Does Fluffy Really Want to Be an Adventure Cat?

If you click on the link on the word kayaking in the story, you'll see Copurrnicus in the kayak. He looks terrified to me. The owner replied to someone who posted an Instagram comment: "@catxplorer Thank you! Now it's time to get him a PFD." No, the time to get Copurrnicus the PFD would have been BEFORE he was taken on this species-inappropriate trip.

This is about making your cat into another fashion statement for your instagram. This is a selfish self-centered way to treat your pet. Cruel to the animal. Stop taking your pets everywhere -- it makes you look both needy and cruel.

George my Siamese mix gets a walk on his harness twice a day. When I call "walkies," he runs to the front door and waits for me to get him ready, and we walk his "territory," aka GeorgeLand. We sniff noses with the local dogs (he runs over to them, though some dogs we now avoid because they are not friendly). We walk the front of the house, the side, and out back we have a riparian corridor with a creek, which he just loves. We chase lizards. We chase birds. We chase squirrels. He does his business. BUT he doesn't like going anywhere new. Very territorial (have to keep him away from other cats), and very patterned. Also, we have coyotes and the occasional mountain lion around, so he never, ever goes out alone, especially not at night. See George do his tricks at https://www.facebook.com/George-C-Cat-aka-Catpants-Sir-Bitesalot-140859659649327/

I think a more fitting title should be "Does Fluffy's owner want him to be an Adventure Cat?" Why would any one think making "Fluffy" into a Rambo Cat a good idea, much less a good idea from the cat's perspective? With all due respect, I strongly disagree with the erroneous assumption that "any feline can safely explore the great outdoors." Hogwash and then some.

Thankfully, our two cats took to the leash pretty easily. I got them used to wearing a soft collar for short amounts of time. Then I slowly introduced the dominant cat to the harness and then the leash. Once I took him out and the other cat saw what she was missing, she let me put the harness and the leash on without any introduction. We just walk them around the yard as they are shy with people and dogs, but that's enough for them. We take them out for about 15 minutes at a time and they are very content with that.

People do tend to project onto their pets their own wants, needs and expectations. The truth is that cats are not necessarily bored with their "safe"indoor adventures, especially given enough attention and stimulation. One of my cats was a stray that had been practically begging for someone to take him home. I did and he never ever went near the door to go out. My other cat was always escaping and when found was in an over stimulation psychotic state. Cats are not dogs. To assume that they want great adventure means you are reading their minds and projecting what you think they want.

Back when I owned a house, there was a catio (courtyard) and my cat loved it out there. Now dwelling in apartment land, I thought she'd take to leash and harness (Kitty Holster). Not yet. She's fine if I hold her and carry her around, but turns right back into the house with the harness on. Not giving up. I carry here a little ways from the apartment and she walks back. Key is finding a quiet time. Ran into some folks walking their cats; those cats took to it right away and were loving it! My cat is 10 yo, I'm hoping she'll like it after enough mellow outings.

All of my cats have been indoor cats, and most of them have preferred that. A couple of them were rescues -- one, with pneumonia, from a Chinese restaurant parking lot! -- and they in particular never, never wanted to go outside again. My current cat was found wandering around outside and was then taken to a shelter, where we adopted him. He will not go out even if a door is open. Instead, he'll sit in the window or behind the screen door when we are outside with the dog, or gardening, etc. and he will talk plaintively to us. I am convinced that he is saying "Be careful, it is dangerous out there!" My first cat (as a young adult -- my family never had cats, because my father could not dominate them as he did dogs) was born in a barn, but raised in my apartment with a roof deck. Patchouli liked to go up there but always sat under a chair -- I ascribed that to atavistic fear of predatory birds. One day, we adopted a second cat. Patchouli apparently decided she was being replaced, and she ran away across the roofs. I heard her crying and found her three roofs down, clinging to the asphalt shingles. I picked her up and took her home -- she dug her claws into me, too -- and she never ran away again. I figured I had proved to her that I wasn't replacing her. The only cat I've had that really wanted to go out was Elliott. He was a diabetic and had some neuropathy (I got him when he was nine or so), so he was slow, and easy to catch when he did get out.

Would that the world could figure out a way to take care of children even half as well as some of these animals.

