Leon the Cat, a lovely male tabby owned by Elzbieta (see here at the bottom), a friend of Malgorzata and Andrzej, has been trained to not only walk on a leash, but also be carried in a daypack. Therefore he gets to take hikes with his staff.
When I heard that Leon and his staff were going to the mountains, and in Poland in winter, I wondered how he’d take to the snow. Well, I’ve received two Leon monologues (he doesn’t do dialogues) indicating that all is well:
Leon: Are there any chamois out there?
*******
Leon: I discovered that I have a gene for mountain wandering.
And I have received a report that “Leon was sleeping sweetly in his backpack on the way back.”
meow
Hahaha… I thought when Leon said ‘chamois’ he meant that suede-y kind of wash cloth. Then I discovered he meant this: “The chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra) is a goat-antelope species native to mountains in Europe”. (wiki)
And the wash-cloth used to be made out of chamois hide. Some still are.
I think we have one of those buried somewhere in the garage! The wash-cloth, I mean.
I’ve got a really ratty fox head and tail in the garage. Not my thing at all, but you can’t just toss a family “heirloom”…I once tried to give it to my dear friend who gave me the camel teapot (note a pattern), but she said the fox was just toooo tacky even for our usual tacky gift exchanges. So Francine moulders away in my garage.
Could you get it cleaned up and sell it for charity? Might as well make it worthwhile – poor Foxxy.
My dad had a stuffed chamois head which we named Sylvester and whose antlers ( horns?) we decorated w tinsel at Xmas. I think my dad shot it years ago in Austria:-(. One of my brothers still has it.
Poor chammy.
I know:-(
Lucky cat. Some canines would give their eye-teeth for that experience.
*Rim shot!*
I suppose that’s as good an excuse as any to chew the fact, molar less.
b&
Ahhh, a real live mountain “lion” in the snow, chase reflexes intact!
What a coincidence! I just got back from a quick hike in Phoenix South Mountain Park with Baihu.
I don’t think he’d care much for being in a pack, but he often sits on my CamelBak.
No snow here, of course. Baihu still hasn’t seen that stuff. Hopefully next winter I’ll be able to plan a road trip to Flagstaff or the like.
b&
I seriously need boots for my d*gs these days. After just a few minutes in the frigid snow & ice they’re hobbling around drunkenly, trying to keep as many paws in the air as possible.
Last night Phoebe’s right rear paw was so sore that she wouldn’t put any weight on it when she put it down, consequently it collapsed beneath her with each step. I was sure she must have broken her leg! Fortunately all was fine a minute or so after coming back inside.
I’ve seen people use balloons for dog boots.
Hmmm!
But those wouldn’t protect their paws from the extreme cold, would they? From the road salt, yes, but not the cold.
I thought that, too. But it would keep them from developing ice balls between their paw pads, I guess.
I imagine something could be knitted (and I’d expect plans somewhere on the ‘Net) with some sort of waterproof non-slip sole.
Not that I think you can knit, but, if you can’t, I’d imagine you likely know somebody who can….
b&
I think it would keep them warm enough if they weren’t out too long. I saw the balloons on two little chihuahuas in pink hoodies on a really cold day. So if those wimpy little dogs could stand it, I would think your much less pantywaist dogs would too.
This video looks promising.
http://www.instructables.com/id/10-Minute-Dog-Boots/
I used to buy booties for my doggies, and it can get expensive esp. when they get chewed up! The thing is that when they get soaking wet, it’s quite painful for doggie. Backup sets sound sensible.
That’s one of the great things about hiking with a cat. We get anywhere I wouldn’t personally walk barefoot, Baihu is up on my shoulders.
Cold isn’t a problem here, of course, but heat definitely is. When it gets hot enough, we stop every ten or fifteen minutes for me to wet down his coat with the ice water I keep in the CamelBak. That can happen when the ground is still okay to walk on (in the desert, but likely not on any pavement)…but, when it really gets hot, I start looking for shaded spots to set him down on for the soak.
b&
A cat on a leash is a crime against nature.
What’s the alternative when you’re hiking or local laws prohibits cats running free when they’re not on a leash?
Exactly.
I’ve hiked with cats for over five decades, and I can assure you they will not let you run off.
Erm…Baihu would probably be dead many times over were it not for his leash. With the leash, he gets to spend lots of time in the great outdoors. If I let him off the leash, he may well spook the first time a biker explodes ever a ridge and wind up becoming a coyote’s dinner that night.
b&
Gorgeous scenery! Looks like an idyllic hike!
Doubly amazing. A cat on a leash AND in snow. My cats have always hated snow. And as for a leash… forget it. Multiple scratches have taught me never to try that again. Benny says, “Snow, non!” and Babette says “Pas de neige pour moi.”