The Things We Do for Love: “We Bought a Motor Home for Our Cat”
Published on August 03, 2012
Caroline Golon, the human behind popular humor blog Romeo the Cat, shares stories of pet owners who have gone the extra mile for their pets in this series, The Things We Do for Love.
Jan and Charlie Preus own and operate the 1750 Inn in Sandwich, Cape Cod. Every January, they pack up and head south for a few months. Instead of leaving their cat, Putter, behind, they bring him along in the Winnebago they bought just for him!
It all started eight years ago with the Preuses’ previous cat, Cooter. Cooter was usually happy to stay at the local kitty spa each year during the three months the couple traveled to Florida.
But when Cooter was 15, he developed cancer in his spleen. He underwent surgery and, although he was doing well, the Preuses did not want to leave him behind that winter. They tried to find a Florida rental that would accept cats but couldn’t. Instead, Jan persuaded Charlie to buy a motor home so they could all be together.
“Having never been camping or driven one of these things, it was terribly comical that first year!” Jan says. But Cooter adapted right away to RV living and enjoyed the winter in the tropics. “He loved to lie on his back with his feet on the windshield and watch the birds,” Jan remembers.
Sadly, when they headed back up north that spring, Jan could tell Cooter’s health was declining. Their vet confirmed Cooter’s time had come, and the Preuses said goodbye to their beloved cat. Fortunately, “the last few months of his life were incredibly happy with us,” Jan says.
New Cat, New RV
Missing Cooter terribly, the Preuses began looking for a new cat to adopt. At the local rescue center, they found 3-month-old Putter. “He was just meant to be mine,” Jan says.
As Putter grew and became more active, the couple wondered if the cat would be happy traveling in the Winnebago that winter. They decided their current motor home would be too small for the young, growing cat who liked to run and jump, so they went shopping for a bigger one. Putter loved the new vehicle and life on the road.
Today, the couple continues to travel by Winnebago each winter. They’ve traveled all over the United States, with the now 7-year-old Putter in their laps and memories of Cooter, their original “RV kitty,” in their hearts.
What do you do for love? We’re looking for the funny, sweet and special stories that will make other pet parents smile. Email us at [email protected] to share your story. Please put "The Things We Do for Love" in the subject line.
