This post is sponsored by Sleepypod
You’ve probably seen them online: cats who hike, camp, rock climb and surf. They seem to be fearless and accompany their adventure loving humans everywhere. If you’ve ever wondered whether your cats have what it takes to be an adventure cats, you’ll enjoy meeting Sophie, Kylo Ren and Gryphon.
The KCC Adventure Team
These three kitties, also known as the KCC Adventure Team, belong to Emily and Bobby Hall. Emily is the creator of Kitty Cat Chronicles. The team’s goals are to break the mold of cat expectations and to encourage others to try traveling and adventuring with their cats. “Taking cats on adventures gives them both mental and physical stimulation,” says Emily. “Indoor-only cats need environmental enrichment and exercise to keep them in shape and from getting bored, and going on adventures is a great way to do that! It’s also a wonderful way to bond with your cat. The trust between you deepens, and you get to share a fun activity together.”
Sophie
Sophie is Emily’s original adventurer. She has a neurological condition called cerebellar hypoplasia, but she doesn’t let that get in her way. “She LOVES all kinds of adventures – hiking, canoeing, and exploring more urban areas where she gets to make friends with lots of people,” says Emily. “She’s our social butterfly.”
Kylo
Kylo Ren is less social than Sophie and prefers quiet adventures out in the woods. “Put him on a trail, and he will hike for miles. At home, he is a pesky “little brother” and gets great pleasure from tackling and bothering our other cats. He is a rascal!”
Gryphon
Gryphon is the newest addition to the family. They adopted him a couple of months ago. At only four months old, he’s been adventuring with the family since he joined the fold. “He has taken to it like a natural and can keep up with Sophie and Kylo on the hiking trails,” says Emily. “He has TONS of energy and never seems to get tired.”
Taking cats on adventures
Emily started taking Sophie out on adventures about five years ago, before she even knew “adventure cats” were a thing. “Sophie has always had a uniquely laid-back and up-for-anything personality, and because of her CH, we knew we wouldn’t have to worry about her getting away.” They started by just taking her out in their back yard and found that she loved it. From there, they branched out to taking her to outdoor festivals and concerts, canoeing, hiking, and even on road trips. “She always did so well!”
When they adopted Kylo Ren as a kitten a few years back, they took him out with Sophie right away. “Because he was adventuring from the beginning, it was just a normal activity to him.” He took to it very quickly, as did Gryphon.
Catster and Kylo
“We also trained another one of our cats, Caster, for adventure. He is no longer with us, but he was a great traveler. We started training him shortly after Kylo Ren because they were best friends, and we thought Kylo would enjoy having his buddy with him on adventures and road trips. Caster was already about four years old at the time, so he required a bit more training than the others, but he did well and enjoyed it.”
Favorite products for adventure cats
“Our #1 favorite product is the Sleepypod Mobile Pet Bed,” says Emily. “I always want my cats to be safe, and in my opinion, the Sleepypod is the safest way for my cats to travel in the car.” Emily likes that they double as cat beds, too. “Though Sophie loves her adventures and outings, she has always struggled with car rides. Since she started riding in the Sleepypod though, her stress level when traveling has greatly diminished. She sleeps and hangs out in the Sleepypods in our home all the time, so when it comes time to go somewhere in the car, she doesn’t mind it so much.”
We also really love walking jacket style harnesses. In my experience, they are the most escape-proof.
Exciting adventures
I asked Emily about her most exciting adventure with the kitties. “That’s a hard one!” she said. “I guess I’d have to say our most exciting adventures seem to happen whenever we road-trip down to Florida to visit my husband’s parents. They live on the water and have a pontoon boat. We’ve taken Sophie, Kylo Ren, and Caster all together before and done a lot of hiking and outdoor exploring. They have also all gone out on the boat multiple times. Kylo Ren and Caster always loved cruising down the river together. Kylo Ren has even gone swimming at one of the Florida Springs before!”
Advice for cat parents of future adventure cats
Emily recommends taking it slow to start with. “Follow your cat’s lead, and don’t push them if they seem uncomfortable with something. If you try to push them to do something they aren’t yet ready for, you can potentially ruin any progress you’ve made. Go at your cat’s pace, not yours.” For more tips, download The Beginner’s Guide to Traveling and Adventuring with Your Cat.
For more information about Sleepypod and all of their products, please visit Sleepypod.com.
*FTC Disclosure: This is a sponsored post, which means that I was compensated to feature this content. Regardless of payment received, you will only see products or services featured on this site that I believe are of interest to our readers.