Hammocking with a cat...

[Flatliner]

For reasons that will have likely been deleted prior to you reading this I wanted to open a thread for questions/advice/discussions related to camping-hiking-canoeing in a hammock related to taking a cat along on the trip. My son has a cat he loves and would like to take it on our annual Boundary Waters trip. I am open to the idea but the thought of losing said cat worries me.

Any advice, thoughts, experiences, or general related discussion is welcome here. I officially give permission to 'chase rabbits' in this discussion as well unless that is somehow a violation of the terms of service of this site.

[Otter1]

Man I like cats but I find this topic hilarious!

The hammock probably will not like the claws. I'll just sit back and wait for more comments.

[Wanderlost]

I think there are a few issues that will need to be worked out, especially as related to hammocks.

Is the cat declawed? Lightweight fabrics (e.g. tarp, hammock, top quilt, under quilt) do not take well to sharps. It could be a quick recipe for a fluffy, ragged mess.

Is the cat an outdoor cat? Has it ever been hiking? Has it slept outside with your son? I once watched someone hike with a cat. It was the most pathetic site ever. The owner was constantly nudging and talking the cat on. The cat sulked behind in its harness, obviously against being there.

Does he have a plan for getting the cat to/from places? In a backpack? Have it walk? Will it sit in a yak/canoe? Is your son going to carry its food?

Have you asked the cat? They can be pompous jerks from what I hear....

[Flatliner]

LOL, true observations. In this case, other than a few portgages, most of the trip is sitting in a canoe. The cat is an outdoor cat but she spends a good amount of time inside with him. They have not camped together and I thought about trying that in the back yard but that is her turf so I don't think it would really tell us anything.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[dkurfiss]

Does the cat do well on a leash? You will certainly want one on it when you are in or out of the canoe. Cat's don't normally swim very well so you will want a way to haul her back when she jumps out Hammock...do you have a bug net that she can't get out of at night? Is she used to the hammock?

[Flatliner]

Great questions that aren't answered yet. She's never been on a leash but acts like a puppy with my son. We could try some day trip canoeing at a local lake. Probably need to ease into it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[One-Sky]

I'm sure it would be awesome for your son to take his cat camping. Unless his furry buddy started camping while it was a kitten, I myself wouldn't risk it. Too many "what ifs" for me.

But there is hope that this can be done, but I think you would need to start with them as kittens. Click on the link below to see what happened when two kittens were found while hiking/camping . . . great story.

http://www.lifewithcats.tv/2016/04/1...-rescued-them/

[Dublinlin]

Back 30 some odd years ago, I took my cat hiking/camping with me all the time. (Sorry...it was before I discovered hammocks!) The cat was already several years old before I started, so not starting as a kitten doesn't necessarily preclude this endeavor. I think it depends in large measure on the individual cat. It could be a heartbreaking disaster or a lot of fun. Thirty years ago I was less cautious than I am now and never stopped to think about all the "what ifs". I just took her and went...and fortunately for me, she did fantastic with it!

She WAS an indoor/outdoor cat with her claws (good for being in the woods, not good for hammocks though I guess!). She DID come when called, like my dogs did. She wasn't a wanderer. She was a very self-confident cat and very self-sufficient, but she kept an eye out on her "pack" and stayed near camp. And she had two large dogs roaming around with her who kept the other wild-life away. We camped in a very remote wooded area and never saw any other folks on our excursions, so I never leashed anybody. The dogs were very well trained, though, and never wandered more than 30 feet from where-ever I was...always were looking up every few minutes to check where I was and NOSE TO THE GROUND HARD CORE TRACKING ME if I happened to slip from sight (something I would do just to teach them to keep closer tabs on me). The cat just fell in line with the dogs. She was a pretty dog-like cat, I guess.

I agree with the others above, that the cat would need to be leashed all the time. I took risks when I was younger (without even thinking about it being a risk) that I would be very hesitant to take now. If you'll be on the water, she would need a life vest. Do they even make those for cats? And get her comfortable with it way before your trip. Help her associate wearing it with awesome things...maybe a special treat food that she only gets when the life vest is on. Is she used to being outdoors? Is she calm on car rides and during storms and when experiencing unfamiliar places and experiences? That sort of temperament would be helpful. Also, it'd be good to get her a light weight harness and introduce her to walking on a leash and being carried outside on walks, too, well in advance of your trip so that that part is already familiar. Also, I'd take her to a nearby lake for a short kayak ride with you to see how she reacts before you've made the huge commitment of including her in on a full-blown trip.

If the CAT likes it, I think it'd be awesome to let your son take her along! Not sure how the claws and hammock thing would work out, though...I've thought of muk-luk boots on my dog to protect my hammock, but not sure you'd ever get any cat to put up with booties on it's feet...? If your hammock doesn't zip shut, you could keep her harness on her all night and secure the other end of the leash to yourself. Then you'd know if she hopped out and could reel her back in.

[Karla "with a k"]

This site has good information: http://www.adventurecats.org/

[MtnGoat]

This site has good information: http://www.adventurecats.org/

+1 to Karla about that site...a long-distance-hiking cat lady can dream right? Also I have no prior experience other than being a crazy cat lady soooo....

If this is something your son wants to pursue do it in baby steps. Has kitty ever worn soft paws? This may be a possible solution for delicate fabrics however it would require kitty to wear them on front and back paws.

I do think that certain cats have the personality for outdoor adventures but it is more the exception than the rule.

✌️❤️



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk