Walking along the canal - Luna and Harvey

Hay Fever seems to be kicking in already, which is strange as I don't normally get it but sore eyes are the name of the game today.

The weather has been lovely the last few days and although Easter is said to be wet the other days should be lovely. I've just taken Harvey out for his walk and finally we are able to walk away from the roads along the paths which have until now been mud entrenched.

Sorry for my voice in the video, but she only wags her tail if you talk to her…….

Harvey having a stroll

Luna has even taken the odd walk as she is getting used to the noises and people. The noise which upsets her most is the canal boats going through the lock but as you can see she is also quite enamoured by them also.

The others show no interest in walking or going outside, Reuben is very content and Monty is happy as long as he has a few birds to chase. Bertie is shy, he would probably follow Luna but not have a need for outside walk.

This morning was so nice that I was able to catch a couple of nice photos. This was Luna managing to get herself up to the top of the cherry tree 

Walking the Cats

Harvey by the canal

Yes, yes, yes.....I do walk the cats, well more precisely one cat mainly. My stance on this comes from a couple of angles, Louis, our cat from a few years ago was certainly allowed out as it seemed the right thing to do. He was a BSH and after around a year of having him we allowed him the chance to wander. Unfortunately we live close to a canal and the surround has barbed wire etc, one morning we came down to a bloody kitchen and a very unwell Louis who had pulled himself through the cat flap and was resting on the kitchen table. We could only see a couple of cuts but on taking him to the vets, he lifted his stomach to reveal, unfortunately in front of the kids, a cut straight down from between his front legs to his hind legs the skin was totally open. He was a very lucky cat to survive. 

We do live in a quiet estate however we do have a public path by the house making our knowledge of the people around us limited. Therefore I do feel, for my cats, that I am happier knowing they are in the house with a cat proofed garden and if they need a wider experience they can happily be walked. I know they are not going to get into accidents, get poisoned, tortured, or stolen. I am also far happier that I know I am not going to be sued for any accidents that occur with cars etc. Cat walking just seems to be far less common in the UK than on the continent or in America, where it seems far, far more of an accepted practice.

Walking the cats

For all the cats we have purchased a full body fabric harness, and not the gladiator type. This ensures complete safety in that our cats are unable to escape should they be spooked on our walk. I have also used the harness to pull the cats at least three times out of the canal!!!

Harvey is our great walker, he learnt from 16 weeks to walk on a harness and now waits by the door to tell me he wants a walk or comes running if I rattle the lead and harness. It is never going to be like walking a dog, we meander slowly wherever he wants to go. We have limits ie no trespassing into peoples drives and he seems to acknowledge where the boundaries are. If we walk by the canal he jumps on the lock and runs over and we have walked at least a couple of miles along there. He dislikes dogs, runners, walkers and cyclists so as you can imagine our walking gets hindered many times. Each time he stops, lies down in the grass to the edge or between my feet. Reuben can walk, and will if you insist but he is as happy lying in the garden quietly. Monty hates the world outside!!!! and Bertie well he already seems to be taking to it quite well. Maybe a pal for Harvey on the walks???

The jackets come from Maria at Mynwood cat jackets, she makes them individually from your measurements, so around the neck and behind the front legs (around the chest area). She also needs to know the breed of cat ie if you have a Bengal, this cat has a long neck so a wide strap here would be best whilst a BSH like Harvey has almost no neck so a thin strap is required. She is lovely to talk to and at £12.50, they are a bargain. So far we have a blue kitten harness, a red, a red tartan and now a skull design for Monty. We do actually use them also as a car harness around the seat belts. Our cats lie down with them on and are far less freaked out than in the travel box, also there is no way we could transport all four of them for their monthly trip to the inlaws if we didn't use the harnesses.

On the canal lock

What's over there....

'Catwalks'

Just got back from a lovely stroll walking the CAT! Harvey our eldest cat loves going for a walk, he looks for the lead or sits by the door until you relent.

He walks on harness, and I can recommend the "Mynwood Harness." They are made to order from your own cats neck and behind the front leg chest size with the breed taken into account, mainly allowing for short necked or long necked breeds. Harvey is on an extending leash which allows him freedom to go into the undergrowth. So far the harness has been used to rescue him from the canal twice so I can vouch for its strength and security!

Our cats have never been into their travel box, however just as dogs have a car harness secured to the seat belt we secure the cats to the seat belt using the harness. We travel almost every other week to the inlaws house and the cats just sit on the seats with their harnesses and sleep. Harvey goes almost immediately to sleep.

I must get another as the new kitten will have the little harness so I think it will be Monty's turn for a new one. He has his own shape!!!!