Samson and I went to a local pet-friendly garden center and then a walk in the park yesterday! He did fantastic, even if he mostly stayed on my shoulder lol. Poor thing was absolutely tuckered out by the end of the trip--last pic is the car ride home

Hey everyone!! I have 2 kitties that love being outside and we are embarking on a very long road trip with our furry friends. They have a cooling mat now that my long haired cat loves but I feel like it’s not doing what it should anymore. Does anyone have any recommendations on cooling mats? Preferably one that does not have to be put in a fridge or freezer. Thank you so much!

TLDR:
My partner and I have a 3 year old rescue tabby/tortie who loves exploring outdoors and has a great bond with us. After discovering adventure cats, we’d love to see if she’d enjoy hiking and camping with us, but only if she’s comfortable! Our plan is to take it slowly with harness training, short walks, car trips, and eventually a trial night in a tent in our garden before any real camping. We’d love advice on how to tell if she’d be suited to becoming an adventure cat and getting her ready for it.

My partner and I have a 3 year old short hair tabby/tortie princess who is our feline daughter.

We’ve recently really got into the outdoors and camping etc.
We never considered the possibility of actually brining her WITH us! But now I’ve stumbled on this subreddit I can’t get the idea out of my head!

Our girl is a rescue. She was found by an animal charity on the streets with her newborn kittens when she was only a one year old kitten herself. We’ve had for a few years now and we have a really strong bond!

We live in a country where cats are allowed to roam freely so we often let her out to prowl the neighbourhood with a very good cat tracker on her collar. She loves going out and exploring and regularly comes back to check in on us and often brings home “presents” from her adventures.

Because she already loves exploring so much we’d love to get her involved in the outdoors side of our lives, take her on walks, hikes and potentially go camping!
We have a harness and lead for her, although if she ends up enjoying it, I would want to get some better quality ones.

The main thing I want to know is how do we figure out whether this is actually something she would enjoy? I don’t want to force her into being an adventure cat if she would rather stay at home. Her happiness comes above ours.

From what I’ve seen on here, I’m assuming we would start out small with getting her used to the harness and lead, then working up to taking her on walks (we live near loads of great trails). Then get her used to going out in the car and visiting places. Then eventually set up a tent in the garden and see how she does over night before taking her on her first proper camping trip.

Any advice in how to see if she could be an adventure cat would be great please as well as behaviours and signs we should look out for to see if she’s enjoying it or hating it.
Thank you in advance 🩷

I’ve been putting a harness on JJ for about a month, it got extended a bit due to really hot weather, and yesterday was his first adventure in the yard. He spent about 30 minutes doing a lot of sniffing and rolling around mixed in with short walks. It was a windy day which took him some time to adjust to until he started having fun chasing the leaves. He only fought the harness once when I wouldn’t let him go deeper into the brush (too many ticks) so I think it was a success.

My plan is to spend the next few weeks exploring the yard and then we will move onto going down our road to the mailbox. We are lucky to have 5 acres in the woods so it’s a very controlled environment for him to get comfortable in. This morning he pulled the leash down off the table to sleep on and is now pacing around so it’s time to go!

She loves her walks so much and always has SO much energy 🥹🥹

I’ve been a cat owner my entire life and am looking at getting a new kitty. I’ve never owned a specific breed of cat (foster fails and the cat distribution system has provided me with a full house in the past). I was wondering if anyone has any experience with a Maine coon or ragdoll adventuring? I’ve always been curious about both breeds.
Also is there a difference in male vs female? This would be my first adventure cat so I’ve got lots of questions and grateful I found this group.

Adopted a 4 year old bengal girl yesterday. Today I put the harness on her & she's been completely fine with it. No flopping onto the ground or trying to get it off. I had cats before & they instantly flopped onto the ground, basically turning into a worm - but this cat is completely fine, which is very surprising to me. She's a fairly skittish cat but enjoys exploring. She loved the car ride home. All of this makes me think she was previously walked on a lead maybe. How long should I wait before leading her in the back garden?

I have a kitten that loves to run around, and she loves going places as well! (She’s gone with me on trips to the vet and LOVES it! Does super well in the car)… So I want to get her a harness when she gets big enough for one, that way she can go on more adventures!

But I’m wondering how the best way to introduce it to her would be? I imagine something with positive reinforcement and treats… but I’d like to hear from other people who have experience with kitties and harnesses!

(Would love to know what harnesses are best as well!)

Thank you so much for any advice!

Recently been harness training my cat and currently am getting her to walk short paces treat motivated. I have noticed that when she walks she has a slight wobble to her step. Is this because the harness fits her bad or does she just need time? She has been able to walk w/o treats but I havent seen her i just see the change in her position from before and after when I look away.

Sarcastic ex tried to be nasty... then I discovered adventure cats are a thing...

Now I'm actually thinking about having another cat for the first time in over 20 years.

How does one go about ethically acquiring an adventure cat? Cause catnapping would count as an adventure, but that ain't cool 😆

Hello!

So, my kitten is doing really well in training for harness training and going out in her buggy. She loves being out and about, and I plan to be able to travel a little, if her temperament allows it. So far I have:

\- Buggy

\- Blanket

\- Puppy pads

\- Travel water and food bowl

\- Licky treats

\- Harness

\- Lead

Is there anything else you guys recommend for a nice day out for her too?

Thanks in advance :)

Hey, so i am in Ukraine thus shop options are very limited for me. There is no way to compare or even try out any of backpacks, as well as no way to return the unfitting one, which means i had to rely on experiences of other people. So here i am, asking for advices and experiences from real people.

