Managed to catch Ted asleep in his new bed yesterday. The signs are good that he may choose to sleep in it when he goes travelling.
The awaited exhaust mounts came in today’s post at last. Hearts sank when we saw the state of the packaging, which had been resealed in Orkney. However, despite being loose in the box, all 8 mounts were present; none lost. Mr L will ft them as soon as he can as the present state of affairs is pretty much dire.
I have been out in the van again. The floor is swept and the second bed is made up so that Teddy and Nell may travel in comfort. I have been battling with the fixed main bed, trying to make it up tidily but it just seems to be beyond the reach of my arms and is now in its usual wrinkled mess.
Teddy’s new carrier is a conundrum. I am unclear as to why an RAC-branded pet carrier would not have a mechanism for safely securing by car seat belts. We have only static lap straps available and no matter how much I shorten them, there is too much movement on the carrier. So much for good intentions.
I consulted the relevant HMG document and contrary to my belief, the carrier does not have to be fixed. However:
[su_quote cite=”DEFRA (HM Gov)” url=”https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/69549/pb10308-dogs-cats-welfare-060215.pdf”]Travelling by vehicle The United Kingdom (UK) ‘Highway Code’ states: ‘When in a vehicle make sure dogs or other animals are suitably restrained so they cannot distract you while you are driving or injure you if you stop quickly’. In some European countries, the law does not allow dogs to travel loose in vehicles.
Your pet should preferably travel in a container which meets particular standards (see page 18). A cat or very small dog should always travel in a container, and the container should be placed where it:
- cannot move when you accelerate, brake and go round corners;
- is easy to get to; and
- is not exposed to strong sunlight or cold draughts.
[/su_quote]
…cannot move when you accelerate, brake and go round corners… Short of putting the carrier inside the wardrobe, I think that our best solution is to place the carrier at the foot of our bed, snug up against the wall between the bed and the kitchen. That should take care of any impact problems. The bed, by its very nature, will dampen movements caused by acceleration and cornering.
This means of course that Nell has the second bed, with its fine window view, all to herself and I cannot see her complaining about that!
We shall have to see how it pans out.
The 4.5 tog duvet from the van is out on the line and I am hoping that the breeze fluffs it ups a little as the feathers are all sad and compacted and squished into the corners of the wee pockets that are designed to stop the filling from moving (hah!) The year is moving on and our next planned trip takes in a stop close to Altnaharra, which of course jointly holds the UK record for lowest ever temperature. If it is a clear night we might be shivering but it is not worth taking heavier bedding just yet, as most nights we overheat.
Best just keep an eye on the weather in case it rains again. Can’t be doing with a soggy duvet. We have had a fair bit of rain today and it made for some splendid clouds in this morning’s Monday Outlook shots.
Be First to Comment