Not All Cats are Adventure Cats— And That’s Okay.
It’s no secret how picturesque and attention-grabbing an adventure cat is on Instagram: between the adorable cats (often wearing an array of irresistible gear such as jackets and booties) and beautiful scenery, who could resist? Many a person has seen a post like this, bought a harness for their cat, and tried it themselves. Taking cats on hikes, walks, and adventures is fantastic enrichment and exercise for the cats; it allows them to safely explore the world and is a great experience for everyone if done right. However, I’m here to share this public service announcement: not every cat is cut out to be an adventure cat. That’s okay.
This statement highlights the importance of respecting our cats’ individual personalities. While many cats love spending time outside and going for walks or hikes, some may get overwhelmed, overstimulated, and fearful. This is a reminder that we must go at their own pace and take them on adventures only because they love it— not because we want the Instagram attention.
I’ll use my own three cats as an example. When I first got into cat training, I thought I had the perfect hiking candidate on my hands. Two-year-old Miles was a rambunctious little cat with a huge personality: he is social, fearless, and has energy for days. However, I couldn’t have been more wrong. Upon entering the great outdoors, my bold, fun-loving little guy was immediately fearful and unhappy. I did everything right: we counter conditioned the harness and practiced wearing it indoors; we took it slow and did short outings right outside the back door; and we used amazing treats. No matter what we tried, Miles was not enjoying himself and would actively try to wriggle away when we were about to go out the door.
An adventure cat he was not. Though I loved the idea of taking him for hikes, I respected Miles’ obvious fear of the outdoors and quit trying to force it. We were doing it for him, not for me.
Ironically, I soon found that my nearly 17-year-old cat Sophie absolutely loved to go outside on a leash and harness. She does not even seem to notice the harness; she happily lounges on the deck, watches birds, and strolls around the yard in the grass. My third cat, Hammy, is a cautious kitty and I knew without even trying that he would be terrified outside.
Thus, I let my cats dictate what they want to do. If I forced all three cats to hike with me so that I could replicate the photos that I see all over Instagram, nobody would be having fun. I would be doing it for me and myself only, completely defeating the purpose of enrichment and damaging my relationship with my cats in the process. Instead, I find activities that each cat loves and everyone is happier for it.
These days, Miles spends his time happily trick training, watching birds out the window from his cat tree, and racing around the house like a maniac. The mountain wall hangings in the photo above are probably the closest that he will ever get to a real mountain in his life— and that is totally fine by all of us.
