Mewla here.
Cats are intelligent creatures who are famous for their curiosity. In the wild, cats easily get the stimulation they crave by stalking, climbing, exploring, and running on their own. Although cat toys and puzzles can help meet indoor cats’ need for adventure, toys and puzzles can’t compare to being in the great outdoors.
Unfortunately, letting cats roam on their own can lead to bad outcomes, such as getting lost, being hit by a car, or being hurt by a human or another animal. How can responsible cat parents allow their fur babies to enjoy the outdoors while avoiding danger?
One solution is for your cat to become an “Adventure cat.” Adventure cats are taught to wear a harness and leash so that they can safely accompany their people on excursions.[1] In this way, cats can explore the outside world without risk of injury.
I spoke to Certified Cat Trainer Emily Hall, who is the Head Creator and Trainer at the cat adventure website, KittyCatGO™. Emily is passionate about helping others have successful cat adventures. She believes that letting your cat experience the sights, smells, and sounds of the outside world while leashed brings joy and excitement to their life they can’t otherwise experience.
Mewla: Welcome, Emily Hall! We’re so happy that you could join us. Tell us, what is your favorite location or type of location to take your cat?
Emily: The backyard is our most frequented location and a top favorite for the kitties. People often have the misconception that cat adventuring has to mean going on big, elaborate outings, but spending some time hanging out in your own backyard is tons of fun and incredibly enriching. The cats are endlessly entertained by the bugs and birds and grass, and we don’t have to go far to enjoy it!
Aside from the backyard, our favorite types of locations would be secluded hiking trails. We all have a much more enjoyable time when there are fewer people and dogs around, and there’s nothing like a peaceful walk in the woods!
Mewla: I can understand why dogs could be a problem. How do you determine if a location is safe for your cats to adventure in?
Emily: I usually scout out a location first to make sure it’s suitable to bring the cats. The fewer the people and dogs, the better, since they both make the kitties nervous. So before taking them to a new park or hiking spot, I’ll visit first to make sure it’s quiet and not super busy.
I also check to make sure there is plenty of tree coverage. The tree coverage provides shade from the sun (which is extra important in hot weather) and also provides security for the cats. They feel exposed in wide, open areas like fields. I imagine it makes them feel like easy targets for predators.
Mewla: You’ve been training and adventuring with your KittyCatGO cats for many years. Tell us about your cats.
Emily: My husband and I have 6 cats – Delilah, Sampson, Sophie, Kylo Ren, Radagast, and Gryphon. They are all harness and leash trained and comfortable with at least backyard outings.
We have three who are our main adventurers. Those would be Sampson, Kylo, and Sophie. They enjoy going on bigger adventures like hiking, canoeing, camping, and road-tripping.
Sophie even enjoys visiting pet stores and other businesses, live music events, and crowded gatherings with lots of people. For her, the more people the better! She is our social butterfly and the ONLY one who enjoys meeting new people.
Kylo is my best hiking buddy. He loves to ride in his backpack carrier and enjoy the sights and smells as we explore the woods, but he also enjoys getting down and doing some hiking himself. He will follow the trail right along with me.
Is your cat looking for adventure? Start with a video on harness training.
Though Sampson is 12, he just recently joined the main adventure crew. I had tried acclimating him to the adventure life when he was a kitten, but he wasn’t interested. But then about 2 years ago, he decided he was into it. He asks to go outside every day. We enjoy exploring the backyard on a daily basis, but he also likes going for hikes in the woods or taking a ride in his stroller. He is a perfect example of how it’s never too late to train your cats to go outside!
Mewla: That’s wonderful! Those outings do sound like a lot of fun.
Kwazi is semi-blind but loves the outdoors. This video shows his first time on the side of our home.
Do you have a funny story you can tell us from one of your adventures?
Emily: Sophie is usually at the heart of all the funny adventuring stories. What I didn’t mention before is that Sophie has a neurological condition called cerebellar hypoplasia (aka Wobbly Cat Syndrome). Because of this condition, she has a funny walk and isn’t the most coordinated cat. Despite all that, she is by far one of the happiest cats I’ve ever known, and she is ALWAYS up for anything.
All of this is background info to set the stage so you can understand she is quite charming and uniquely easy-going. Her adorable personality and funny walk usually lead any people we meet to instantly fall in love with her. There have been times when we’ve been out at a store with her, and a line of people has formed to meet her. And on more than one occasion, strangers have offered me money for her.
One time, at a Christmas light event in our downtown area, a man offered me $20 for her. I of course declined, but he continued to up his offer until he got to $100. We would obviously never sell Sophie, but it sure is funny when people attempt to haggle with us for her!
Mewla: Sophie is so adorable. I’m glad you didn’t sell her, lol. You truly have a talented bunch of cats!
Your website is a great resource for people who want to learn about kitty adventures! I’m sure readers will want to check it out. Where should we go to learn more about KittyCatGO?
Emily: My website is the home base for all things KittyCatGO. You can find helpful articles on cat adventure training, gear, safety, and more, as well as info about my online courses, membership group, podcast, and links to my social media channels.
I also host a monthly livestream show and share informational cat adventure videos on my YouTube channel.
Mewla: Fabulous information, Emily! Thank you so much for joining and telling us about your adventure work.
Folks, check out Emily’s website and YouTube channel for excellent training and product tips.
Do you think that adventuring with cats is a good idea? Would you and your cat like to try to it? Leave a comment below. : )
REFERENCE:
- Adventure Cat: Meet Atlas, A Happy, Healthy, and Safe Feline (abcbirds.org). Downloaded June 2024 from https://abcbirds.org/adventure-cat)
Please share a comment.
Thanks so much for featuring me and KittyCatGO! I hope it will be helpful to prospective cat adventurers!
Hey Emily – We appreciate you taking the time to tell us about adventure cats. Thank you for all you do to support cats and their people!
Great article Mewla! I enjoyed learning about Emily and her adventure cats.
So glad you liked it, DR!
I love your articles here Mewla! Training cats to be adventure cats is great. I give it a big thumbs up but can’t do it now because I have two kids and parents to take care of, but when I do I track down Emily for advice.
Thank you very much, Cathy. Sounds like a plan!