All this talk about training dogs got me thinking. We‘re considering getting a cat, curious if anyone has ever trained their cat to go tripping with them? Not talking one of those big white ones everyone wants for bear defence 
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Canoe tripping cat?
- Thread starter Rubbaboo
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I think your crazy Rubbaboo….but I like that 
. We had cats growing up but I’m not a cat person now. I look forward to seeing where this goes. Perhaps the first test is to see how he/she does walking on a leash?? Would a cat need to be contained or leashed at a campsite, I always considered them to have high prey drive?
Good luck,
Barry
. We had cats growing up but I’m not a cat person now. I look forward to seeing where this goes. Perhaps the first test is to see how he/she does walking on a leash?? Would a cat need to be contained or leashed at a campsite, I always considered them to have high prey drive?Good luck,
Barry
Had several cats. Love ‘em. You don’t train them, they train you. To a dog you’re the master. To a cat you are staff.
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I had a couple cats that were pretty cool. They were used to riding in the car and when I took them to the vet I'd just carry them both in my arm at the same time and they never struggled or tried to get away. I always thought it would have been fun to try canoeing with them but something ate them before I got around to it.
If you get a cat you're probably out of luck but if you get a kitten just make it a point to do lots of different things with it and take it places and it will probably just think that kind of stuff is normal once it's grown. Tripping might be a bit of a stretch though.
Alan
If you get a cat you're probably out of luck but if you get a kitten just make it a point to do lots of different things with it and take it places and it will probably just think that kind of stuff is normal once it's grown. Tripping might be a bit of a stretch though.
Alan
Agree with Alan that a kitten would offer the best chance for success. Cats by nature are hunters and are likely to roam from camp unless restrained. And claws could put some holes in your tent floor if the kitty feels the floor is the least bit slippery.
Would love to know if you are successful though so please keep us posted!
Would love to know if you are successful though so please keep us posted!
Being that I am a crazy cat guy married to a crazier cat lady I think it would be pretty easy to train a kitten for tripping. We currently have 10 cats down from 15 plus a dog and a couple horses. Wife wants more cats and I thought 10 was unreasonably reasonable. We will see how well the line is held. Two kittens raised togethers is the esiest on all involved and in my view the perfect amount of cats. We have some cats that go out to the garden with a leash on and I have previously had cats that I walked on lease and even took camping a few times. I was rather surprised how well the cat stuck around and followed me everywhere with out the leash. New surrounding can make them stick close to the pack. A lot depends on the personality of the cat. Some are very scared and some a very confident. Find a confident kitten and start paddling with it and it will probably work out well. Alan nailed it about introducing to lots of stuff young and that will be normal.
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I think a kitten is trainable but, if you're going to that kind of trouble, I'd definitely look for a big white one that has potential as bear deterrent.
Gonna give it a go, not thinking big trips. I have these images in my head of a cat running down a portage trail behind us, leaping over puddles and scurrying across logs keeping up with the dogs and the boys. I probably watch too much tv.
For sure training cats isnt easy, but I’ve seen my aunt do some pretty neat stuff with hers, she gets them to roll and sit and walk with her.
Sealine bags would probably be a no go without a canvas shell. I can’t imagine what one of those big white ones claws would do to one. Freddy Kruger probably doesn’t have much on them.
A collapsible screened cat crate might be the ticket for in the tent and keep it out of the bugs. Whenever we take a new pup into the bush we use one and they work great.
Im on the lookout for a confident kitten!
For sure training cats isnt easy, but I’ve seen my aunt do some pretty neat stuff with hers, she gets them to roll and sit and walk with her.
Sealine bags would probably be a no go without a canvas shell. I can’t imagine what one of those big white ones claws would do to one. Freddy Kruger probably doesn’t have much on them.
A collapsible screened cat crate might be the ticket for in the tent and keep it out of the bugs. Whenever we take a new pup into the bush we use one and they work great.
Im on the lookout for a confident kitten!
Adventure Cats - Living Nine Lives to the Fullest
Adventure Cats is a destination for outdoor enthusiasts and cat lovers. Read stories of adventure cats and find resources to help your own furry friend.
www.adventurecats.org
But also, free-ranging cats kill tons of wildlife. https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/12/world/pet-cats-disrupt-wildlife-scn/index.html and many other sources including scientific literature I can include as desired.
That Adventure Cats site has tips for leash training your cat - probably safest for small wildlife, and safest for the cat when it comes to bigger wildlife. There are packs of coyotes around us that are pretty adept at picking off pets.....and we probably lost a small outdoor cat to a hawk years ago (it seems to have been dropped from a great height nowhere near a tree - paralyzed but not killed immediately by the fall - not pretty).
Not to be a scaremonger, just to encourage exploring a cool idea responsibly
That Adventure Cats site has tips for leash training your cat - probably safest for small wildlife, and safest for the cat when it comes to bigger wildlife. There are packs of coyotes around us that are pretty adept at picking off pets.....and we probably lost a small outdoor cat to a hawk years ago (it seems to have been dropped from a great height nowhere near a tree - paralyzed but not killed immediately by the fall - not pretty).
Not to be a scaremonger, just to encourage exploring a cool idea responsibly
My biggest concern about tripping/camping with a cat is what happens when it gets spooked? Maybe it meets a dog on a portage trail or something else spooks it. I know when my dog gets spooked she comes to me. I know when my cat gets spooked he runs for it.
I was out west one summer and pulled into an empty campground mid-week to relax for a couple hours and a guy was walking around looking for his cat. It had got spooked while camping with him the previous weekend and ran into the woods and never came back.
In my opinion dogs shouldn't be tripping unless they're well trained and respond immediately to commands. I think the same should go for cats but that seems like it might be a little harder to achieve.
Not trying to be a Debbie-Downer. Just go into it carefully. Looking forward to the pics!
Alan
I was out west one summer and pulled into an empty campground mid-week to relax for a couple hours and a guy was walking around looking for his cat. It had got spooked while camping with him the previous weekend and ran into the woods and never came back.
In my opinion dogs shouldn't be tripping unless they're well trained and respond immediately to commands. I think the same should go for cats but that seems like it might be a little harder to achieve.
Not trying to be a Debbie-Downer. Just go into it carefully. Looking forward to the pics!
Alan
I remember reading of a Mississippi through paddler who had a cat along. Searched but failed to find it. Did find another story indicating it can be done.
I think the key will be to get the cat used to traveling, and to bond to you, not to the place where it lives. Most cats don’t like riding in the vehicle. I think if you start them early and frequently they travel well. I’m owned by a cat, so don’t take my word for it.
Down the Mississippi with Stinky
Kids of all ages will enjoy this story of two Wisconsin school teachers, seeking more than the usual summer vacation in 1960, who decided...
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I think the key will be to get the cat used to traveling, and to bond to you, not to the place where it lives. Most cats don’t like riding in the vehicle. I think if you start them early and frequently they travel well. I’m owned by a cat, so don’t take my word for it.
