Cycling around the Andaman Sea

Initially, RC seemed to think that riding on a motorcycle was one of the worst ways to travel. The high pitched squeal of the engine seemed barely tolerable. But, as we leaned into curves and buses roared past us, I thought we might have our first cat revolt.

We were living on the Andaman Sea and decided to move a short distance. No taxis were available when it was time to depart, so we decided to see if RC liked riding on a motorcycle.

Mark sat as far forward on the seat as possible, next came RC's carrier, and finally I held up the rear. I had the carrier's strap over my shoulder and one hand tucked inside the carrier reassuring RC while the other held Mark for balance and to add more stability to RC's carrier.

Mark drove as slowly and steadily as possible while maintaining safety. With nothing more than a flimsy carrier between RC and the steel monsters, RC didn't think anything Mark did could protect us from doom.

RC didn't indulge us with his usual yowling concert that he stages when we travel by car. Instead, he purred softly with a tinge of anxiety trying to calm himself. When a huge bus flew by at speed, he jumped to the other end of the carrier and curled into the tightest ball possible. I thought he'd overbalance the carrier, We had been careful to secure it well. I talked soothingly the entire trip, but my comforting words probably fell on deaf ears. We arrived without any mishap, but expected that would be RC's last adventure on the back of a motorcycle.

While RC wasn't keen on motorcycles, they often fit our lifestyle. Living on the pampas of South America, we needed to take RC to the vet. There was no other reliable transport so we put on our thinking caps to avoid a repeat of our first trip.

Instead of using his regular carrying case for the trip, we adapted a day pack. It was ~18 inches tall so RC had to sit up instead of being able to stretch out like he usually does. It was just a 10 minute drive to the vet's office so we knew this would be manageable. If it had been much longer, we would have had to find an alternative.

We put a foam pad to stiffen the bottom and added liners in case RC got too nervous. I put the pack on backwards (i.e., with the pack in front of me), and Mark tied the straps across my back. That way, the pack wouldn't fall off even if RC wiggled. RC fit snuggly between us -- his favorite spot. He seemed to enjoy himself as he watched the countryside slide by. I think the closer contact with both of us made him feel much more secure.

He ducked inside the day pack on the rare occassions when a vehicle passed, but he never seemed too unnerved. Mark still drove slowly and careful to minimize potential discomfort to RC. I would definitely not recommend motorcycles as a regular way to travel with a furry member of the family, especially for long journeys, but a short trip with 2 people can work.