Meet Otje And Pluk
Hello everypawdy!
Let’s start by saying we’re excited to share our story with you. We will speak about who we are, how we got together and share our journey about becoming outdoor adventure cats.
Introduction time
My name is Tirza and I live in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. I work as a child life specialist in a children’s hospital for oncology. The last few years the thought about adding a cat to my life has always been in the back of my mind. I was registered on an adoption site for cats that needed a home but there was never a good match. Mostly because I live in an apartment in Amsterdam on the first floor with no option for cats to go outside. So I decided to search for a kitten that would be a better match for me and my living situation. I never imagined how owning cats would enrich my life.
Otje is now 1,5 years old and when I saw his cute face online I just knew he would be perfect. I wasn’t looking for anything in particular, just a mixed cat breed with a sweet character. Because I was unsure about getting one or two cats I started with one, but in my heart I felt I’d probably add one later so I kept in touch with the family that gave me Otje. Six months later Pluk (different litter but same parents), now 9 months old, was added to our family. Both Otje and Pluk were the last kittens of the litter left, so I didn’t “pick” them but they chose me.
Otje and Pluk both follow me around the house, the living, the kitchen, the bedroom and yes even the bathroom. I guess they know I love their company. They are both very sweet cats. Otje has a more soft and attentive character as to Pluk who is a bit more fierce and loves to cuddle. They play, fight and sleep together, showing me they are the perfect pair.
Why we go outdoors
When I got Otje I started his own Instagram page were I could share his photos without spamming my friends and family on my personal page. I soon dived deep into the insta cat world and stumbled upon an adventure cat. I don’t remember who it was but seeing this made me want to research about cats on leashes and going outdoors. Since I’m to afraid to give my cats freedom to the balcony I wanted to search my options to still give them the outdoor experience.
How we started
I started with purchasing a kitten harness to see if Otje would be interested and accepting. I guess with his sweet character and my skills as a child life specialist it was an instant success. Our little balcony soon became too small to explore so I looked into a backpack for cats which would make it easier for us to explore further. As we live in a city it was tricky to find a safe place, but after exploring different spots we’ve now found the perfect city park. In this park there are many small paths, bushes, water and dogs have to be leashed. When Pluk came to us I off course started training with him to see if he would also be interested in going outdoors. The first few times I took them out together. Otje was a great example to Pluk showing him how to walk on a leash and ride in a backpack. When Pluk grew bigger it became more difficult to take them together. I was also unsure what I would do if something went wrong. I think it’s important to feel relaxed when taking your cat outdoors so I decided to take them on separate adventures. This way I felt more relaxed and safe. Also it’s more easy to follow where they want to go. Since Otje is already more used to going outdoors he’s more adventurous and Pluk is still learning to find his way in the outdoor world.
Next I will share what I think is important into training your cat to go outdoors. Just saying I’m not an expert, I just started with google, did my research and I love to share our tips with you.
Training in general
When you start training, start indoors. It’s a safe environment for you and your cat which sets a good starting point. Take small steps, repeat and stop if you see your cat is uncomfortable. When introducing new items, like a harness or backpack, I leave them around the house so they can investigate by themselves.
Harness training
First I put on the harness without the leash attached. I rewarded them with treats but also lots of playtime. It was important for me that they associated the harness with fun. As soon as they were not moving anymore or started biting the harness i would take it off. Depending on your cats age or character this would take a shorter or longer time. It doesn’t matter how long it takes but just watch if they like it or not. After all we do this because we want them to have fun and live their best life.
Once they accept the harness I added the leash and I would walk with them in my house. Using a toy for them to chase and me following them. This makes them aware that you go where they go. Both Otje and Pluk accepted all of this quite fast so I opened the balcony for them and later we started exploring the park. Which is the ultimate award, going outdoors!
Backpack training on the bike
With the backpack I followed the same steps as written above. The backpacks are always available to them. These days they jump in and I guess it’s them telling me they want to go outdoors 🙂 Since our favorite park isn’t around the corner I either walk there or I ride my bike, just because it’s faster. With Otje I started riding the bike wearing the backpack in front of me. I noticed he was meowing a lot so I decided to open the top. He instantly stopped meowing and loved having a better view. Also i think its manly the feeling of being enclosed in something that Otje doesn’t like. When he got more heavy I bought a rack to attach to my bike where I can put the backpack and he loves riding in front. I had to train him to stay in the backpack whilst cycling. For safety his leash is attached in the backpack. He’s a pro at this point, but cats will be cats so I’m always very alert as to him jumping out. Pluk is now learning how to ride like this. He started riding the bike on my shoulder/neck but he is now too big to fit there. For him its more difficult to adjust to riding in front of the bike since he wants to stay closer to me. So I remind myself to take small steps. To me training never stops so I keep rewarding them with treats and outdoor adventures.
Our next adventure
We’re so excited for our next adventure. It will be so different as to what we normally do. On the weekend of 4 September we will be going to an animal friendly hotel in Amsterdam to stay the night. The hotel was doing a giveaway with one of our online friends on Instagram to promote that they are animal friendly and we won! We will be going there for our humans pre birthday celebration. You can follow this adventure on our Instagram page and watch us ride our bike and explore the hotel life.
We hope you enjoyed reading a little bit about our life and outdoor journey. If you have any questions feel free to ask! You can find us on our Instagram page @team.otjepluk
Take care and lots of love,
Tirza, Otje & Pluk
