I will first start by saying Malloy is the first cat that I personally purchased, he's my baby boy. He is spoiled in the sense that he eats good quality and fresh food as much as possible and he has about a million toys. He's a snuggle bug but he still has a ridiculous amount of energy and is very alert and interested in new situations. All of our family cats growing up have always been indoor/outdoor cats and been able to have free reign of the outdoors. Part of the adoption policy when adopting Malloy was that he must remain an indoor cat unless harness or stroller trained, something new to me.
After extensively researching cat strollers, the importance of getting indoor cats outside made a lot of sense to me. The new smells, sounds and sights they are exposed to outside expands their pallet and gives them a change of scenery from being indoors most of the day. They get to physically feel the breeze while remaining safe and secure inside the stroller.
As stated in a previous post, I have always wanted to harness train a cat. The idea of taking a cat around with me sounds amazing and gives me company when outside getting exercise. The post also discusses a scary incident that occurred when we first took Malloy out on a harness. I haven't been able to get over the incident and feel very anxious when thinking back on it. I have also been feeling slightly defeated due to the fact that based on our first harness experience, it doesn't feel as though my dream of a harness kitty will be achievable.
The health benefits, for both cat and human, are huge when a stroller is concerned. The mobility of being able to take your pet on walks, hikes and new adventures. The new sights and smells that they don't normally get to experience on a daily basis are worth it alone to me. Not only will he be able to travel with me and explore new areas outside, but it will be encouragement for me to get outside as well.
At first I thought to myself, "people are really going to judge me for this, they're going to laugh and make fun of me, etc, etc.". Now...who cares!? I'm happy, this is my cat and my life and that's not for anybody else to decide.
I have been doing extensive research on strollers and getting the best quality for cheapest price. Ultimately I decided on this one because of the three-wheel design and reviews. When looking for a stroller I had a few criteria, one being cup holders and storage. I love to walk and hike but I like to have a spot for a drink, phone, keys, extra pee-pee pads for Mally and of course toys. This particular stroller has two cup holders with a small amount of storage in between up by the handles. There is a very large storage basket on the bottom which will be perfect for carrying extras. Another big item on my list was durability and ease of use. There is a one-button fold up option with this stroller which will make traveling easy and the one-handed button will allow more attention to be kept on kitty during the transition process. This stroller also looks very durable and has good reviews regarding the quality of this piece.
Overall I am very excited for this product to arrive and see how Malloy does with this outdoor attempt.
Monday, October 24, 2016
A scary lesson
I have always dreamed of harness training a cat. I love the idea of a dog and being able to take him on walks, hikes, day trips, just being able to bond and take him ultimately anywhere. When I found Malloy he seemed like the most easy-going cat and upon bringing him home, he seemed to adjust to new situations seamlessly. Within the first week of Malloy being home I had him in the harness and he was galloping and playing all around the house in it. It seemed like a dream.
He was adjusting much quicker than I had expected. Going back to something his foster mom said the day we got him was that he had escaped from her house a couple times and seemed very curious about going outside. She seemed to think he was an outdoor cat at his previous residence before being abandoned due to his behavior and curiosity about going outside. This was another indication to me that maybe he would be a dream harness kitty.
He got comfortable wearing the harness and leash inside the house which indicated to us that he might be ready to go outside. I think I was caught up in a dream of having this amazing boy home because I clearly didn't think this next move through. We put the harness and leash on my newly-home three-year old kitty and carried him outside. He was very calm in my arms (as usual) and did amazing until I put him on the ground. He immediately started bucking like a bronco, I could feel things getting out hand quickly and pleaded for Dan or my friend who was visiting from NH, Brooke, to help but it was too late. Malloy had managed to slip out of the harness and was tearing around the apartment complex. He leaded towards the left side of the building where Dan and Brooke chased him. I ran inside for treats and tried to trap him at he came screaming around the side of the building and towards the parking lot. The chase went on for what felt like hours when all of a sudden I see Malloy take off over the fence separating the apartment complex from Quail Ridge Townhomes next door. Dan takes off over the fence after him and Brooke runs down the fence then proceeds to jump over. I ran inside for keys, a phone and real shoes. What felt like a half hour passed by when I called Dan and he informed me that Malloy was trapped under a bench in the complex next door. I grabbed a crate and jumped in the car.
After getting Malloy home he marched out of his crate and strolled into the bedroom as if nothing had happened. He slept for a while then came out for snuggles, food and play time. He has shown interest in the door since the incident and I panic every time I think about the front door opening, but I'm trying to come to peace with the situation and make changes for the future. It is hard to believe that he has only been home for THREE weeks, it feels like he's been here for a lifetime. Sometimes I have to keep reminding myself that he's still new here and that there's a lot of trust that needs to be gained between the two of us.
My next plan may very well be my craziest yet and will require a lot of courage and dedication, but I am excited and ready. Details coming soon.
He was adjusting much quicker than I had expected. Going back to something his foster mom said the day we got him was that he had escaped from her house a couple times and seemed very curious about going outside. She seemed to think he was an outdoor cat at his previous residence before being abandoned due to his behavior and curiosity about going outside. This was another indication to me that maybe he would be a dream harness kitty.
