Solstice has been on Science Diet since I got her. I tried other brands but she didn’t do well on them. Even though she’s a big dog she likes the “small bites.” And now that she is older, she eats the one made for senior citizens.
Kitty has a tendency to be a little pudgy. She likes to eat and doesn’t like to exercise. So she is on a low calorie food from Natural Balance. It’s more cost effective to buy the large 15-pound bag but I worry about it tasting stale to her by the time she gets to the bottom of the bag. So I buy the smaller 6-pound bag.
I didn’t worry about critters getting into my pets’ food when I lived in Alaska. But I do on the road. This Vittles Vault container is BPA-free, easy to use and keeps mice and other varmints out. They come in a variety of sizes depending on what size bags of food you buy.
When you have two hairy pets and live in a small space, dealing with hair is a daily battle. I have a multi-prong approach that includes lint rollers. They are super easy to use, small enough not to take up too much room and a quick roll across pet beds can keep the hair down between laundry sessions. And, I consider them so essential, they made my top 9 list of must-have RV gadgets under $10 (2-pack). But, honestly, I go through so many that I buy them in the larger 5-pack.
Every dog needs a leash. Many campgrounds will say dogs need to be on a 6-foot leash which is, basically, a non-retractable. But I love the retractable leash because we can each walk at our own pace. As long as your dog behaves, you shouldn’t get in trouble with a retractable leash at campground. Be sure to get the size that matches your dogs weight. Although cheaper, a “small dog” leash just will not work for a large dog like Solstice. Works perfect with the poop bag holder and biodegradable poop bags (both listed below).
I admit I didn’t use one of these for the first 10 years I had Solstice. It seemed gimmicky and unnecessary. I mean, how hard is it to keep a poop bag in your pocket? But on a whim I decided to try a poop bag holder. While I still keep poop bags in my pockets, having this (which attaches to the leash above) is super handy for the times I forgot to put one in my pocket before we head out for a walk. Or, for the times I only have one bag but she goes twice.
In all ways that are easy and possible, I try to be a gentle person toward our shared Earth. For that reason, I choose, biodegradable poop bags. They are a few cents more than the other ones, but I choose these.
This list probably seems a bit unfair. Everything is for the dog and nothing for the cat except food. The reason is that Kitty isn’t much of “things’ kind of cat. I’ve bought lots of toys, beds and gadgets over the years but she shows little interest in any of them. Except for a cat scratcher. She usually gets a new one every year on her birthday. That, and a can of tuna. The one below is the one I had in my house but I’ve had to change to the more narrow ones in the RV life. She occasionally scratches on them but mostly she just likes to sit on it.
Solstice doesn’t use a dog bed although I do have one in the van for travel days. But Kitty uses a small dog bed. It is the perfect size for her. Then I put a towel on the bottom and it gets washed with laundry to keep the bed from getting quite so hairy. Then once in a while the entire bed gets thrown in the laundry.
I love this Purina Tidy Cats BREEZE kitty litter box system. It’s so wonderful. The pellets are so much better than traditional litter. In my sticks-and-bricks, I would find litter throughout the house. But these pellets are larger so when Kitty manages to get one out, it’s easy to pick up and throw it back in. Pee pads are on a tray at the bottom and the box has slits where her urine drains. I find it less mess and so much less smell than a traditional kitty litter box. I love this system so much that, at some time in the future, I’m going to write an entire blog post about it. But I didn’t want to wait until then to share the resource.
The litter box system above comes with pads and pellets, but you will need more as you use them. Here are those two. The instructions recommend changing the pad once a week and the pellets once a month. You’ll have to make your own assessment based on your cat’s use. For my cat, I have to change the pad every five days as she drinks a lot of water so I purchase those by the case. And I find the pellets are good for three months or more. So, those I buy one bag at a time.
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Please note I would not recommend products or services I haven’t tried and loved myself.