Camping Cat

[Hclarkx]

This 8 year old loves camping. We mostly dry camp and boondock so he can go out without a leash. He's okay on a leash but prefers to not have one. This works so long as there are no people or dogs in sight (he had bad experiences with both before he came to us). He's trained well, knows a dozen "words" and will be inside in a flash if I say "house." We've hiked up to a mile without a leash and with him never more than 50' away from me. He's been camping for a bit over 5 years now, 4-5 months per year.

Image would not work, here's a link to it.

http://slickpic.us/2145548YxNY

[Reverse_snowbird]

Cool cat. Sounds like he trained you well.

[SeaDog]

Around here boondocking and a cat (or small dog) 50' away is easy pray for big birds. I really like cats if I had one camping I would keep it close. Yours seems to be very smart.

[Hclarkx]

Originally Posted by SeaDog

Around here boondocking and a cat (or small dog) 50' away is easy pray for big birds. I really like cats if I had one camping I would keep it close. Yours seems to be very smart.

I agree fully. Typically he's closer than 50 feet but there is risk from birds, plague, rattle snakes, etc.. I worry most about rattle snakes, especially when he wants to poke his head into holes in the house-sized rocks in Valley of Fire State park (NV) and similar. He complains when I call him away from such places, but it's for his own good. Still there is risk and it's a matter of giving him huge pleasure at the expense of a potentially shorter life.

If the risks seem very high, he is on a leash and kept away from even low growing shrubs that might harbor a rattle snake.

At home we have 1.2 acres where we see coyotes and hawks and such so I keep him close. We avoid darker hours when coyotes are more likely be be out.

He's a trim 14 lbs and hopefully that would discourage hawks.