He got comfortable wearing the harness and leash inside the house which indicated to us that he might be ready to go outside. I think I was caught up in a dream of having this amazing boy home because I clearly didn't think this next move through. We put the harness and leash on my newly-home three-year old kitty and carried him outside. He was very calm in my arms (as usual) and did amazing until I put him on the ground. He immediately started bucking like a bronco, I could feel things getting out hand quickly and pleaded for Dan or my friend who was visiting from NH, Brooke, to help but it was too late. Malloy had managed to slip out of the harness and was tearing around the apartment complex. He leaded towards the left side of the building where Dan and Brooke chased him. I ran inside for treats and tried to trap him at he came screaming around the side of the building and towards the parking lot. The chase went on for what felt like hours when all of a sudden I see Malloy take off over the fence separating the apartment complex from Quail Ridge Townhomes next door. Dan takes off over the fence after him and Brooke runs down the fence then proceeds to jump over. I ran inside for keys, a phone and real shoes. What felt like a half hour passed by when I called Dan and he informed me that Malloy was trapped under a bench in the complex next door. I grabbed a crate and jumped in the car.
After getting Malloy home he marched out of his crate and strolled into the bedroom as if nothing had happened. He slept for a while then came out for snuggles, food and play time. He has shown interest in the door since the incident and I panic every time I think about the front door opening, but I'm trying to come to peace with the situation and make changes for the future. It is hard to believe that he has only been home for THREE weeks, it feels like he's been here for a lifetime. Sometimes I have to keep reminding myself that he's still new here and that there's a lot of trust that needs to be gained between the two of us.
My next plan may very well be my craziest yet and will require a lot of courage and dedication, but I am excited and ready. Details coming soon.
This was him shortly after the incident sprawled out on our bed purring away.
Welcome home handsome Malloy!
I have been considering getting a cat for some time now but have been trying to be realistic about timing and being in the right place in life.
Fast forward to the end of September 2016 when I was on Petfinder just getting an idea for the cats available in the area and the different shelters to choose from. I came across the profile for the most beautiful cat I've seen, gorgeous green eyes, perfect white "tuxedo" chest and the softest looking black fur around. His name was Banana Split but of course I knew immediately I would name him Malloy. I just knew in my heart he was meant to come home with us...I was in love.
I waited (rather impatiently) for Dan to get home from class and showed him the profile almost immediately. As soon as he came in the door I inundated him with the information "Sweets, I found our cat". He read the description, browsed the available pictures, looked at me calmly and said "yeah, he's perfect".
I ended up reaching out to the shelter, Pawsco, and the next couple hours/days went by painfully slow. I was so impatient waiting to hear back, He was all I could think about. I kept having dreams about him and I kept looking around at the window perches already set up along with the countless toys scattered around the apartment, I could already picture him here.
On October 2nd Dan and I received the email I was waiting for, the meet-and-greet set-up...we were able to go meet him at 1pm and his foster home was only 15 minutes away!
I knew the second I walked in the door and saw Banana Split that he was mine. He was perfect. He walked over to us immediately, smelled us and then plopped on the floor in front of our feet for scratches. The entire adoption process didn't take long at all, I think we were home (with Mally man) within an hour of leaving.
Malloy adapted to the apartment so well! We initially opened his crate in my bathroom near his litterbox, but he was uninterested and proceeded to explore the entire apartment on his own. He found his toys immediately and was snuggly as ever for the rest of the afternoon.
He has been home for three weeks and it feels like a dream. There is no doubt in my mind that Malloy is meant to be home with us, he loves us immensely and I have no words for the happiness he brings me.
Fast forward to the end of September 2016 when I was on Petfinder just getting an idea for the cats available in the area and the different shelters to choose from. I came across the profile for the most beautiful cat I've seen, gorgeous green eyes, perfect white "tuxedo" chest and the softest looking black fur around. His name was Banana Split but of course I knew immediately I would name him Malloy. I just knew in my heart he was meant to come home with us...I was in love.
I waited (rather impatiently) for Dan to get home from class and showed him the profile almost immediately. As soon as he came in the door I inundated him with the information "Sweets, I found our cat". He read the description, browsed the available pictures, looked at me calmly and said "yeah, he's perfect".
I ended up reaching out to the shelter, Pawsco, and the next couple hours/days went by painfully slow. I was so impatient waiting to hear back, He was all I could think about. I kept having dreams about him and I kept looking around at the window perches already set up along with the countless toys scattered around the apartment, I could already picture him here.
On October 2nd Dan and I received the email I was waiting for, the meet-and-greet set-up...we were able to go meet him at 1pm and his foster home was only 15 minutes away!
I knew the second I walked in the door and saw Banana Split that he was mine. He was perfect. He walked over to us immediately, smelled us and then plopped on the floor in front of our feet for scratches. The entire adoption process didn't take long at all, I think we were home (with Mally man) within an hour of leaving.
Malloy adapted to the apartment so well! We initially opened his crate in my bathroom near his litterbox, but he was uninterested and proceeded to explore the entire apartment on his own. He found his toys immediately and was snuggly as ever for the rest of the afternoon.
He has been home for three weeks and it feels like a dream. There is no doubt in my mind that Malloy is meant to be home with us, he loves us immensely and I have no words for the happiness he brings me.
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