Hello,

I'm a writer and professor at Columbia University who wants to talk with women truckers who travel with one or more cats as they drive across the country. I'm doing research for a story--I write books and for magazines. Years ago I met a woman trucker with a cat and I wonder if there are any more out there today. Is it possible to take a pet on the road? Thanks!

Sincerely,

Dale Maharidge
Associate Professor, Columbia University

Love to help you, but we have a dog on our truck. I know there are plenty of men and women out there who drive with cats as I've seen them. I'm sure there are some here and they will get with you when they get a break and get to read your post. Be patient -- they're a busy bunch.

Dear Keelady,

That's great you travel with a dog! Too bad I'm not doing research on dogs on the road. . . maybe my next project. Patience, yes. . . I am no hurry with this project, but I can't wait to hear from the women with cats in the cabs. BTW I meant to post my email in case anyone wants to write there. It is Thanks!

--Dale Maharidge

I started out with one cat. Her name is Persephone. I've had her for eight years. She is a big, black cat. I found her in the wild with two of her litter mates. Since then, I lost the other two.

Then, about five years ago my husband got a dog, who then decided I was his master. So at this point in my trucking life I have Persephone and Skippy.

Fast forward to this past Christmas. I am a flatbed driver and I am in Clifton,TX picking up a load of moulding. I back across the street to park so I can strap and tarp the load. I get out and look back to the icc bar and there sits a little #### of a cat. I approach her and she does not run. I notice she has the extra toe on all her paws. Which right away is trouble for me because I have a weakness for uniqueness. I once had a cat (her name was #### Lucky) who also was polydactyl.

So I say to her "Look here, if your still around when I'm done your comin' with." It takes me about 1 1/2 hour to finish everything up and the whole time she just sits there and watch. When I'm down on the ground putting on bungies she follows me around, rubbing up on me, which is part of why it took so long for me to finish. I kept tripping up on her.

Finally I'm done. She's still there. So, I pick her up and in the truck she goes. She was not well received by Persephone but Skippy has loved her since day one. The little hussy got out of the truck at the end of January, beginning of February and she got pregnant. She didn't look old enough, not even 6 months, but I was wrong. I named her Poly-Nutkin. Poly for the extra toes. Nutkin because she does this thing with her ears that remind me of the illustrations in Beatrix Potter's book Squirrel Nutkin.

She had 4 fat kittens, 2 male and 2 female, and now I am doomed because I have named them all. The 2 males are Blue and Spreckles. The 2 females are Sojourner and Roxanne.

I can't bear to give them away because I don't trust most people with cats. So now, if you can believe it, I am interviewing for local jobs. With in the next 2 weeks I will be off the road. All because of cats. This Peterbilt is way to small for me and a dog, let alone me, a dog, 2 adult cats, and 4 kittens. Everyone is getting fixed asap.

I realy do understand lonelines on the road......been there, however, cannot understand taking ANY animal on the road.......for regardless of the number of "breaks" you take during the day, you are asking an animal, to go against their nature and become as DOCILE as can be...............don't understand it, not for me or my animal......beloved cat included!

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Don't like the attitude? Then don't look!

I normally wouldn't do it. But....the inevitable but....the dog was raised on a truck before I got him. My older cat won't come to any person but me. She thinks I am her mother. I got her when she was 2 weeks old. Her mother was killed by another animal. I had to bottle feed her. I have tried in the past to find other homes for her but when she is not with me she won't eat or drink. She went almost a week without food or water when I started driving. Since then she's been with me all the time. As to Poly-Nutkin, I was trying to get her a home but no one wants a pregnant cat, let alone one with kittens. Finally getting off the road, and taking them back to the farm in PA.

Snort. My dog slept 23 hours a day Before getting on the truck. And now? Yep, still sleeps 23 hours a day. Lazy mutt

Up until Feb. we had both a dog and a cat on the truck. I was worried about having the cat on the truck, but that was an unnecessary worry. She never liked the car rides to the vet in her carrier.. BUT she was awesome in the the truck. The upper bunk was her favorite spot.. she would lay at the edge of it with her paws dangling over and watch everything going on. Her and the dog got along famously.. best of buds. Unfortunately, my means of spoiling her rotten with the "premium" canned cat food was also how I lost her. She ended up with Chronic Renal Failure.. and despite spending over $600 in vet bills, we finally had to let her go. A day earlier we found a good home for our "boy" Max. We suffered from serious Empty Nest Syndrome for quite a while.. and have bounced the idea of getting another pet in the truck, but I don't think we are quite ready for it again.. but when we do, we agreed it will be another kitty

My wife's cat hates riding in a gasoline powered vehicle but does not mind riding in a diesel powered rig. Semi included.

I think it has some thing to do with the electronic ignition system for a gasser. It could make a whine or other noise only a cat can hear.

Only thing I can think of.

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I had a cat that loved to sleep on the dash. His first 3 weeks I managed to drive in sunny weather. He was asleep on the dash when we entered into Cincinnati. Turned on the wipers and he landed on the top bunk. He gradually made it to the back of my seat and would hiss every time the wipers moved. After a few minutes he relaxed but did not return to the dash till the sun came out. Left him with my wife after that trip.