Many cats are satisfied sticking pretty close to home, watching the world go by through the window. For other cats, the quiet life isn’t nearly enough. Enter Adventure Cats.
Cats have sailed aboard ships for centuries. Their primary task is to keep shipboard rodents at bay. But including cats in adventure leisure sport activities and leisure travel seems relatively new.
In the Pacific Northwest, families often take their cats camping, an uncommon choice in other parts of the country. Cats accompany their owners while cross country skiing, cycling, rock climbing, backpacking, and paddle boarding.
Given the increasing number of health certificates we write, cats are traveling more often by air on vacation with their families, too.
3 Ways to Keep Your Adventure Cat Safe
- Make sure your cat has a registered microchip and collar or harness with ID tags, in case kitty gets lost.
- Prepare for the health risks inherent to the area in which the cat will travel, such as diseases and parasites that may not be common in the cat’s home region.
- Keep your veterinarian apprised of your cat’s travel history, in case a health concern crops up later that, looking back, may be attributable to something the cat was exposed to while adventuring.
How to Prepare Your Cat for Adventuring
Your cat needs the “right” personality traits, such as curiosity and self-confidence, to enjoy adventuring.
You also should gradually introduce a cat to adventuring by allowing the cat to have brief, positive experiences in the beginning, and slowly building up their tolerance for travel away from their familiar environment.
Starting this process with an adventurous kitten of about 12-14 weeks of age may be best, while their curiosity is in high gear.
For more information on cat adventuring, check out AdventureCats.org.