Pretty Penny Adventures

Somewhere between “Are we there yet?” and “Whose turn is it to walk the dogs?” we invented a new travel game: Where’s the Cat?

While cruising toward our next stop—Hot Springs, Arkansas—Tara (navigator, snack distributor, and part-time zookeeper) did a quick check on our furry passengers. The dogs were exactly where they should be: sprawled out like royalty. But Jasper the Cat? Gone. His crate was empty.

Panic? Mild. Confusion? Abundant.

Apparently, Tara zips Jasper into the crate from the top, while Julie occasionally lets him out the front. Two zippers. Two humans. One stealthy cat. You see where this is going.

Thus began the inaugural round of Where’s the Cat?

Tara braced herself and wobbled to the back of the motorhome while Pretty Penny bounced down the highway. No Jasper on the bed. No Jasper in the bathroom. No Jasper under the loveseat (though the dogs gave a deeply unimpressed look for disturbing their nap).

And then—victory.

There he was, perched on the dinette bench, looking like he’d just been drafted into the Marines. Wide-eyed. Frozen. Traumatized by whatever unsupervised adventure he’d just had.

Tara wins this round. Jasper remains skeptical of our leadership.