Harris

Adventure Cats Are On The Rise: Join The Movement

Written by: Sarah Olewski Klassen
Instagram: @thegibsonchronicles
Website: www.thegibsonchronicles.com

Adventure Cats are on the Rise

Have you ever come across photos of adventure cats outside on harnesses and wondered, “HOW in the world is that even possible?!” Well I’m here to write to you and tell you it is!

There is a movement of cat explorers on the rise. When Gibson, my feline sidekick, and I are out beyond the house heads will often turn, photos get snapped, questions and comments start, and you know what?

I welcome it all! Part of what we do is about educating others in what cats are actually capable of.

I want to hear less people saying, “you’re such a crazy cat lady” just because I give my cat love, attention and enrichments and more people saying “you and your cat have such a tight bond!”

The relationship between guardians and their feline companions is really such a beautiful thing and we’re here to help represent that. If you’re reading this, consider joining this movement!

For those of you who are super introverted and want to take your cat outside, though, just prepare yourself for lots of attention and please welcome it by raising awareness of what our adventure cats can do (extroverts, it’s your time to live the dream that was made for you and your kitty)!

Social Media Awareness

Another way we raise awareness about the rise of cat explorers is through social media. Once, we had a well-known company reach out to us and ask for our photo to be featured on their Instagram account.

I happily said, “of course!” because it was a photo of Gibson performing one of his favourite tricks. I felt that getting featured on a popular fashion account would help to show a whole other community what cats are able to do!

Annoyingly, this company ended up using the photo as a poll for which pet was better: cats or dogs. I was infuriated because I really do feel that since dogs are often the pet that is seen, people will commonly answer that dogs are their favourite even if they’ve never even had or interacted with a cat.

Even though I am a guardian of an adventure cat I love ALL animals and didn’t feel that this poll was necessary, inclusive, nor did it reflect what our Instagram account/blog is about.

Our Instagram is a positive-only storybook of all the things Gibson and I do together which was made to build community and raise awareness of the life of a cat who go beyond the house.

Enrich Your Cats Life

Cats also need lots of enrichment! Food puzzles, toys, cat shelves, cat exploring, etc. are all great ideas in enriching your cat’s life. You can I also aim to change mindsets in proving that cats are capable of being clicker trained as well.

The community at Cat School was one of the businesses to help pioneer that movement of training your cat (including us)! Cats have behaviours that reflect their need for this enrichment, such as knocking down items from shelves, biting, etc. and we need to listen to them when they’re expressing the need for more.

For us, exploring beyond the house and clicker training has become a huge part of our life and it has surely helped others to see that adventure cats are capable of much more and has strengthened the bond that we have greatly.

We aren’t here to say that cat exploring is the answer or that it will be possible for every cat.

What we’d like for people to realize is that we can enlarge a cat’s environment by showing them the world and/or doing more with them, whether that be inside and/or outside the house!

by Harris

Got the social distancing blues? Try these cat-themed activities!

By Nikki Hess, Cat Lady Academy

Are you and your cat bored at home as you’re engaging in social distancing? There are plenty of fun and useful activities you can do while you’re stuck at home. These are just a few of our favorite ideas:

Play with your cat. It helps kitty get exercise, satisfy their hunting instincts, and may even tire them out enough so that they engage in undesirable activities (like attacking your feet) less frequently.

Experiment with taking better photos of your cat. Every cat photo is cute because there’s a cat in it. But many cute pictures can be improved with just a few simple tweaks, like brightening up the lighting. Check out the Lightroom app—you can quickly and easily make your cat photos look better just by using the Auto feature.

Groom your cat. ‘Tis the season of shedding! Now’s the time to brush your cat regularly. Many cats enjoy being brushed, and it will help their coat look sleeker.

Get crafty. Think of something you’d like to create for your cat. You could metal-stamp a charm for their collar, pick a fun fabric and sew them a bandana, or make them a toy. (Just be sure to keep any little bits and bobs away from kitty while you’re crafting!)

Donate to a cat organization. Many shelters cannot currently hold adoption events, so adoptions may be going slower, and therefore shelters may be housing cats for longer than usual. Donate to these organizations so that they have the funds to get food, litter, vet care, and more for the cats in their care.

Install a bird feeder. Cats love Cat TV! Consider installing a bird feeder in your backyard or on your balcony so kitty can watch the little tweeters. Can’t install a bird feeder? Consider setting up a goldfish bowl, get a betta fish, or install a fish tank instead. (Just be sure that the fish are kept safe from kitty.)

Check the important things. If you find yourself with a little more free time than usual (for example, if you’re not commuting to work because you’re working from home), use that time to take care of important but easily overlooked things like making sure the address linked to your pet’s microchip is current, or that your cat’s next vaccination is scheduled.

Go shopping—online. These days, shipping times are longer than what you’re probably used to. Check your cat’s food and medication supply. Place an order in advance for food or medications, and consider ordering a little more than usual so that you know you’ll have enough.

Deep-clean the box. It’s a dirty job, but somebody’s gotta do it! Periodically, it’s a good idea to deep-clean plastic litter boxes. Empty out all the litter, clean and disinfect it, dry it out, and then add new litter back in. Kitty will love their fresh new bathroom!

Spend quality time together. Enjoy cuddles and snuggles, if your cat’s into that. If they’re not, then just spending time in the same room is fine too! Spending time with a pet can lower your stress level.

Make your cat Insta-famous. Consider making an Instagram account for your cat. It’s a great way to share your cat’s cuteness, quirks, and life with others, and you can make other cat friends from around the world!

Whatever activities you choose to do, we hope you stay safe and healthy!

Nikki Hess is the cat mom of @mannyhalloweencat on Instagram. She’s also the founder of @catladyacademy, where she shares tips and advice to help you create a purrfect Instagram account for your cat.

by Harris