For adventurous cat Big Chungus, life is just one long road trip as she travels the US with her owners in their van.
Big Chungus, affectionately referred to as ‘Chungy’ has lit up Instagram and TikTok with her exploits across the United States as her free-spirited owners Kayli and Logan document the eleven-year-old kitty’s travels.
Downsizing
Longing for adventure Kayli and Logan decided in 2020 to downsize their lives and hit the open road in their fully customized van. Choosing to live the van life has become an attractive choice for many people in these times of soaring rent and housing prices.
However, most people who choose this nomad lifestyle don’t attempt to take their cat with them!
Chungus on the road
Having previously lived as a homebody housecat, Chungus’s owners had to teach her how to safely navigate life on the road. This proved to be a long process that involved harnesses, a cat tent, and lots of treats!
In a statement posted on their Instagram page, Kayli outlined how she and her partner got their beloved housecat ready for living life on the open road, saying:
“We get a lot of questions about how we trained her to stay near us, but I think a lot of it has to do with her temperament (food helps though). There are days when all she wants to do is get out and explore, yesterday she even tried to climb a tree… she didn’t get far.
And then there are others where she just sleeps the whole day. We did harness train her which took a lot of patience (nearly a whole year) and treats!”
Safe travels
As well as ensuring that Big Chungus is safe while free-roaming or taking a walk on her lease, her devoted owners have also ensured her safety while she is left alone inside of the van.
Given the high temperatures that some of the couple’s destinations can reach in Summer, they made some essential alterations to their van to make sure that Chungus stays cool.
The lucky kitty has her own mini cooling fan and every window is fitted with air vents which prevent Chungus from overheating inside the vehicle while she snoozes.
The couple also has a temperature sensor that they monitor via an app on their phones, ensuring that they always know what temperature the inside of the van is while Chungus is inside.
Future adventures
Having taken so enthusiastically to life on the road, despite her eleven years spent as a housecat, it is guaranteed that Big Chungus will continue to have many more nomadic adventures.
It’s also guaranteed that her many social media followers will be there to witness every step that the intrepid feline takes.