My cat takes walks with me, off a leash/harness, on her own terms. It started a few months after she adopted me. I would leave the house far a walk and suddenly this black fur ball would appear. She meanders behind me or bolts ahead, staying out of the street. If I get too far ahead, she meows loudly as if asking me to slow down. When she is done she sits down and will wait until I come back on the route to retrieve her. If she gets bored she goes home. Everything is on her terms and is her choice. The neighbors love seeing it. Ps, I am a mountaineer and rock climber and I can tell you right now taking a cat on a climb is stupid, bordering unsafe for both the climber and the animal.

I think cats are great but reading this reminds me how much I love my dog's happiness and readiness to go literally anywhere with us and just, you know, hang out!

We've had 5 family cats but not at the same time. 2 of them I taught to go outside and they stayed in our backyard. Friends didn't believe until they saw it was true, our cats never left the backyard. We had a screened-in back porch and left the door open to the house and to the porch so they could wander in and out of the house and porch all day to the backyard. I kept them inside until they were a year old. I then let them spend time on the porch which looked out on the backyard. After they did that, I took them out in the backyard but kept them near me. After they to use to the yard's sights and sounds, I'd let them explore but stop them if they went too far away from me. Eventually, they stayed in the backyard. We have a tall fence, tall bushes covering the perimeter so, they couldn't see the world outside our yard. The yard was an extension of the house to them an outdoor room. We had adirondack chairs they would sit in! They never accepted those chairs were for people so, if you didn't beat them to a chair, you didn't get one. I had to purchased more chairs for people. They loved spring and summer in the backyard. They detested snow. We tried to let them go outside because they were so curious about the snow but once they felt it's icy cold wet surface, they both ran frantically inside. One lived for 18 yrs and the other just died, she was 16 yrs old. We miss them both.

I don't know about Copurrnicus, but my indoor cats find plenty of trouble, excitement, adventure and exercise inside our home. They love the stairs for running and chasing after each other, they love the long hallway which they use for soccer practice as they pitch their pin pong balls against the bases of the bookcases which line the wall, they are forever looking out of the screened windows while flicking their tails while spying on the outside birds and squirrels. Their favorite pastime is waiting for my husband and me to settle into bed at night and then they pounce on top of us from the dresser. Eventually they settle down and sleep on top of my head or our pillows. The only thing that stresses out our cats is the sight of the cat carrier. They know they will be visited by Dr. Pain during their annual exams. I feel terrible that they are so stressed out. Having a vet come to our house was a bad idea because they truly felt threatened then. I always thought the goal of having a cat was to make him or her feel safe, comfortable, loved, and secure. Expecting a cat to get "used" to a harness and/or leash so the owner can take them outside is counterproductive in my mind. That kind of fear and stress is similar to when my old man kept throwing me in the deep end of the pool, expecting me to adapt and "magically" learn how to swim. To this day, I am terrified of water. Why would I impose a similar fear or stress on my beloved cats?

Cats deserve fun. I love the idea of my cat having a fantastic, enjoyable adventure outside. I don't want to be the cat owner that forces his cat to be something he is not. He's an indoor cat, and it is my job to make his indoor adventures fun and rewarding. Our daily 30+ minute indoor cat/human games are fun and exciting without the stress.

Furthermore, no cat wants to be called Fluffy. One of my cats, who kept running away from his first home, told me his name was Jesse. He meant it too! He lived with me for over 15 years when I was sure he was a "traveling man" and would only stay a short time. He just needed some respect!

I have thought about taking my cat(s) for a walk, but then I think about all the dogs beings walked and know it is not a good idea. Cats will bolt when they feel threatened or they will climb up their person's clothes and probably stick their claws in the person. My cat was declawed, I assume as a kitten, has only one eye and not a tooth in his mouth. He is no threat to birds! I let him out in the back yard, from which he cannot escape nor other critters get into, and he is perfectly happy. He "strolls" for about 10 to 15 minutes and then pushes the door in so he can come back inside. He loves going out for a short time, but much prefers being inside. I don't think he had ever been outside until I adopted him. He doesn't like strange people coming into his house, but he can run to the basement and get in the crawl space to avoid them. He has learned to like Luci, who cleans my house every other week and he comes back upstairs after he realizes it is she who has come into his lair. For her part, Luci has learned to love Phillip also. Until she met Phillip, she thought all cats were alike. Now she knows better!

