (or any cold blooded critter) might be a good choice if you avoid the cold weather. A hot van likely wouldn't bother it as much as any of the other options.

Fish are probably a bad idea. All it would take was one person cutting you off on the highway and you'd end up with water everywhere.

 

[SoulRaven]

I had my pet rabbit in the van for about 5 weeks or so. For a healthy person in a relatively dry climate, a rabbit or two is probably quite doable.

Pros:

• Completely silent
  
• Adaptable to very little or a lot of attention - minimal requirements
• Can be kept in a cage full time or taken out to run around (potty-trainable)
• Zero smell if urine is taken care of daily
• Hypoallergenic
• Cold hardy

Cons:

• May cause damage by chewing, especially if frustrated.
• Urine contributes to indoor moisture issues
• Cage smells if you don't keep up with waste (though diapers are a possibility...)
• Prone to overheating in hot weather

I'd definitely choose a rabbit for vandwelling over a dog, cat, or fish. Mine certainly loved van life when I let her run around (racing through my van turning flips just for the fun of it was absolutely adorable) but in the end it was just too much additional effort, moisture, and financial drain to be sustainable for me.

 

[Canine]

Some good information, Bruce. Being in a van with a pet needs some accurate forethought put into it. It would be easy for a new vandweller to get a pet but unwittingly attempt to apply the rules of their old lifestyle to the new lifestyle. There is a lifestyle adjustment to be made and it would be a bummer when mistakes are made that the pet took the brunt of those mistakes.

 

[HarmonicaBruce]

I had my pet rabbit in the van... 

I hadn't thought of rabbits.  I once worked with a woman who had rabbits all over her house!  I never knew they could be potty trained or wear diapers.

 

[SoulRaven]

I hadn't thought of rabbits.  I once worked with a woman who had rabbits all over her house!  I never knew they could be potty trained or wear diapers.

So, rabbits will naturally pick one corner of their cage to pee in and do most of their pooing in. It's often a simple matter of placing a litter container in the corner they're already using. Once they've established a place to "go", then they'll return to it unless it feels too far away, at which point they'll select some other corner of the house and go there, where the patient owner will simply add another litterbox. Usually that only happens when they're roaming houses, though...I cannot imagine them needing an additional litterbox in a van.

If a rabbit is allowed to roam freely for much of the day it will begin lining the edges of the room with some rabbit poo, just like its cage. This is how they mark their territory. It doesn't smell and it's dry and easy to sweep up. People who don't like this can either put them in diapers, or restrict their time out of their cage to less than a couple hours a day so the rabbit(s) don't get the idea that the own the place LOL. Once I moved into the van I would only let her out for about an hour or so supervised and there was no poo.

You can also put a harness on them and walk them like a dog! They love fresh greens and kids love feeding and petting them. With rabbits only the ones that received a lot of gentle, patient handling from birth are going to be amicable to human touch, so if you do look into them choose them well. Pet store rabbits were so tense they wouldn't stop vibrating and bit me when my hand got too close. When a rabbit cuddles into your touch and contentedly grinds their teeth (like a cat purring) you know it was raised right.

As for training...my bunny knew the exact plastic sound of the oats bag from any other plastic rustling, and would go nuts the moment she heard it. That made it very easy to motivate her.

Apologies for the mini-thread derail!

 

[gramakittycat]

I took some mini trips before taking the cats on our long trip.A few hours then over night then a weekend before a 3500 mile round trip.I paid attention to what they did well with and what I needed to change for their comfort and well being on the road.

Some good information, Bruce. Being in a van with a pet needs some accurate forethought put into it. It would be easy for a new vandweller to get a pet but unwittingly attempt to apply the rules of their old lifestyle to the new lifestyle. There is a lifestyle adjustment to be made and it would be a bummer when mistakes are made that the pet took the brunt of those mistakes.

Much better to anticipate problems and address them I agree .So far my "Kitty Crew" are good travelers but I will be ready to change/adjust as needed.