This guest post is brought to you by Hasara Lay. Hasara is the Founder & Chief Explorer at Catexplorer, a community & movement for people who explore the world with their cats. Catexplorer is full of pet owners who aim to bring some freedom and joy into their cats lives by taking them exploring on hikes, to book stores, to brunch and so much more. Hasara is also Mummy to Lumos & Noxie and lives in Sydney, Australia.
Why Should You Go Catexploring With Your Cat?
Is your cat an indoor cat?
It is becoming increasingly common for cats to be indoor-only, particularly as we now understand the impact of letting our cats roam freely. Keeping our kitties indoors not only increases their lifespan by 3 to 4 times but it also helps to protect them from other smaller animals.
But, the reality is that most cats love going outside. They love the feeling of the grass on their toe beans (and in their mouths!), the wind in their whiskers and the sun on their fur.
Catexploring is the purrfect way to give your cat the opportunity to go outside in a safe manner.
What Is CatExploring?
Catexploring is when you and your cat explore the world together. This could be hanging out in your backyard, picnicking in the park, hiking, kayaking & even going to brunch together. The possibilities are endless.
Is Catexploring Just A Gimmick?
You’ve probably seen the beautiful photos of cats on mountains, in front of lakes, and so much more on Instagram. But that is not why you should go on a hike with your cat. Catexploring gives you the opportunity to make your cat happier. It gives them the chance to see more than the space inside your 4 walls, whilst being safe.
Just imagine that you’re locked within your own home indefinitely. Wouldn’t you get bored too?
And if you had a sense of curiosity, and loved watching the world from the window, wouldn’t you want to go outside too?
So What Are The Benefits For My Kitty?
Besides giving your cat the opportunity to see the world safely, catexploring also has benefits for your cat’s behaviour.
Cats who go catexploring are less likely to exhibit destructive behaviour as they have had the opportunity to burn that excess energy while outside.
Negative behaviour can also be a side-effect of being bored. Taking your cat for a walk helps to enrich their lives whilst reducing any boredom-induced naughty behaviour.
But What About The Benefits To Me?
Catexploring does require some effort but as a human catexplorer myself, I can tell you that it’s all worthwhile.
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Happiness
The joy that you gain from watching your cat happily take in the smells and sights of the world is something I cannot describe. The sight of a happy tail swishing, some legs prancing down a trail and their curious eyes lighting up whenever they see a bird brings a smile to everyone’s face.
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A Strong Bond With Your Cat
Catexploring also teaches you to read your cat better. To understand their body language, the different swishes of their tail, their jumps and their meows. And over time, this helps you develop a stronger bond with your kitty. The best bit is the feeling of love you will get from your cat while out and about, and even when you get back home.
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You Have To Go Outside
Having a cat who loves exploring with you gives you the motivation to go outside. While, in the past, you may have spent a weekend in with Netflix, chances are that when there is a catexplorer in the family you will want to go outside and explore with them.
Having 2 cats who love catexploring in our family has encouraged us to go to new places that we would’ve been too lazy to go to before. We have discovered new landscapes, cafes, breweries and everything in-between.
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The Smiles Our Cats Bring To So Many Other People
One of the best feelings in the world is to be able to make other people smile.
And taking your cat outside brings a smile to so many other people. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve been stopped so that others can pat our cats, ask a few questions and then share their own stories about their cats. It’s a wonderful way to bring more joy into the world.
How Do I Go Catexploring?
The first step is to understand whether your cat is suited to be a catexplorer. Do they love watching out the window? Do they rush to the door every time it’s opened? Are they curious?
If you answered yes to these questions – your kitty is probably suited to being a catexplorer.
Next is to purchase a harness, a cat backpack and harness-train your cat. Get your free guide to harness-train your cat here.
Want To Learn How To Go Catexploring?
Learn from seasoned catexplorers so that you don’t make the same mistakes they did by following Catexplorer on Instagram.