Over the last year, there have been a series of stories in the NYT, similar to this one, which together make a progressive thread: 1) Outdoor cats are a plague on neighbors and the wild bird population. Ethics demands that cat owners should keep their cats indoors; 2) Its cruel to keep cats indoors all the time. Though they cannot be permitted outside unaccompanied, ethical cat owners should purchase a harness and leash in order to allow their feline family members the opportunity to explore their native environments from time to time; 3) Putting a harness and leash on an animal that is not accustomed to it can be stressful and cause medical and behavioral issues. Ethical cat owners should adequately train their cat to accept the harness and leash, and should the cat continue to reject them, they should be discontinued, and you should create an outdoor-like space indoors, for your cat to enjoy. Exactly how far down are we going to drill to see if there's truly a bottom to this rabbit hole? And at risk of getting political, I don't see this level of discourse on abortion/fetal rights. How can we so thoroughly discuss the ethics of domesticated cat ownership, and not do the same for the rights of the not-yet-born?

As a cat behavior counselor I have to state that cats do not do well on leashes. Unlike dogs who have attachments to their owners, cats have a attachment to their homes. They do not like to be removed from their homes. Hence, cat sitters who come into your home to care for your animal. A cat on a leash on a city street is a recipe for disaster. Even the calmest cat can be spooked and will run when threatened. Keep your cat safe at home and provide it a lot of mental stimulation with toys, feeder boxes and interaction with you. If you want an animal that can be walked on a leash, get a dog.

Ten years ago as a kitten we trained our cat Nina to wear a harness (one for a minature dog). She loves to go out on our deck attached to a long retractable lead. When we take out the harness and leash she is right there waiting for us to put it on or goes to the door and waits for us. She even holds up her paw to help getting the harness on. While she doesn't get to roam and we don't take her for hikes and walks she clearly enjoys her time outside

As a veterinarian I assure you that in the photos of rock climbing and being carried in a back pack the cat is showing signs of stress.

I am NOT taking Marvin canoeing. Good grief, people.

I've shared homes with cats for 40+ years. Most cats would love exposure to nature on their own terms, in a safe familiar place like a catio or walled space. But they are not--and should not--be cute props for another self-indulgent selfie, by another oblivious, self-absorbed owner. Anyone who knows and loves cats, can see that Copernicus isn't happy in those photos. Don't take my word for it. Believe in experts? Believe in science? Then accept the following: "Felines are also territorial and like routine. So “the idea of taking cats to different territories at different times” — whether it’s different spots within your neighborhood or out in the mountains — “is counterintuitive to what we know about cats,” said Dr. Delgado."

...or you could just get a dog.

A cat psychologist... It proves what PT Barnum supposedly had to say about the human race; "there's a sucker born every minute". All my mind can conjure up is a cat laying on a little couch in the doc's office, sound asleep, while the meter runs on his owners credit card, lol.

Point 1 - I never found a harness that a cat could not remove within a few minutes. Point 2 - cats are NOT dogs, they do their own thing. Dogs are glad to do whatever their human wants to do. I have had cats for over 60 years, dogs also.

To each their own, but I frankly find this indulgently offensive. I love my two indoor only kitties (who love to explore the garden, supervised), but the world is full of real concerns worthy of your time and effort. Let the cat be a safe and happy indoor cat (and protect birds while you're at it!) Find a real cause!

We have a harness for our rescue cat. It’s not the harness that bothers her; it’s going outside. She runs back to the front porch immediately. Our previous rescue cat had been feral a long time and was slowly transformed into an indoor cat. The harness was attempted once; she bolted and became extremely distressed, almost got choked trying to get out. While I am a little jealous when I see another cat owner with a leashed and harnessed cat, I think it’s not an option for most cat owners.

I guess we did the opposite. When he was very young, Io (his name Aye-o) fell out a window into our alley. It was a rainy night and he was meowing loudly, obviously traumatized. So, now we can leave doors and windows open and he shows absolutely no interest in leaving the house. Our other cat, who recently passed on, was the opposite, open a door and he was out in a flash. We had to be constantly on the alert he might get away (he did once and I had to climb over fences through three yards to get him back). We like our indoors cat. Less stress for all of us.

Copurrnicus is just adorable. Thank you to the photographers for such amazing photojournalism--I loved getting a sense of the world through his eyes. This article gave me a little nudge towards adopting a cat some day :-)

Putting a cat in a harness and leash is cruel and should never be done. Cats are NOT dogs, they are wild creatures that tolerates humans, but have instincts like any other wild feline.