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  1. #31
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    Quote Originally Posted by MrJames View Post
    I hate to rain on your son's parade, but as a lifelong cat specialist, will say in what should be in big capital letters: do not take the cat period. Even with a Come With Me Kitty leash-harness (the *only one* that doesn't yank on a cat's weak neck, nor is easily slipped out of if put on snugly and the cat suddenly faces you and backs out it, to your surprise. Cats can turn around on you and because their shoulders are so flexible, can slip out of almost any other Figure 8 harness or H-harness. If the cat is not totally used to being outside on a CWMK lead plus is so laid back as to not be the slightest bit wary of loud or unfamiliar noises and surroundings, as unpleasant as it is to say it, it is near certain your kitty will not be coming home with you. And in spite of your repeated calling it the next day in that area, be gone for good, and helpless as it was not initially a mature outdoor feral cat, or so it sounds. This may sound harsh, but I feel compelled to say what I said, for the benefit of your son and the kitty.
    I live deep in the woods, and I fully agree with all that you've said. I love my kitties too much to put them in danger out there. They're absolutely never allowed out in the woods except on their harnesses & leads. There's too much trouble for inquisitive cats to get into, and if they get spooked it's very likely that they will NOT come when called, no matter how well they do in your garden. And there are coyotes, hawks, owls, raccoons, snakes, ticks, other people's dogs allowed to run free ...

    I do use the Come WIth Me Kitty harnesses (the best ever!) with short leads for our daytime walks in the woods, but never very far from the house, and I comb them carefully as soon as we come in to check for ticks & fleas. It took a while to acclimate them to the CWMK harnesses, just a few minutes at a time indoors. We didn't venture outside until I was sure they weren't bothered wearing the harnesses and that they couldn't get free. In the car they ride in carriers for their safety in case of a sudden stop or when the car doors are opened.

    As for claws, one or both of my cats sleep in my hammock with me every night with no damage. I hang the hammock low enough that they can jump in and out easily. Even in summer it's easy enough to put a small bit of fleece in there for them to walk & sleep on. Better to let them knead the fleece than your hammock or down quilt! I don't bother with claw covers, but I do trim just the pointy tips of their front & back claws frequently. Do this carefully so as not to cut the quick or the very thin blood supply in each claw. Use good cat claw trimmers, not the people kind. Never declaw a cat, even if it's strictly indoors-only. I've rescued several declawed cats over the years. They often have lifelong pain with associated behavioral problems. You would too, if somebody cut off the first joint of each of your fingers & toes. Look it up if you don't believe it's inhumane. Most vets won't do it any more, for good reason.

    My advice is to keep the cats safely at home for their own good, and avoid the worry and potential heartbreak.

  2. #32
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    I am not sure on backpacking or canoeing with a cat, but hammocking with one can be done if you care careful.

    I "backpacked" in the woods by my parent's house and was followed by three of my cats. They stayed with me the entire time playing around in the woods while I was reading a book in the hammock. Eventualy, it came to bed time and they all climbed into the hammock without using their claws and curled up at different parts of my body.

    just because a cat has claws does not mean they will use them every time. There is a risk of punctures, but only if you have a butt hole cat who trys to use you as a scratching post.

  3. #33
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    Quote Originally Posted by MrJames View Post
    Yes, it's a fun site. These are unusual cats indeed. Like the one that sat in a fellow's bicycle handlebar bag from California to the East coast. These are super outlier cats in both instances.

    Note that the adventurecats.org site also mentions the Come With Me Kitty lead and harness, the one endorsed by ASPCA national. It is what I recommend to cat owners and use myself in training cats. I have seen one escape but that was because it was adjusted sloppily.

    However the adventurecats.org site also mentions one that looks good, an appealing design, endorsed by Mr. Jackson Galaxy (nee Richard Kirschner), as he is seen on TV, the Kitty Holster Harness. Note that on the customer Q&A page at amazon.com, the first Q&A answer mentions how the guys cat got out of it in 20 minutes. Not as good as it seems maybe? (Disclaimer: I have no connection with any cat leash or harness or sales thereof.) Cats are Houdini escape artists with most all harnesses because of the way their shoulders flex; ask your vet. When you see it happen on a snug harness as they turn around and face you and back out of, it looks like a magic trick. But that's what happens.

