PCS Lessons I Learned From My Dogs
This past few months we, The Crooks, have been PCSing to our new duty station.
Yes, I said “few months” because, frankly, it’s taken that long from start to finish to finally feel like we’re actually moved.
During the PCS I worried about my animals—a lot. What were they thinking? Were they scared? Were they nervous? Where would they sleep? How would we keep their eating schedule? Would they understand?
PCSing with animals has always been an adventure with the Crooks, from moving Oscar and Chester (our two cats) to Fort Hood, Texas (our first duty station), and the explosion that was to follow (we’ll spare the details), to the time Oscar shimmied his way out of the car window at the Arby’s in Leeds, Alabama, on our way to Fort Stewart, Georgia.
My dogs Bob (German short-haired Pointer) and Ellie (Australian Cattle Dog) have taught me a lot about PCSing—well, once I stopped to look at it through their eyes.
Here’s what I’ve learned:
1. All you need is a good place to lay your head.
This is Bob all curled up in a corner of our new house in Texas on top of a makeshift bed we made him—a quilt with a woobie tucked underneath it for warmth and comfort.
2. Things change, but you’ll know you’re going to stay when the couch arrives.
Yes, he spent many days very confused when we first arrived as we didn’t have any of our household goods. Once the couch got there, it was like he said, “yep, Ellie, we’re going to live here.”
3. Even dogs ask, “Are we there yet?”
Ellie was my copilot on our trip from Oklahoma to Texas. In our caravan, we had us in the van followed by Daddy and the truck. Bob spent most of his time watching to see where his Daddy was going. Finally, at a rest stop, we gave up and let him ride in the truck as he clearly did not want to be with mama.
4. Life is better when you can see through the fence.
This one has double meaning. Bob (and I’m sure Ellie, too) very much dislike our new fence in our new neighborhood as it is a 6-foot privacy fence. On post at Fort Sill, we had the chain link. Life was good. You could see through the next yard and meet your “neighbor dog” in the fur. It broke down some sort of barrier.
Now, while I disagree with them and love my privacy fence, I do believe life, in general, is way better when you take down the walls, take down your guard, and open yourself up to the world around you. PCSing to a new place is no different. You have to open up to new experiences and at least try to make your internal self-imposed boundaries a bit transparent. What the heck? Think the HOA will mind the chain-link?
(Ha ha ha just kidding. I’m sure I’d be fined.)
6. As long as you’re with your pack, it will all be okay.
When all of the crazy settled the night of receiving our household goods Bob crawled up in our bed and sighed this great big sigh. He finally relaxed. He had his bed, his couch, his master’s bed, and it looked like he was going to stay. It was stressful, but in the end, it was what his family was doing and we do things as a pack.
Can anybody give me any advice how to PCS with cats? We will be doing our first move, and we have 2 cats and a dog……..going from Michigan to Texas. We are considering ‘flying’ the cats, but that is expensive. How do you work the potty thing in the car w/cats?? Thanks 🙂
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It has been awhile since we PCS’d and I don’t quite remember everything we did. The one cat isn’t a good traveler (poops and pukes within 5 min) so he had some medicine (nothing that knocked him out and I don’t remember what it was called). Both cats were kept in their individual carriers and they were next to each other. We had a cushion in each carrier that was wrapped with a hand sized towel and a puppy pad should they have an accident. We had spare towels and puppy pads. If the puppy pad got soiled it was thrown away and replaced with a new one. Same for the towel. Nothing was in the carrier in regards to food or water (the one that doesn’t travel well cut his gums on the rubbermaid type dish that had water in it because he was so freaked out). We offered them a little food and water at every stop and if we stopped at a sit down restaurant then someone stayed with the cats while everyone else was in the restaurant (we brought food out to whomever stayed with the cats). We didn’t want to keep the cats in a potentially hot car so the person opened the back and hung out there so the cats got plenty of air and company. I don’t recall what we did in regards to a litter box situation but I don’t think they went to the bathroom (minus the one who did in the first 5min and we just pulled over and switched stuff out) until we got to our destination that night and put out their litterbox. Once at our destination we also put out food and water and let them roam around inside the house/hotel.
We have traveled (by car…well small truck) from South Carolina to Washington State and then Washington back to Georgia. All of that travel was with our kitty Sophie. We would just put her carrier behind the seat, once we got on our way w would let her out of the carrier. She loved to sit on top of it and look out the window. As for the potty thing, we put a small cat box in a plastic bag (so litter wouldn’t go everywhere) and set it on the floor. I showed her it was there, and she used it occasionally. When we would stay in a hotel we just made sure to bring the cat box inside. She didn’t use it as much as if we were at home, but that’s normal. Best of luck on your travels.
OMG this dog looks exactly like mine!
We just moved from Ft Bragg, NC to Ft Bliss, TX, the drive took 5 days we were 2 vehicles (van and car), 2 kids, 2 adults, 1 lab, 1 cat. For his safety the cat travels in a carrier, no escapes during potty breaks, no getting tangled in the pedals, but since he is in a carrier we didn’t expect him to stay there for longer than 8 hours a day. At the hotel each night the litter box and food and water were the first things set up then the cat was released. He did well although he did meow on and off everyday in the van.Also when we stopped for food one of us stayed in the running van so the air was on for the animals. They were stressed, but they relaxed at each hotel and they were happy to be with their pack. Just remember to give them a little extra attention and to be aware of their water, food, and bathroom needs.
There are so many good lessons our animals can teach us… here is yet another.
We have two cats we have PCS’d with twice. We limited our driving to about 8 hours per day (from GA to CA) and immediately set up the litter box and showed them where it was in the hotel once we got there. While driving we had them in their carriers with a bit of water and food in case they needed it and had no issues, except for the one that always cries in the car, and she calmed down after a bit. They both adjusted surprisingly well. We didn’t have any problems with them. We also considered flying them, but their vet told us that may be more stressful.
Great article Tara!
At the time we only had one cat. We kept him in the carrier for a food part of the trip. Then when he got comfortable we let him roam in the cab with us. We kept a rubbermaid container with cat litter in it and lid on it. When we would stop to use the bathroom we would open the box in the car and leave the cat to do his business while we did ours. The windows were cracked of course. He didn’t eat much during the 3 day trip from NJ to TX. We also got him a harness with a leash and would let him walk around when we stopped.
So we have to PCS in about 6 months or so. We have 2 2yr old labs, Jasamin & Tara that we failed to get them aquatinted with riding in the car. They don’t like it, and I am sooo nervous for the move..anyone wit ANY advice is greatly appreciated!!