Author Damen Howard offers up some useful advice and links to further information in his VAN LIFE WITH CATS (The Digital Nomad’s Guide to Traveling the Americas), a book for those who want to live life on the road without giving up their feline companions. His writing is clear, concise, and simple—organized for easy reference with step-by-step decision-making guides, bulleted lists for reference, product suggestions and comparisons, and, most importantly, lots of references and links for further information on any particular topic he covers. His work is a fine starting point, covering the basics, offering suggestions on how to start living the van life gradually and simply without disturbing family or feline life too much, and putting forth useful points for consideration. Among other things, one must consider budgets and finances, laws about travel between countries, where to park and sleep legally in one’s van, how to get health and vehicle insurance that covers travelers, and safety precautions.
Howard does brush over a few political and legal concerns, such as voting rights and tax considerations for those without a fixed address, but those are likely to be covered in other resources he points to. Emotional needs are also part of the story, and he encourages techniques including consistent routines, inclusion of meditation, exercise, and other healthy activities, as well as maintaining connections with others. He offers some solid suggestions about what equipment a person or family should start out with, along with what is necessary for the comfort of cats—from litter boxes and litter that offer a cat privacy while minimizing odor to scratch pads, toys, first-aid kits, and the most comfortable harnesses for allowing a cat to enjoy supervised outdoor time. A chapter on tips to help both humans and cats survive unexpected weather events may become even more useful as such emergencies become more and more common.
Perhaps the most valuable parts of this book, however, are the references it offers to other books, websites, podcasts, and other informational resources that delve deeper into the ins and outs of the itinerant life—giving the reader a place to start looking for information they require on given topics while also helping connect travelers to others in the same situation. The online version of the book does have some formatting issues, especially with bulleted lists, that sometimes make it difficult to read. Still, for readers who have considered packing up their homes and offices, gathering up their cats, and combining life on the road with either long-distance employment or retirement, this is a useful place to start.
Damen Howard’s VAN LIFE WITH CATS (The Digital Nomad’s Guide to Traveling the Americas) is a short and simple guide best used as a starting point and a pointer to further sources of information, written in clear, friendly, and encouraging language.
~Catherine Langrehr for IndieReader