Hiking with Cats

by **colinr** » Fri Mar 09, 2012 8:09 pm

http://www.mercurynews.com/nation-world/ci_20138683/missing-month-hiker-found-safe-her-cat

A woman who had been missing for nearly a month in a New Mexico national forest was found alive Wednesday in a sleeping bag with her cat by her side, authorities said. Margaret Page, 41, was located by a rescue crew in the Gila National Forest around a mile up the Railroad Canyon Trail in rugged area known as the Black Range. That's where authorities believe where Page had purposely gone hiking off a trail with her cat between Feb. 10 and Feb. 12 and set up a camp. Page has a history of mental illness, authorities said....

I have had cats that would follow me for miles, but it was always starting from my house.

I'm glad to hear that the woman is alive.

by **RayMondo** » Fri Mar 09, 2012 8:44 pm

Cats over here too.

The Beast of Exmoor. Despite scepticism, I assure you, the Beast is out there.
http://www.worldreviewer.com/travel-gui ... oor/14289/ Meow

by **Buckaroo** » Fri Mar 09, 2012 9:25 pm

I had a buddy that had a black cat that would come when he whistled and would ride with him on his motorcycle. Don't know if they ever went hiking but I'm sure that cat would have gone.

by **colinr** » Fri Mar 09, 2012 10:48 pm

Buckaroo wrote:I had a buddy that had a black cat that would come when he whistled and would ride with him on his motorcycle. Don't know if they ever went hiking but I'm sure that cat would have gone.

I have one that will come from afar at my whistle and have had many that are in tune with the sound of a specific engine pulling up to the house.

Steve1215 & RayMondo, sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. :wink:

Aside from cat ladies, and labeling serious beliefs as myths, I think we are missing other serious ethical questions:

The vehicle was towed as crews began their search mission -- something Robert Matulich, a field certified member of the Dona Ana County Search and Rescue team, said was unusual since crews sometime use vehicles to give the search dogs a scent to use.

Her cat was also hunting.

by **colinr** » Fri Mar 09, 2012 11:24 pm

Yes, all that rubbing against people and objects is part of the scent leaving process. Worse, who will clean up the cat poop and remove the scent of cat spray from the pristine wilderness? My uncle goes mountain biking in the area. I suspect he is outraged.

by **simonov** » Sat Mar 10, 2012 12:57 am

SeanReedy wrote:Yes, all that rubbing against people and objects is part of the scent leaving process. Worse, who will clean up the cat poop

Dogs are useful for that, too.

by **colinr** » Sat Mar 10, 2012 1:23 am

simonov wrote:
SeanReedy wrote:Yes, all that rubbing against people and objects is part of the scent leaving process. Worse, who will clean up the cat poop

Dogs are useful for that, too.

Darn. There goes my guiltless weekend high atop a perch in the wilderness.

by **lcarreau** » Sat Mar 10, 2012 2:34 am

You don't mean hiking with Cougars ? :shock:

Reminds me of this one ...

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3etSHK3qVQ[/youtube]

by **Baarb** » Sat Mar 10, 2012 2:43 am

A good story here from JasonH: http://www.summitpost.org/house-cat/198185/c-198182

by **lcarreau** » Sat Mar 10, 2012 4:25 am

Data always liked cats ... :roll:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-7s2PAxsww[/youtube]

by **LuminousAphid** » Sat Mar 10, 2012 5:33 am

Ever since I got my cat a few months ago, I have wanted to try getting one of those "harness" things for her, partly because she always tries to get outside and partly for my own entertainment. But me and my roommate were talking about it the other day and decided that walking a cat on a leash is the activity of a crazy person... I guess that first story proves that we were right!

I think it would be awesome if a cat would follow you on a hike, but I would be worried I'd end up having to carry it when it just didn't want to go anymore. And unlike a large dog, it can't carry anything useful for me. And they hate water- water is literally everywhere in the places I hike sometimes

by **dadndave** » Sat Mar 10, 2012 5:45 am

Who said there was no such thing as evolution?

Looks like that critter's ancestors grew a third back leg to support the weight.

Seriously though, I don't believe domestic cats have any place in the wilderness. Dunno what happens in North America on this score, but feral cats are an enormous problem down here.

by **Bob Sihler** » Sat Mar 10, 2012 7:45 pm

LuminousAphid wrote:Ever since I got my cat a few months ago, I have wanted to try getting one of those "harness" things for her, partly because she always tries to get outside and partly for my own entertainment. But me and my roommate were talking about it the other day and decided that walking a cat on a leash is the activity of a crazy person... I guess that first story proves that we were right!

I think it would be awesome if a cat would follow you on a hike, but I would be worried I'd end up having to carry it when it just didn't want to go anymore. And unlike a large dog, it can't carry anything useful for me. And they hate water- water is literally everywhere in the places I hike sometimes

Not only does a cat on a leash look ridiculous, but most cats also want nothing to do with a leash. We tried it once because we have a cat that likes to follow us on walks, so we thought it might be safer to leash her. As soon as we put that harness on, she just stood there with a look as though every shred of her dignity had been violated and would not move, turning the prospect of taking her for a walk into taking her for a drag.

We didn't try that again.

That same cat went missing for seven months, including the winter, when we were out of town visiting my mother-in-law, and when she was found beyond all hope with her collar still on, we decided to keep her tied in the yard by leash and collar whenever we let her out. She would spend ten minutes or so squirming out of that collar and then be off on her rounds. We scrapped that idea, too.

I've had both cats and dogs, and both have their good and bad aspects, but I'll swear that cats are a lot more stubborn than dogs are and have a lot more pride.

by **LuminousAphid** » Sat Mar 10, 2012 11:00 pm

Bob Sihler wrote:As soon as we put that harness on, she just stood there with a look as though every shred of her dignity had been violated and would not move

I'm assuming that it would go something like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zz9qNH8ofWI

That cat does not enjoy a sweater at all. I put a santa outfit on my cat during christmas time, but it only had a neck loop and a belt thing, so it wasn't too restricting.

As for the feral cat issue, yes it is bad here at least where I live (obviously I can't speak for all of North America), our apartment complex is very nice but someone nearby feeds lots of feral cats or something, and every spring so far there are baby ones. Pretty soon there probably will be some little kittens, and I may actually try to start trapping them and bringing them to a no-kill shelter if possible so that they dont make more babies next year.

by **byates** » Sun Mar 11, 2012 1:27 am

One problem with Hiking with cats is that when they are into it all is fine but when they no longer care to hike forget about it, When I was a kid I still remember my mom hiking out from from Big Sandy lakes to the trail with the cats head sticking out of the pack, much to the amusement of other hikers.

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