Running air conditioning for extended period

Seriously? I suggest putting your kitty in daycare if you want to travel, or have a friend take care of your furry kid.
Leaving an animal in a car, AC running or not, is just incomprehensible. Aside from that, a running car is a theft target.

If you must travel, look into a Cat Stroller. I have one and it is great. Two of my three cats love it. Just take some time to get them used to it before you travel.

 

To answer just your question--I shouldn't harm the A/C. The system is electrically driven so the compresser and fan will operate as per the limits you set on the dash and the charge that is in the battery. The ICE will fire up and run until the battery is recharged. This cycle, supposedly, continues until the gas tank is empty. At which time, you will have to retrieve kitty. Probably have to attend to the litterbox anyway.

 

Yea, I sure wouldn't forget the litter box!

 

Several other Prius owners have used this technique for dogs. Don't forget to make a couple of big signs that say: "AIR CONDITIONING IS ON. THE CAT IS OKAY." Otherwise some helpful person will call the cops or break your car windows.

Tom

 

That seems reasonable except some jurisdictions have regulations against leaving a vehicle unattended with the engine running.

It would be a good idea to check your state vehicle code and local ordinances. If you ask a police officer, be sure to get a code cite and check it yourself, no individual person knows every detail of a vehicle code.

In Maryland it's illegal, in Michigan its illegal if parked on a public road. I didn't look any further than that.

 

Should work but you will need to lock and unlock it with the mechanical key, SKS or the buttons on the fob won't work with the car on.

I trust my car but I don't think I would leave my dog in it unattended in hot weather, if something went wrong I would not forgive myself.

 

People leave generators running to power the air conditioning on their RVs. How is leaving a Prius in Ready mode to power the air conditioning any different?

On really hot days, I regularly leave my Prius in Ready mode while I go shopping. It's nice to return to a cold car that is immediately usable. I just put the car in Park, set the parking brake, and turn off the display. Sometimes I'll lay something (magazine, whatever) on the dash to block visibility of the speedometer display. Then lock the car with the mechanical key.

Leaving an animal in the car is a little more dicey, but I've done it successfully. The biggest problem is the perception by others that the animal is in danger. The next problem is that the car could fail, exposing the animal to the heat of a closed car. A sign in the window should help, but somebody who doesn't understand the Prius might not believe it. I've also got a 6" diameter thermometer that I can leave on a seat (out of the sun) to try and prove that the temperature is safe.

The biggest problem that I've had leaving my dog in the car was when he turned on the windshield wipers. Haven't solved that one...