Need a dose of cute and cuddly? “Tumble-PETS” to the Rescue!
Many Tiny House RV owners share their itty bitty havens with a furry critter (or two). But do pets really like small spaces? What is it REALLY like sharing that space with your dog or cat? And, most importantly, how are they coping with less toys??
“Salies,” the Tumbleweed dog that LOVES snow
Salies’s favorite things are as follows: 1). Running in Snow, 2). Eating Snow, and 3). Rolling around in Snow. Salies’s mom, Jenna, indulges her favorite activities as long as she doesn’t bring the snow inside!
After a fun time outside, Salies sits and waits patiently to be towel-dried before entering her Tumbleweed Cypress. Then she prances around and sniffs whatever is cooking in the kitchen, before taking nap in front of the wood stove. A few hours later, it’s time to do it all over again!
“Check out my doggy cave! I hide lots of toys back here.” – Salies
“Clark” a tiny pup with a BIG personality
Clark is head over paws with his Tumbleweed Cypress parked in an RV park near Austin, Texas. His favorite place in the whole house is the loft where he enjoys peering through the five windows, scouting the RV park area and, of course, laying on his dad’s pillow and underneath the blankets.
Clark is also a bit of a porch dog, even though the porch is roughly 4 square feet! When Clark’s not at the house, he’s strolling around with and on the hunt for new sights and smells.
“Lobster,” a laid-back small space companion
Lobster shares a 18 foot Tumbleweed Cypress with Ella and Zack in Northern California. He often watches his horse-neighbors as they gallop by, and he can see the ocean from his front porch.
“I’m a pretty chill guy. Mostly I lay around after some exercise.” – Lobster
Lobster totally gets the tiny thing. He sits very nice in the house, and only seems interested in his two happy places; on the bench or on the mat by the door when the bench is taken by those two very rude people who don’t seem to understand that it is in fact, his.
Ella believes having a low energy dog is a good consideration for RV owners. If you have a high-energy pup, you should exercise them regularly outdoors so that they don’t feel confined when inside your tiny space.
“Tahoe” the spunky RV-lovin’ cat
Tahoe travels around with Matt and Michelle in their renovated Airstream. It’s 180 square feet of kitty paradise!
“What can I say, I’m a well traveled cat! I’ve been from the Atlantic to the Pacific and everywhere in between. You’d think by now my owners would learn to park so I can get a little sun in here. ” – Tahoe, on traveling in a tiny space.
I guess Tahoe got his wish! This trio is currently parked in Panama City, Florida. Go ahead kitty, soak up the sun! But please don’t shed on the bed.
Your Turn: How would YOUR pets like to have a Tumbleweed?
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Jenna Spesard is currently living and traveling around North America in a DIY Tumbleweed Cypress with her partner, Guillaume. They are photographing and writing about Tiny Homes and their adventure. Follow their informative blog.
My cat would love the loft or any space higher than the floor because my tiny poodle could not disturb her. However, I have to say that living in a tiny space with my animals would require a lot more grooming so that the house would stay clean and smell fresh.
How do pet people deal with the heat? Especially in a place like Austin, Texas. Does the tiny home’s air conditioner provide enough cool air to keep the pet safe when the owner is gone? I can’t find much about this topic; I’ve read that it’s not wise to leave a dog in a typical RV, but I wonder if Tumbleweeds are different, i.e. do they have a higher-power AC unit, and do the larger windows (than on something like an Airstream) help?
My family goes camping in an rv and we leave our dog all the time. I think it’s just important to leave the air conditioner on while you’re gone, so the pet doesn’t get overheated, or too cold if it’s winter. Without the air or heat on, it would definitely be too hot or cold for the animal.
And where does one hide the stinky kitty litter box?? In the bathtub/shower?