So, we’re still running. We haven’t made much progress, because of some family stuff that’s been going on we took a week long hiatus, and that set us back a bit, but now even the cats are getting in on the action.
You can’t see him, but Hadley is in that stroller. About 2 minutes after this picture was taken he puked up his breakfast, and I had an important realization: running before breakfast, even for kitties.
I had wanted a pet stroller for a few years now. All of our cats are exclusively indoor cats. I don’t feel bad about this – an indoor cat’s life is much longer than an indoor/outdoor cat’s life. They’re less prone to injury and illness and don’t damage the local ecosystem.
Also, our cats are spoiled. We have bird feeders and hummingbird feeders to attract birds for them to watch. They have so many toys that when we moved I pulled over 100 of them out from UNDER and BEHIND furniture and still had two full two boxes already packed. They have feather sticks and laser toys and a more balanced diet than most human toddlers.
However, Hadley, in particular, is curious about “outside.” He doesn’t make a break for it in the sense of “I’m going to run between your legs, get outside, and bolt” but he does sneak out the door Scooby Doo style, looking over his shoulder as if to say “You’re still with me, right?” He also only goes about 3 feet beyond the threshold before he wants you to pick him up and hold him. He really just wants to sniff and look and explore, but he wants to be safe. The pet stroller is the perfect solution. Even if it was delivered at the same time as a 3-gallon tub of Garrett’s cheese popcorn and I was in my pajamas at 3:00 p.m. when they were delivered, and I thought what have I become?*
Reactions to the stroller, at least on my Facebook page, have been pretty consistent: people think I’m crazy. But, in real life, the one neighbor we bumped into as we were doing our walking cool down on the way back to the house, was bemused in a positive way.** He was walking his 17-year old deaf, and almost blind terrier, and you could see the wheels turning about what this could mean for his little guy as he got less spry. (Charlie, the dog, was walking just fine, by the way, and seemed really chipper for such a little old man.)
Hadley’s reaction was also positive. I knew he was the ideal candidate for the first ride. He complained a little at first, it was dark out when we started (hence my sassy headlight in the photo), but once it started to get light he quieted down and started eagerly looking around the neighborhood. He didn’t start wailing*** again until we had stopped jogging, started walking, and he was preparing to toss his cookies. When we got home he started purring loudly, and showing off for the other cats.
Not all of the cats will be candidates for the stroller. Alex P. Kitten is too skittish; she wouldn’t enjoy it at all – nothing about it. Just getting her into the stroller would result in open wounds. Theodore is also not a contender, primarily because he has zero desire to go outside. (Yes, he still hasn’t even looked at a door with the idea of going out it since he returned, although he will hang out in the kitty “tent” we bought for the porch.) Atwood could go either way, but we’ll try it. And we think that Samara will love it, but I won’t take her until it’s warmer out. (She has some sinus issues, and we don’t need her getting a cold.)
Also, the number of people who thought I was “dropping a hint” when I showed them that picture? Three.
*Answer? Best version of myself ever.
**Once he realized that Hadley wasn’t a human baby that we had been regularly leaving at home while out running. No, seriously. We had this conversation: “Oh, I see you out here, but never with the stroller, do you normally leave him at home?” “Oh, yeah, we just got the stroller. We have two other-“ ROWR “Oh! It’s a cat! I thought it was a baby in there!” I think he was probably going to call CPS.
***Hadley is half Siamese and half Maine Coon, he is huge, but skinny and with a voice that sounds like a human baby crying crossed with a goat.