Adventure cat in training?

What is it that they say?

"Life happens when you are busy making other plans..?"

I think that should be changed to "Work will always be the biggest pain in the you - know - what when you are trying to make plans.."

I would say that I feel the same way about my job that a lot of other folks do. Some days I can really immerse myself in my duties and actually enjoy them and other days the frustration (for a variety of reasons) makes me want to go home and not come back.

Today was definitely the latter....

If a disagreement in policy with my boss wasn't bad enough, the arthritis in my knee and ankle seemed to be on the fritz today.

I had hoped to spend the evening with Griffin with plans to do a short ride with the bareback pad, a bit of hand grazing, and a long groom session.

......but when I left work, all I wanted to do was to get off my aching legs. Even the stairs leading up to my apartment provided a teeth - gritting, painful, experience.

Most of the time, my job involves a mix of both standing and sitting duties, but this month has me in the rotation that requires the most standing. My body was in full protest at the end of my shift today.

Admittedly,  there are days and times that I feel strong and able to stand and walk all day (and then some), and other times I feel like a 100 yr old lady who should be in a wheelchair (pushed by a sexy young man) instead of on my feet.

....and even though I do like my job for the most part, there are days that resentment grabs me in it's clutches and I find myself wishing that walking/standing time could be spent on the hiking trail or with my horses instead of at work.

Unfortunately,  that won't change anytime soon since it's work that pays the bills.

....but enough of that already.

Since I'm feeling cheated out of an evening with my boy, Griffin,  I thought I'd talk about my adventure cat in training.

You've most likely already read about Simon in earlier posts, but here is a photo of him from our stroll around the block last night.

When I first adopted Si, it wasn't long before I realized he was one of the most outgoing cats I had ever met.

When I introduced him to a harness and leash, he took to it more naturally than most puppies do.

He was eager to follow me just about anywhere.

.....and so our walks around the block began.

Nowadays, if I so much as pick up his harness, he is eagerly waiting by the door in anticipation of a kitty hike.

I still find it amusing when a passer by or a motorist does a double - take at us strolling along the sidewalk.

I was once asked by a teenager on a bike if I was "walking my cat."

I had to resist the urge to say  "Nah, he's a tabby Labrador who prefers to purr instead of bark."

I've always known that people put cats on harnesses to go outside with them or take them a short distance in the car, but never for an actual WALK.

Before Simon came into my life, I probably would have been doing the same sort of double take had I seen someone walking their cat.

 

Out of curiosity,  I started researching harness trained cats and somewhere along the way, I discovered this website.

http://www.adventurecats.org

(once I add photos, I haven't been able to figure out to share the actual link on my phone).

It seems that folks not only walk with their cats, but also hike trails, camp, and go on boats with their cats.

Is this cool or what?

If you enjoy looking at that site, I also urge you to check out this blog!

http://www.boltandkeel.wordpress.com

In short, the blog is about 2 (VERY) adventurous young ladies who take their two young cats on all their outdoor trips with them. They do hiking, camping, kayaking, and snowshoeing....and yes, their feline friends do it all with them.

Amazingly cool!

 Simon has yet to do anything more than walks around the block with me, but he does find some interesting places to hang out during our strolls.

Since I don't boat or even swim that much, I have no current plans to introduce Si to the basics of becoming a water cat, but I DO want to teach him to do short camp outings with me. In the future, we could perhaps do one in the spring and one in the fall.

With summer's high heat and humidity,  I would feel more comfortable avoiding that time of year (especially with the increased threat of fleas and heartworms as well. Yes- cats (and humans too) can get heartworms.  They are not just a dog parasite).

I had hoped to do a maiden voyage with Simon this year with camping, but I just haven't felt quite ready to take that plunge yet.

My mom and sister are planning a short, camp outing around the Labor Day Holiday. I am sitting this one out due to lack of vacation time (their dates are during the week following LD) as well as having to work Labor Day itself for the nice pay it provides.

Even though I won't be camping, I thought this might be the purr-fect  opportunity to introduce Simon to campsite living and a campfire. We may go for a visit one night after work!

In addition,  there are some other things I want to work out before Simon spends his first night in my tent.

I need to create a small, portable litterbox with a cover for transport and easy emptying capabilities (as in being able to empty very frequently as needed).

Si needs to spend some actual time in my tent so that I can be sure he is comfortable and I am not overfacing him with too much strangeness too soon.

I want to develop a way to carry Simon on hikes so I can do long ones with him and I will be able to carry him when he is tired. I've considered both a backpack and a diagonal carrying sling for this purpose. I need to experiment to find what works for us. Simon enjoys rides in cloth bags (and my laundry basket), so, that's not an issue.

I also would like to get Si a new harness set up. The one he has is a bit small for his chubby frame and I want something he can sleep in comfortably if necessary. It also needs to be safe and secure.

The final aspect of all this, and the hardest thing for me to address in all of this is this...

Simon's adopted brother,  Lukus.

While I continue to work on Lukus' s confidence in all things, I highly doubt he'll ever be a camping cat.

For the most part, Luk prefers a life indoors. The world outside just holds too many scary variables.

....and I'm 100% fine with that.

Lukus is my Smitten kitten. He's my sweet cuddler and is playful to the max.

As long as we're inside.

At this point, I have no desire to take Lukus along,  but leaving him home alone without his brother and best friend creates a dilemma that pulls at my heartstrings.

I need to find something special for him so he isn't feeling left out -- and create a situation that works well enough so that he gets something FUN out of the times that Si and I go camping.

This situation is probably the biggie in what is holding me back from taking that first trip with Simon. 

BOTH of my boys are just that special to me.

....and even if our camping trip never quite makes it to fruition,  Simon will still enjoy his walks..

because.....

A worn out, fat, cat is a HAPPY cat! 

(and yes my apartment has ugly, worn out carpeting.  I haven't won the lottery yet to move to a fancy, log cabin in the woods *winks*).