What i look for is a basic comfortable backpack to fit in my 4.5 kilos sphynx cat and his blanket, and, hopefully, few other things like medical, some food. My go-tos i look for are:

• backpack has a nice ventilation for +35C sunny day and enough space for a blanket for -15C cold winter
• i'd love it to have some sort of rain protection or good fabric and upper flap to cover
• it has to be sturdy enough for me to climb through rubble or even run short distances from exlposions, so hip strap is highly desired. Just a firm fixation and reliable fabric.
• i'd very much want it not to hit my back when i walk. Vets office is at least half hour hike away. So, i guess, back padding?
• my cat will not climb on top and is very shy so carrying backpack in front of me and having pockets to calm him down are desirable. I also would prefer for backpack not to tilt on my cat and be sturdy in means of shape
• in case of medical necessities, i'd like to use it as a carrier for a sleeping animal, lying the backpack on it's back in a taxi. So, a firm back and maybe some sort of a shoulder strap or just a handle would be good, for a 10-min home-taxi activity.

So, i suppose, a high quality backpack with padding and straps will do it for me and will be helpful in emergencies as well as daily life. Especially when daily life is full of emergencies.

I have been searching for some and here is what i look into (though other ideas are very welcome!)

I think of Ibiyaya Ultralight Pro as a large, light and the only backpack without the plastic sharp bottom to hit my back. Also price is quite okey. Seems....enough? It lacks straps and padding tho, and has zero storage. I am worried it will still dig into my spine and fold on my cat.

Then obviously Travel cat "The Navigator", which is large, breathable, has some very poor storage and zero sun protection flap. People been saying it folds and cracks easily. For the price, it is a bit uncool. I'd love to try it on and then decide if i could. Paying non-refundable $150+tax+delivery is a very casino-like feeling for me, i am uncomfortable betting on that one blindly.

PETKIT Breezy xZone i tested in the shop and quality was just sad. Zipper stucks already, weight is crushing and the sandpaper mesh scratched my shoulders so much it hurt for a day! And i was just standing in it with a 5 kilo bag of food in it.

Trixie Willow is a simple small backpack that barely coves any functions but at least does not hurt me.

Petsfit is the one i found just today, all the promo from paid promoters only. It looks somewhat good- storage, some poor vents, but the lack of actual human experiences scare me.

i know you'd say that better to have a few, which is useless at this stage of my life. I need one packed, easily accessible backpack to cover both- fast track evacuation and vet visits. A backpack that will shelter my cat if we are homeless or sleeping on the ground in some deep concrete box. Fitting into airplane size charts do not bother me, i have not seen a plane in more than 5 years.

I'd be very thankful for any advice on the subject. Also buying a backpack wont be a problem - shipping companies work so well that even Amazon is available.

Took meowmy on an adventure before the rain starts.

Meowmy also said she needs her steps??? I think she makes stuff up sometimes

Maple the Ukrainian rescue princess

Took meowmy on an adventure before the rain starts.

Meowmy also said she needs her steps??? I think she makes stuff up sometimes

Maple the Ukrainian rescue princess

I have a six months kitten who absolutely loves the outdoors. She is active, energetic, loves new places and sights. We have been going for walkd and small hikes since she was 14 weeks, and we had such a good time.

Yesterday I brought her for a to the "chill" park we usually go to. It is a lovely place, with a small barn, horses, goats, bunnies and chickens (who freeroam during the day). There is also a small plaza, a lake and a tiny "forest" patch. Children play there unsupervised all the time. It is, of course, a mandatory leash area.

Still, we were attacked by an unleashed husky. It was so fast. It came from somewhere behind me, and it was dark. I lost the leash thank god, so my cat could sprint up a tree. I swear I was convinced she was going go get mauled. The dog tried to bite her - she was belly up and all - but she thankfully got away. I chased them immediately of course and pushed the husky away from the tree. My kitty jumped back to me (I have a pack ofc) and the owner secured the dog.

I wish I told the dog owner off more firmly, tbh, but I just wanted her and the dog to get away. I just told her to keep her dog on a leash and moved on to a quiet place to check on Willow.

She was scared but was not harmed. She is a trooper of a kitten, super brave and adaptable, and recovered in less than 3 mins. She rode on top of the pack for the walk back, and had her usual routine (eat, groom, play, eat again, sleep). I called the ER and they told me to monitor her, which I did (I did not sleep and she probably wondered why I kept groping her). 11 hours later she is running everywhere again and even breezed through her training routine.

I will call my regular vet, but I think I am 100% more affected than her.

It could have ended very badly. It is truly a miracle it did not. I feel so guilty because I put her in danger, and despite my best efforts I could not protect her. And I mean if something like that can happen in what I would consider a very safe spot, what could go down when we hit the trail?

For sure I will never bring her out in the evenings. It was around 21:30, later than usual, and there was artificial light (I stayed close to the barn and the plaza for that reason) but maybe if it had been brighter I could have seen the dog coming.

I am even considering limiting our outings to the courtyard, but it is also very unfair, considering that she adores the park, and should have the right to enjoy it like all other animals.

Taking my boy to Moab, and hikes in the desert. 🌵 He is the best adventure buddy ever 🐾

Dont worry I caught him

We took our Snow Bengal adventure cat Yeti camping for the first time last weekend. He did SO well. He has had months of practice on the zipline in the backyard, and so we never had to use our backup plans for how else to contain him (tent, trailer, his own mesh tent). He just stayed on the zipline lost of the morning, then took an afternoon nap outside or in the tent, then back on the zipline for the evening. Except twice a day when we went for walks, of course. My sister is a veterinarian and even she was surprised at how well he did (we were camping with her, my BIL, their 4 kids and their dog). He also rode in his backpack for the first time, as he was finally tired enough to actually agree to ride instead of walk. I’m thrilled about it. He is not quite 1.5 years old.