YOLO times nine - is what an adventure cat would say. Adventure cats are fearless felines with a wild side that can be encouraged and nurtured. It is a curiosity that cats are rarely considered the ideal choice by adventurous folks. There are, in fact, cats with adventurous purr-sonalities who will enjoy the outdoors as much as we do.
One of the keys to cat training is great treats. EcoTreats are low-calorie, so they won’t hurt kitty’s diet. They’re also all-natural, made in the USA, and the salmon is wild-caught from the Pacific Northwest. Give EcoTreats a try and watch kitty work harder for her favorite tasty treat.
Fancy a cat companion for adventures?
There’s a lot more to being a cat guardian than just feeding her, playing with her indoors, providing her with entertainment and distractions at home, and basically treating her like royalty.
In the book, Adventure Cats: Living Nine Lives to the Fullest, author Laura J. Moss dispels the myth that cats are only for old ladies. The book tells the stories of real-life adventure cats, and describes how we can have one of our own!
Fancy an adventure cat for a pet? Here’s a list of real-life adventure cats who are living their best nine lives and documenting every adventure on Instagram.
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Sukii, IG handle:
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Bolt and Keel, IG handle: boltandkeel
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Magic, IG handle:
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Fish and Chips, IG handle: adventuresoffishandchips
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Kuli, IG handle: kulithesurfingcat
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Eevee, IG handle: whiskered_away
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Gus, IG handle: gus.the.adventurous
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Rio, IG handle: adventurrio
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Into the Wild with Kitty
In a previous article “Adventure Cats Gone Wild, Part 1,” we learned how to train Miss Kitty Fantastico for outdoor adventures properly. But before we ride off into the sunset together, a visit to her vet will help ensure that her first experience will be pleasant and that her health is protected. Her vet will be able to advise us if it’s the right weather for kitty; she should also be up-to-date on vaccinations. In some regions, cats and dogs get additional vaccinations if they are going to be roaming the great outdoors.
Once Puss In Boots receives a clean bill of health, we can begin planning our first excursion.
Below is a handy adventure checklist:
- Depending on the we’ll be engaging in, we should pack the essentials both for kitty and for us. Her basic essentials include water and water bowl, food and food bowl (for long excursions), treats, a portable carrier, identification and contact information on kitty’s collar and microchip, and a recent photo of kitty.
- We should ALWAYS keep kitty on a leash. It’s better to be safe than sorry, even if we’re confident that she’ll come when called. Putting a bell on kitty’s collar can also be a great idea. Even better, get a tracking device for her collar or harness so you can track her just in case she pulls a Houdini and gets free from you.
- We should not leave our cat companion unattended for any length of time, with her leash tied around something. She can injure herself when she gets tangled in her leash. Or if an animal approaches and threatens her, she won’t be able to escape. It can be better to carry her if she’s too tired to walk. At the very least, we can plan on keeping her within our line of sight if we absolutely have to step away for a bit.
- We should be sensitive to and be observant of our cat’s body language. Effective communication with our friendly feline becomes even more critical when we bring her with us outdoors.
- Kitty might get alarmed or frightened, especially when she encounters other animals; or she may simply get tired or feel lazy. Either way, she’ll need a literal pick-me-up. If she’s threatened, being on higher ground will make her feel more secure as it gives her a visual advantage. Picking her up will also prevent any possible altercation. When she’s done exploring and her curiosity’s been sated, or when she needs to rest, we can carry her on our shoulder, arms, or inside a comfy cat-backpack.
We definitely should not cross cats off our list of ideal pets just because we enjoy outdoor activities and would love to have the company of a four-footed pal. So if we’re considering adopting a pet with whom we can share our passion for nature, we now know that cats are a great choice.
Further Reading:
- “Adventure Cats: living nine lives to the fullest,” AdventureCats.org
- “Adventure Cats: living nine lives to the fullest,” get the book
- “Adventure Cats of Instagram,” WIRED
- “Meet Your Match: Feline-alities,” ASPCApro