    Many cats when escaped from a car or when walking in a strange environment, never come back to their owners' repeated attempts and calls. The adventurecats website makes it look fairly easy and glamorous. It is not.
    The Kitty Holster didn't hold either of my cats. I use the Come With Me Kitty harness after a LOT of indoor practice and observation, but even with careful adjustment I'm still not 100% confident that my Houdinis won't slip out, so I keep a close watch on them when we go on walks, and never far from the house. I wouldn't even do that, except that I haven't yet built for them an enclosed, wire mesh covered garden area for fresh air and sunshine. A neighbor's cat was grabbed by a hawk near their house a few years ago, with her people only about 30 ft away in clear view. Fortunately not carried off or badly hurt, but that traumatized kitty has chosen to stay safely indoors ever after.

  4. #34
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    Folks,

    Please keep this on topic which centers around cats and hammocks...this is Hammock forum not cat hiking forums
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    "The older I get, the more I appreciate my rural childhood. I spent a lot of time outdoors, unsupervised, which is a blessing." Barbara Kingsolver

  5. #35
    Senior Member transeuphrates's Avatar
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    I usually take a nap in my hammock at home and my cat always wants to sleep with me. I usually find it comfortable until she wakes me up crying because she wants to have her chin scratched or wants out of the hammock. I usually have no problems though with her scratching up the hammock and i have even put her in the hammock by herself and she was content. Also, she is usually pretty good about not using her claws to get out. I think taking a cat hammock camping is possible, but it will really depend on the cat. I would take mine if I thought she wouldn't get lost or eaten by a coyote.

    Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

  6. #36
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    I was lounging in the backyard in a bug hammock and my wife let one of the cats outside. He seemed interested, so I asked my wife to drop him in with me. I thought he would be cool with it. This cat is VERY social and trusts me completely, but the second he hit my chest, he started bounding around trying to get out through the netting. He almost made it. I had several holes in the netting and a few deep scratches across me.

    I echo others' advice to try this at home, first.

  7. #37
    Senior Member Flatliner's Avatar
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    Lots of good advice, I likely will let the idea die though.


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    Just an out of shape middle aged guy who loves doing outdoor things with his great kids...

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  8. #38
    Senior Member Karla "with a k"'s Avatar
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    Instead of starting a new thread, I'm just going to add on to this one from 2017.

    For almost three years now, I've hammock camped with my cat, Kizme. It's been a gradual build up as I've tested to see how much adventure he likes. We car camp and take day hikes. We've recently started camping with other people and dogs (mixed results with dogs).

    We camp all year round. I usually record my camp set up and review what went well or not. Feel free to watch the videos on my youtube page. Here's one:

    ◘ May 17-19: BACONFEST @ Interstate WI SP ◘ Oct 3-6: miCHILIgan @ Middleville, MI ◘ YouTube: karlawithak216 ◘ Instagram: i.am.karla.with.a.k ◘ 97 months

  9. #39
    Senior Member SoaknWet's Avatar
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    My cat started hammock using by accident. I had my gear hammock up in the house and for some reason had to go out for something. When I came back inside Cotton had gotten in the hammock and spent most of the day sleeping in it. Now he loves to walk around the yard on a leash and rides in the truck with me BUT I would never take him hiking or camping mainly for his safety. I do think it would be great to do it but if your son lost his friend how would it effect him?

  10. #40
    Senior Member Karla "with a k"'s Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SoaknWet View Post
    I do think it would be great to do it but if your son lost his friend how would it effect him?
    You have the same type of problems with any pet and lots of people bring their dogs camping and hiking. I do have a GPS locator I can put on my cat if I think he might escape his harness, but I've never had that happen while camping. It's a risk I'm willing to take. My choices are good for me and my pet don't have to be the choices you make for you and yours.
    ◘ May 17-19: BACONFEST @ Interstate WI SP ◘ Oct 3-6: miCHILIgan @ Middleville, MI ◘ YouTube: karlawithak216 ◘ Instagram: i.am.karla.with.a.k ◘ 97 months

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